Whether it’s burgers, coffee shops, pub grub or even cinema popcorn, we look at how to eat out
WeightWatchers has changed, and with the new Smart Points comes a new way of eating and drinking.
For those who have been used to the old system it can be tricky, but you can still eat out.
SmartPoints takes into account calories, protein, saturated fat and
sugar, and the scientists behind it say it can guide you towards choices
that are higher in lean proteins and lower in saturated fat and sugar.
Like the old system, No food is forbidden and all food is on the menu
– you can still eat what you want, but maybe just not as much of it.
You have a personalised budget to spend on your food and drink choices
and it’s up to you what to spend your budget on. Most fruits and
vegetables are still no points so you can fill up on these healthy and
filling choices.
Eating at home is fine, but sooner or later we all need to go out and
have some fun. So how many Smart Points are in popular items in
Merseyside restaurants, coffee shops and even cinemas?
Coffee shops
Starbucks, Old Hall Street, Liverpool has had a refit and is now open to the public
Coffee shops are a popular choice for those watching their waistline –
after all coffee and tea without milk are zero, and by using skimmed
milk and sweetener you can get a satisfying drink without blowing your
allocation. At Caffe Nero, a regular cappuccino with skimmed or soya
milk is 1 Smart Point, and a shot of the sugar free vanilla syrup is
also zero. Even an Americano with full fat milk scrapes in at 1 Smart
Point at Costa Coffee, and a macchiato with full fat, skimmed or soya
milk is zero.
But step away from the hot chocolate unless you have Smart Points to
burn. A Starbucks venti signature hot chocolate with whipped cream, made
using whole milk comes in at 33 Smart Points, and that’s before you add
your own sugar. Even the skimmed milk version is 30 – hardly a skinny
option.
And beware the so called skinny muffins – the Starbucks skinny
blueberry muffin is 12 Smart Points, compared to the regular lemon and
poppyseed muffin, which is 20, and the almond croissant, which is 23.
Other highly pointed items include Costa’s triple layer lemon cake at 26 and Nero’s strawberry and vanilla frappe crema at 24.
Fast food
McDonald’s in Lord Street, Liverpool
When we’re on a diet plenty of us crave a fast food fix, and it isn’t
always an unhealthy as you might think. A McDonalds Big mac is 17 Smart
Points, and their bacon roll with brown sauce is 10. The lowest scores
come for the salads, unsurprisingly, with 2 Smart Points for a grilled
chicked salad.
KFC is a bit trickier, with a snack box of hot wings coming in at 24,
and the Big Daddy Box Meal with Corn and Pepsi Max at 42. Lower options
include original recipe salad without dressing at 7 or a zinger salad,
again without dressing, for 8.
Burger King’s bacon Double XL is 29, while a regular hamburger is 8 Smart Points.
Pubs and carveries
Let’s be honest, much as we love pubs they often offer some of the
most difficult menus from which to choose low calorie options.
If you can make your way between the temptations of the mixed grill,
nachos and chunky chips, there are some slightly healthier choices
hiding. If it’s a carvery, go for the leanest meat you can and pick a
piece with the least fat and skin. Fill your plate with vegetables – but
be careful if they look like they’ve been coated in butter. Try not to
think about it as an exercise in getting as much value as you can for
your money – all you can eat is an advertising line, not a challenge!
Grills may sound healthy but be careful – Beefeater’s Bourbon BBQ
ribs are 44 Smart Points, and a mixed grill there comes in at 42.
Similarly chicken isn’t always as good as you might think – their spicy
chicken wings double on the starter menu is 20 before you’ve even
ordered your main course, although not as high as their nachos for one,
which come in at 30 Smart Points. Ouch
The Cinema
So, if you’re going to the cinema one box of popcorn is pretty much
the same as another isn’t it? Well, not quite. At Empire cinemas, their
smallest portion of salted popcorn – 55g – comes in at 8 Smart Points,
compared to 34 for a large bag of sweet popcorn at the Odeon.
As a rule, salted tends to be a better option than sweet – the same
side bag at the Odeon of salted corn would be 25 Smart Points. Still
most of most people’s daily allowance, but a little kinder on the
waistline.
Popcorn