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That's a wrap: Report says they may not be as healthy as we think

A new report says wraps may not be the healthy lunch option that we think. Safefood carried out a...
Newstalk
Newstalk

09.55 28 Sep 2015


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That's a wrap: Report...

That's a wrap: Report says they may not be as healthy as we think

Newstalk
Newstalk

09.55 28 Sep 2015


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A new report says wraps may not be the healthy lunch option that we think.

Safefood carried out a study which found some could contain up to 1,000 calories - with many also high in fat and salt.

The group is warning that a large chicken tikka wrap with a soft drink and bag of crisps could mean almost 1,400 calories are eaten at lunchtime alone.

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It says we should choose smaller portions and fillings, such as lean meat or fish, with plenty of salad and veg.

'What's in your Favourite Wraps?' analysed almost 240 takeaway wraps from 80 outlets across the island of Ireland, and also found large differences in portion sizes, salt and fat content.

Of the portion sizes surveyed, the biggest portions were almost two-and-a-half times that of the smallest portion size - while of the chicken tikka and salad wraps, total calories ranged between 267 and 977 with total fat ranging between 6g and 59g.

The top three most popular wrap fillings were chicken and salad, chicken Caesar salad and chicken tikka and salad.

Commenting on the report, chief specialist in nutrition at Safefood Dr Marian Faughnan said: "We know from research that 1-in-3 people believe wraps to be a healthier choice than a lunchtime sandwich but in reality, the average tortilla wrap on its own contains 149 calories, almost the same as two slices of bread which contains 158 calories".

The report also revealed that, on average, all three of the most popular wrap varieties contained high levels of salt ranging from 49% of an adults' Guideline Daily Amount (GDA) in a chicken and salad wrap, 54% in a chicken tikka and salad wrap, to 72% in a chicken and Caesar salad wrap.

While a typical chicken wrap delivers between 67% to 81% of an adults' daily protein allowance, the average calorie, salt and fat content also varied greatly depending on the accompanying sauce:

Source: Safefood

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