Study reveals 'fakeaways' can be just as unhealthy as the real thing

A new study has revealed 'fakeaways' may be as unhealthy as the real deal from your local food takeaway.

The University of Birmingham lifted the lid on its findings, with nine in 10 supermarket meals including sides and desserts surpassing the 600-calorie mark.

Indian food was the worst performing, with the maximum reaching a staggering 1,526 calories in one single meal. In comparison, an Indian takeaway consisting of tikka masala and pilau rice is around 1,400 calories - and a McDonald's Big Mac comes in at 940 calories, according to The Sun.

Dr Sheena Leek, study author, suggested while shopping for supermarket meals may save a few pounds in the wallet, they're not that great for a balanced diet.

"A dine-in meal deal can be an easy and cheap way to get a filling and tasty dinner, or provide an economical alternative to a date night," she said. "But what is healthy for our wallets is not necessarily healthy for our bodies."

"Our study has found these dinner meal deal combinations, more often than not, exceed the UK government guidance on calorie content."

On average, a British man requires 2,500 calories and 2,000 for a woman.

Dr Leek concluded: "If you are depending on these deals for your dinner, the vast majority of them make it extremely difficult to stick to the 600kcal suggestion."

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