It’s a daily challenge for those of us with busy lives who are trying to keep healthy on the move — where will I find the most nutritious lunch?
With limitless options, selecting a meal that is low in fat and sugar, will keep you full until dinner time and isn’t packed with a host of additives isn’t easy.
Now, one of the UK’s top diet experts has given his ultimate lunchtime pick from one of the country’s most popular sandwich chains.
Professor Tim Spector, founder of the ZOE diet app and nutrition expert based at King’s College London, has revealed what he buys from Pret a Manger for a low sugar, filling and high-protein lunch.
In a clip posted to his TikTok channel, which has so far amassed nearly 9,000 views, Prof Spector pops into his local branch of Pret and picks up a surprisingly generous lunch — setting him back a total of £16.20.
His choice of four products offer 10g of fibre — known to reduce bowel cancer risk — and a third of the recommended daily intake, as well as a whopping 34g of filling protein.
He begins with a crayfish and avocado salad, £8.30, which contains ‘six different plants at least,’ he said.
‘I’m seeing my favourite avocados, which are full of fats and fibres.
‘Crayfish are usually wild so much better than salmon or anything like that.’
The small amount of extra virgin olive oil in the dressing makes the salad ‘fairly healthy’, packed with ‘good fats’.
Prof Spector then picks up an egg and spinach pot costing £3.10, as well as a pack of salted almonds covered in dark chocolate, also £3.10, and an apple, £1.
Whilst pursuing the shelves he urged people to beware of the potential hidden health hazards lurking in supposedly ‘healthy’ foods.
‘Be wary of healthy looking things like this muesli which contains a massive 33g, or eight teaspoons, of sugar in a single serving,’ he said.
This amount of sugar easily eclipses the 30g (7.5 teaspoons) of free sugars that the NHS advises Brits to restrict themselves to eating each day.
Free sugars are the type that’s not only added to foods like cakes and sweets to make them tastier, but also in fruits that have been juiced or blended.
While there are nearly two teaspoons of sugar in Prof Spector’s chocolate-covered almonds, the snack also contains 5.5g of protein and 3.5g of fibre, which is rare for a sugary treat.
Earlier this month, Prof Spector revealed other go-to foods he chooses, which he says wards off diseases like cancer and type 2 diabetes.
In a TikTok video which has 42.6K views, Prof Spector showed viewers his healthy ye indulgent go to foods, most of which are plant-based.
His daily menu included a range of surprisingly calorific foods, including soft cheese as a snack and curry.
He said: ‘For my gut health my main focus is to make sure I am including as many plants as possible and to always add in some fermented foods when I can.
‘My day usually starts with yoghurt, kefir, and plenty of fresh fruit, nuts and seeds.
‘For lunch I made a quick salad with seasonal vegetables topped off with a kefir-based dressing.
‘I had a pre-dinner snack of some cheese crackers and kimchi and then for dinner I made a vegetable curry with rice and you guessed it more kefir stirred in at the end to make sure I get all those probiotic benefits.’
These ingredients are said to be full of polyphenols — a type of antioxidant that ‘feeds’ healthy gut bacteria.
Diverse bacteria in your gut, Prof Spector says, is thought to provide a basis for better overall health, wellbeing and an ability to ward off illnesses.
Although scientists are not sure exactly how, gut microbes influence blood sugar peaks, how well fats are digested, and how quickly those fats are cleared by the body, Professor Spector claims.
