Rating: 5 out of 10

User's comments:
“Lunch at work: a chicken-mayo sandwich, a samoosa, a date-and-coconut cookie and a white Grapetizer.”

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Expert's comments:
Well done for choosing a chicken mayonnaise sandwich on a brown/whole-wheat bun instead of the white equivalent! The fibre content adds punch to your lunch.

Fibre has various benefits from keeping you regular to keeping you satisfied for longer by moderating (slowing) the glucose released into your bloodstream.

Now the big question: have you doubled up on fats? By this I mean does the sandwich have mayonnaise as well as butter or margarine, or does it only have the mayo?

We should all be aiming for ‘lower fat eating’. One of the ways to achieve this, is by choosing low-fat options for mayonnaise and margarine and when using these products, to use it sparingly.

Another way is to never use two ‘fats’ to spread on your bread, i.e. margarine / low-fat mayonnaise / peanut butter / avocado pear. Spread these thinly on bread and use only one or the other, not both.

Obviously, this can be controlled when preparing your own lunch, but when you order sandwiches, always request that it be made without butter or margarine. In this way, you cover your bases if you order a filling with mayonnaise, cheese or avocado pear.

Limit overall fat intake, especially those obtained from animal products (saturated fat) and trans fatty acids (hard margarine, coffee creamers, coconut). Include more monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats from plant oils (canola oil, olive oil, avocado pear, peanut butter).

Samoosas are deep fried (often in old, used oil), so should be eaten infrequently – particularly if you are overweight or suffer from high cholesterol, diabetes or heart disease. Although they are moreish, they are unfortunately more often than not artery-clotting curry triangles!

Choosing a fruit juice without added sugar is wise. Remember that fruit juices as well as artificially sweetened juices tend to contain a lot of fructose. Fructose and sugar (sucrose) provide the same amount of calories.

However, large intakes of fructose have been associated with abdominal pain and discomfort, bloating, low blood glucose, anxiety and fatigue. Ideally, you should dilute fruit juice (˝:˝) with either still or sparkling water.

Fruit and veggies are lacking in this picture! With winter on its way, you should be priming your immune system. Remember the ‘5-a-day rule’ – 5 veggies plus fruit daily.

Try to eat 2-3 fruits and at least 3-4 vegetables a day. This will ensure adequate amounts of protective vitamins and minerals as well as more fibre in your day.

We all love treats, but make sure they remain just that. Try to keep portions small and eat as part of a snack or just after a meal. This will help to moderate the increase in blood sugar that you may experience from sweets, chocolates, biscuits, cakes and puddings.

In your case, try having the cookie with a fruit mid-afternoon.
 

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