Healthy fast food tickling nation’s tastebuds

SASCHA O’SULLIVAN
DECEMBER 4, 2018
The Australian

NSW customers of food-delivery service Deliveroo are among the healthiest eaters in the country, and more likely to order ­nutritious meals than any other state.
Across the nation, according to data released by Deliveroo, in the past year healthy food orders have rocketed by 1500 per cent.
But the trend is uneven from one jurisdiction to another.
The rise in healthy takeaway did not reach the nation’s capital — the most ordered meal in the ACT was the fast-food favourite KFC.
In NSW, by contrast, customers ordering takeaway for either lunch or dinner were more inclined to order the more ­nutritious poke bowl or salad.
Poke bowls, made up of rice and salmon or tuna sashimi, or tofu, were most often ordered in Sydney’s beachside suburbs.
Vendela Byrnes, a 19-year-old Bondi local, orders poke bowls from Fishbowl, a cafe with spots across Sydney.
“I normally get poke bowls from Deliveroo,” Ms Byrnes told The Australian. “The OG bowl is the best, with salmon.”
According to accredited dietitian Felicity Curtain from Dietitians Association of Australia, poke bowls are the most nutritious option for takeaway food.
“Poke bowls are great because they’re based around a healthy grain such as brown rice which is packed with fibre and protein,” Ms Curtain said. “The bowls you see on Instagram are all filled with beautiful protein such as salmon or tuna.”
Where poke bowls do fall down, according to Ms Curtain, is the sauce, which is generally soy or miso based and can be filled with salt.
“If you can put the sauce on yourself, I’d definitely do that, just to make sure there’s not too much (salt) in it.”
Queensland came in a close second for the healthiest takeaway orders.
Perth locals showed an affinity for the classics — a bacon-and-egg roll and drink combo for breakfast. For dinner, most were likely to hang out for a burrito.
Across the country, there has also been a 600 per cent rise in vegan and vegetarian orders. Favourites include vegetarian pizza, roasted cauliflower, and banana and coconut french toast.
Employees ordering lunch and dinners to their places of work through Deliveroo mostly ordered burgers and burritos, but 12 per cent ordered a kale smoothies, and 18 per cent ordered spinach soup. While the rise in healthy takeaway food was a good thing, Ms Curtain said cooking at home was the most nutritious option.
“Home cooking gets the gold star approval from me,” Ms Curtain said. “We know people who cook at home tend to be healthier and eat more vegetables, and less oil, but it’s understandable ­because we’re busy and takeaway can be so tempting.”