IT’s beige, crispy and downright delicious.
But fish and chips – or anything else from the chippy – isn’t exactly the healthiest of cuisines.
It’s deep fried and smothered in salt, vinegar and sugary sauces.
With around 10,500 shops across the UK, the British staple can be hard to ignore.
And you don’t need to completely; treating yourself every now and then is important, and won’t cause long-term damage to your health.
But if you find you’re ordering a full chippy tea every week, it might be worth taking note of quite how calorific and fat-filled it really is.
Too much of either can cause weight gain and make you more likely to suffer from heart disease and some cancers.
Nutritionist and weight loss specialist Milena Kaler said: “While fish and potatoes are healthy and nutritious, the problem lies in the highly processed and refined oils used for frying.
“These oils are high in omega-6 fatty acids, which can strip away beneficial nutrients and result in the formation of trans fats, which contribute to inflammation if not balanced with omega-3 fatty acids.
“Like with any cuisine, there are healthy and not-so-healthy options.
“Fish is an excellent source of protein, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins such as vitamin B12 and D, and minerals such as iodine and selenium.
“While fish is beneficial for heart health, the oil used for frying fish and chips can increase levels of the LDL cholesterol, which is a risk factor for heart disease.
“Potatoes are rich in vitamin C and fibre, which is found in the potato skin, however, deep frying potatoes increases the calories and unhealthy fat content.”
Here, we break down some of the most popular dishes, and the healthier alternatives if you’re on a diet.
While the exact number of calories is a mystery, as takeaways often don’t disclose the figures and these can differ hugely between outlets, the National Federation of Fish Friers (NFFF) provides a good average.
According to the trade association, a standard portion of fish and chips (cooked in beef dripping) contains 1,028 calories.
This is more than half the NHS‘ recommended daily intake for women (2,000) and 41 per cent of a man’s (2,500).
The dish also contains 56.6g of fat (30.9g saturates).
On average, men should have no more than 30g of saturated fat per day, but women should limit themselves to 20g.
Cooking the fish and chips in rapeseed oil only brings this down to 972 calories and 47.1g of fat (4.2g saturates).
A small chips (cooked in palm oil) will set you back about 295 calories, increasing to 589 for a regular, 884 for a large and a whopping 1,177 for an XL.
For fat, this is around 11.9g (6g saturates), 23.8g (11.9g saturates), 35.7g (17.g saturates), and 47.5g (23.8g saturates) respectively.
Fish and chips can be consumed as an occasional treat
Milena Kaler
When it comes to fish, a small cod (cooked in palm oil) contains about 329 calories and 16.7g of fat (8.2g saturates), a medium 469 calories and 17.3g of fat (8.5g saturates), and a large 770 calories and 20.3g of fat (10g saturates).
A cup of mushy peas contains about 97 calories – but only 0.6g fat (0.1g saturates).
The NFFF doesn’t provide estimates for other side dishes, but UK-based food diary app Nutracheck suggests a battered sausage contains 356 calories and 27.8g of fat.
For a portion of scampi, this is around 413 calories and 22.1g of fat, and there’s about 384 calories and 21.1g of fat in a bag of onion rings, the site says.
Curry sauce contains around 93 calories and 6.8g of fat, while chip shop gravy stands at about 50 calories and 2g of fat.
There are about 63 calories and 5g of fat in two tablespoons of tartar sauce, and 40 calories and 0g of fat in the same amount of ketchup.
In terms of sweet dishes, a deep-fried Mars bar contains a staggering 900 calories – almost as many as in a single portion of fish and chips.
There is also an estimated 28g of fat – more than three times than in the normal chocolate bar.
Thankfully, it is possible to eat relatively healthily while enjoying food from your local chip shop.
The key is to avoid deep fried items, and most importantly, not scoff too much!
Milena said: “Fish and chips can be consumed as an occasional treat.
“Anything deep-fried and battered, as well as sausages, tends to be the unhealthiest.
“To make healthier choices, consider smaller portions or alternatives that are grilled, steamed or baked instead of fried.
“While traditional fish and chips are known for being deep-fried, many fish and chip shops offer healthier alternatives such as grilled, steamed or baked fish, and a side salad instead of chips.
“Skip the batter and high calorie sauces, and swap the malt vinegar for apple cider vinegar to support the good bacteria in your gut.”
The key to a healthy diet is eating the right amount of calories for your body.
This will depend on several factors, including your size, age, gender and how active you are.
If you eat or drink more than your body needs, you will put on weight, and if you consume too little, you will lose it.
The recommended daily calorie intake for men in the UK is 2,500, while women should have around 2,000.
On average, men should have no more than 30g of saturated fat per day, but women should limit themselves to 20g.
Source: NHS
