Healthy takeaway: how to order better when you order often

Why is takeaway food often less healthy?

Not because restaurants do anything wrong, but because flavour sells. Dishes on delivery apps usually have more salt, more oil, sweeter sauces and bigger portions than what you'd cook at home. The World Health Organization recommends keeping salt, added sugar and industrial fats as low as possible, and takeaway food often has all three.

The difference between a good order and a bad one usually lies in a few choices, not in the restaurant.

What should you look for on the menu?

Choose more often	Choose less often
grilled, baked, braised, boiled, steamed	fried, breaded, crispy, "with cheese sauce"
fish, chicken, turkey, beans and lentils, eggs	cold cuts, processed meat, sausages
salads with protein, vegetable bowls	large pizza, double burger with chips
vegetable soups	cream soups with lots of cream
rice, quinoa, baked potatoes	chips, onion rings
water, sparkling water, unsweetened tea	soft drinks, sweet lemonades

Use the same rule as at home: half vegetables, a quarter protein, a quarter side. If the dish has no vegetables, order a salad with it.

What can you ask them to change?

• Sauce on the side, so you add as much as you want.
• Vegetables or salad instead of chips.
• Wholemeal bread, where they have it.
• A smaller portion, or keep half for the next day.
• No drink with the meal deal, if it comes with a soft drink.

Many apps have a "notes for the restaurant" field. Use it.

How do you keep one order from spoiling your day?

One heavier meal doesn't matter on its own. What matters is the rest of the day:

• if you know you'll order in the evening, have something light with lots of vegetables at lunch;
• drink water before and during the meal;
• eat slowly, not in front of a screen, so you notice when you're full;
• the next day, go back to your usual meals, without skipping breakfast to "make up for it".

How often is it fine to order in?

There's no number that suits everyone. What you order matters more than how often. A salad with fish ordered four times a week is better than pizza once a week plus snacks all day.

But if you order in almost every day, it's worth asking why. The usual answers are lack of time, evening tiredness and an empty fridge. Each has a small fix:

• Lack of time: cook twice a week, a double portion each time, and eat it the next day.
• Evening tiredness: keep something at home that takes 10 minutes, such as eggs with frozen vegetables.
• An empty fridge: make a fixed shopping list with the same basics every week.

You don't have to give up takeaways. It's enough for them to become a choice rather than the only option.

How does MentorSano help when you often eat out or order in?

• "What to order now" is an option in the subscription account: you get three dishes from ordinary restaurants and see how well each one fits your health and your day on the menu.
• A photo of your plate: upload a photo of what you ordered and see how well the meal suits you and what you could change next time. The values come from the European CIQUAL database, and foods are grouped by NOVA class, from natural to ultra-processed.
• The three-day audit: you photograph all your meals for three days, and the expert writes you a report on how you actually eat.
• For free, the habits in your daily to-do help with the simple things: water, vegetables, dinner time.

If you'd like to start with the free part, create your free MentorSano account. The questionnaire shows you where you stand with your meals, and the takeaway options come with the subscription, only if you want them.

What do you choose in a few everyday situations?

• Pizza: a thin-crust pizza with vegetables and a salad on the side, shared with someone.
• Burger: a plain one, with salad instead of chips.
• Sushi: sashimi, rolls with fish and vegetables, miso soup; fewer rolls with mayonnaise or tempura.
• Asian food: stir-fries with vegetables and chicken or tofu; plain rice instead of fried rice.
• Kebab or shawarma: the plate version, with lots of salad and less sauce.