Food scientists from Hampshire County Council tested the fat, salt and trans-fat content of popular takeaway food in the UK, including Chinese and Indian food, pizzas, kebabs, and the immensely popular fish and chips. Results showed that many dishes contained an entire day’s fat in one meal. The UK version of the Doner Kebab — which is bigger than the “shawarma” and consists of processed meat — came off as the worst offender with the “sheesh kebab” having the lowest levels of fat.
The scientists found that the Doner Kebab contains up to the equivalent of a glass of cooking oil. One of the Doner Kebabs tested contained 140g of fat, twice the maximum daily allowance for women; another contained 111g. Nutritionist say the consumption of two Doner Kebabs a week could cause a heart attack within 10 years.
So what are the repercussions for lovers of the “shawarma” — the most popular takeaway sandwich in the Kingdom? People in Saudi Arabia can heave a sigh of relief, as their dear “shawarma” is still relatively healthier than most of the takeaway foods tested in Britain. However, on account of its small size, most people consume two to three “shawarmas” in one sitting, something that is considered unhealthy by nutritionists.
“Shawarmas” rotate on metal rods and are cooked by a vertical grill. According to “shawarma” restaurant owners, a single block of “shawarma” meat comprises several layers of fat, which, when heated, melts giving the meat its extraordinary taste.
Commenting on Hampshire County Council’s statistics about Doner Kebabs, “shawarma” sellers in the Kingdom say the local snack contains less fat. “For each 20 kg of meat we use 3 kg of fat,” said M.S., the owner of a chain of “shawarma” outlets.
“Each kilo of meat makes roughly 10 sandwiches. If divided equally, each sandwich contains 15g of fat. No fat is used in chicken ‘shawarma,’ as it is a fat-based meat,” he added.
Three different “shawarma” outlets confirmed the ratio outlined by M.S.
According to statistics on the Gyminee.com health website, one lamb “shawarma” sandwich contains 20g of fat and 500 calories, which amount to 31 percent of an adult’s daily recommended intake of calories. The website adds that a chicken “shawarma” contains 15g of fat and 400 calories, and that the calories amount to 24 percent of a person’s daily recommended intake.
People tend to consume more than one “shawarma” at a time, doubling their calorie and fat intake. “Shawarma” is not far off from other fast-food sandwiches. According to Calorie-Count.com, the Big Mac has 576 calories and that its total fat is 32.5g, while the Whopper has 670 calories and contains a total of 39g of fat.
“Sheesh kebab” in pita bread with salad is the healthiest option in the market; it contains 43 calories and 1.1g of fat, which amounts to 2.2 percent of a person’s daily intake.
Maha Ageip, head of the Nutrition Department at Jeddah’s Saudi-German Hospital, said people should also be aware of the sauces and salads that they eat with their food. “Taheena,” a favored “shawarma” topping, is high in fat, she said.
Ageip said that it would be healthier to eat one’s “shawarma” with a salad instead of “taheena” and that drinking fresh juice, instead of soft drinks, contributes to lowering the risk of health problems.
“‘Shawarma’ addicts should look for alternatives. Healthier versions of ‘shawarma’ are available in the market nowadays,” she said.
Mazen Al-Angari, 33, author of “The Last Option: When Other Diets Fail,” said: “You are what you eat.” Al-Angari once weighed 180 kg and dramatically came down to 80. “Not only are the visible layers of fat in ‘shawarmas’ a health hazard, trans-fat, which is used to increase the shelf-life and flavor of food, contributes to coronary heart disease,” he said.
In relation to Hampshire County Council’s report, Denise Thomas, head of Nutrition and Dietetics at Portsmouth Hospitals Trust, told the British press that the 111g of fat in a single Doner Kebab amounted to 1,000 calories, the equivalent of a glass of oil. “The majority of that fat is saturated, so it is going to raise your cholesterol and lead to the thickening of your arteries,” she said. “If you were eating that meal twice a week on top of your ordinary diet, it is a ticking time bomb of chronic heart diseases,” she added.
“If you eat lots of fruit and vegetables the rest of the time, it is not going to be a problem. But if you’re eating pie and chips, and fried breakfasts as well, you’re heading toward a heart attack within 10 years,” she added.
Muna Katerji, a clinical dietician at Jeddah’s Diet Center, said people should monitor their food consumption. “The consumption of one unhealthy food such as a ‘shawarma,’ a burger or a pizza, should be limited to once a week,” she said, adding that the Diet Center also supplies its customers fat-free “shawarmas.”
She further recommends that people should eat chicken “shawarmas” as they contain less fat compared to meat “shawarmas.”
Councilor Ken Thornber, leader of Hampshire County Council, told the British Daily Mail, “As rates of obesity rise and health risks increase because of poor diet, there has never been a time when the content of food has been such an important issue... Nowadays with our busy and hectic lifestyles, takeaways may seem to be the easy, convenient option, but it is not always clear what they contain.”
