EXCLUSIVEThe supermarket 'fakeaway' recipes that could HALVE the calories in your favourite weekend family dinners
It's no surprise that takeaways like fish and chips, pizzas and burgers cause you to pile on the pounds.
But cooking the same meal at home could save you hundred's of calories.
Making your own fish and chips could save you more than 500 calories and making your own kebab more than 700 calories. Whipping up burgers at home could also help you cut 380 calories.
For context, the average woman is advised to have 2,000 per day to maintain a healthy weight and a third of the 2,500 recommended for the typical man, so these saving could really make a difference.
Here, MailOnline compares the calories in 'fakeaway' recipes online to the same foods in restaurants and takeaways.
Making your own fish and chips could save you more than 500 calories and making your own kebab more than 700 calories. Whipping up burgers at home could also help you cut 380 calories
Almost all the 20 recipes this website compared showed making your own version of takeaway food at home is far less calorific, with some takeaways double the calories of a 'fakeaway'.
A recipe on the Tesco website for an Ale-battered fish and chunky chips totals 778 calories per serving.
The white fish battered in cornflour and amber ale is fried in sunflower oil and served with oven chips and a home-made tartar sauce.
In comparison, eating the real thing in Wetherspoons is 1,303 calories — that's more than half an adults daily recommended calorie intake.
Another recipe for an easy chicken korma , still made with double cream and mango chutney, is just 454 calories a portion.
But at Wetherspoons a similar dish, Chicken Tikka Masala, is almost double at 830 calories.
A recipe for smash burgers on the Tesco's website, containing two patties, tomatoes, lettuce, pickles and a homemade burger sauce, is 749 calories per portion.
A recipe by Tesco 's for an Ale-battered fish and chunky chips totals 778 calories per serving. In comparison, eating the real thing in Wetherspoons is 1,303 calories — that's more than half an adults daily recommended calorie intake
But at Five Guys a cheeseburger with mayo, lettuce, pickles and mustard is a whopping 1,130 calories.
To put that in perspective that's more than two McDonalds Big Mac's which is 493 calories per burger.
Opting to make your own pepperoni pizza could save you almost 500 calories.
A Waitrose recipe for a spicy skillet pizza, made with a jar of tomato and basil sauce, is 710 calories per portion, but at Dominoes even a small pepperoni passion pizza is 1,205 calories.
Making your own chicken enchiladas will also save you hundreds of calories, according to a recipe on the Tesco's website with is 577 calories per portion.
The recipe is full of fibre, it contains fresh bell peppers and a tin of black beans.
Ordering chicken enchiladas at las Iguanas could risk you piling on the pounds as just one serving is 1,036 calories.
A Waitrose recipe for a spicy skillet pizza is 710 calories per portion, but at Dominoes even a small pepperoni passion pizza is 1,205 calories
But one of the most dramatic difference is between a kebab made at home full of fresh fibre rich veggies, in comparison to treating yourself to greasy a takeaway kebab.
A BBC Good Food recipe for Turkish kebabs with tomato chili sauce served with a flatbread, vegetables and salad is just 276 calories per portion. This recipe contains fresh tomatoes, chilis, Greek yoghurt and fresh coriander.
Yet, at German Donner Kebab their OG chicken kebab, served with three types of sauces, is 1,026 calories — 750 calories more.
However, it's not just the calories you are cutting down on when you choose to cook dinner at home.
When you cook from scratch you can opt for ingredients that contain less fat, sugar and salt and more fibre, as seen in many 'fakeaway' recipes.
Government guidelines advise adults to eat 30g of fibre a day, as apart of a healthy balanced diet.
That's because eating plenty of fibre is associated with a lower risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and bowel cancer, the NHS says.
Adding more vegetables to your meals, eating fruit and wholemeal bread are all ways of getting more fibre into your diet.
Rob Hobson registered nutritionist and author of unprocessed your life stresses that 'it depends on your choices', but explains cooking at home gives you more 'control'.
He told Mailonline: 'Both can be equally healthy or unhealthy based on what you cook or order.
'Cooking at home gives you control over the ingredients and portion sizes, which is crucial since takeaways often come in large portions, encouraging overeating.'
Rob Hobson is an award-winning nutritionist. His book, Unprocess Your Life, is filled with recipes and ideas to help you reduce your intake of processed foods
'Takeaway food is frequently high in saturated fat, sugar, and salt, which can be detrimental to your health,' he added.
By cooking from home you can also avoid eating too many ultra processed foods (UPF) which have long been vilified for their links to health issues including cancer and diabetes.
An easy sign a food could be a UPF is if it contains ingredients you wouldn't find in your kitchen cupboard, such as unrecognisable colourings, sweeteners and preservatives.
Another clue is the amount of fat, salt and sugar lurking inside each pack, with UPFs typically containing high amounts.
Mr Hobson said: 'Home-cooked meals allow you to focus on whole, unprocessed ingredients that are nutrient-dense and packed with vitamins, minerals, fibre, and other plant compounds that protect against disease.'
WHAT SHOULD A BALANCED DIET LOOK LIKE?
The average woman is advised to have 2,000 per day to maintain a healthy weight and a third of the 2,500 recommended for the typical man
• Eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day. All fresh, frozen, dried and canned fruit and vegetables count
• Base meals on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, ideally wholegrain
• 30 grams of fibre a day: This is the same as eating all of the following: 5 portions of fruit and vegetables, 2 whole-wheat cereal biscuits, 2 thick slices of wholemeal bread and large baked potato with the skin on
• Have some dairy or dairy alternatives (such as soya drinks) choosing lower fat and lower sugar options
• Eat some beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins (including 2 portions of fish every week, one of which should be oily)
• Choose unsaturated oils and spreads and consuming in small amounts
• Drink 6-8 cups/glasses of water a day
• Adults should have less than 6g of salt and 20g of saturated fat for women or 30g for men a day
Source: NHS Eatwell Guide
