How Healthy Are Northern Ireland’s Favourite Foods

16th, Feb 2016

Just How Healthy Are Northern Ireland’s Favourite FoodsJanuary 29, 2016The healthier your lifestyle, the less likely you’ll be to claim on your health insurance policy. This includes re-evaluating what you eat. We wondered what would happen if you ate Northern Ireland’s favourite foods every day.

1. Ulster fry

The Ulster fry is top of the list when it comes to NI delicacies but could you eat this delicious meal every day? Not if you want to stay healthy! There’s been a lot of debate in recent years over how bad fat actually is for your body. The reality is that when food is fried it becomes more calorific. Sausage and bacon are high in fat at the best of times, but as they absorb the frying oil, the fat content increases!

Make it healthier
It’s never going to be a good idea to have an Ulster Fry as a staple meal, but a few small changes and you can get more nutrients out of your fry. Beans and tomatoes make up two of your five a day, and eggs will give you plenty of protein to fuel the day ahead and stave of hunger for longer. Make your fry healthier by limiting oil and grilling rather than frying.

Photo Credit: Flickr

2. Pastie bap

This unique deep fried burger-shaped mash doesn’t look the most appetising but it is truly a chip shop favourite in Northern Ireland. It is commonly made of minced pork, potato and onion mixed together and covered in batter.
As far as nutritional values go, this table from my fitness pal says it all. High in fat and salt, zero in vitamins and calcium. While you could argue that onion and potato are perfectly healthy, the cooking process of mixing with poor quality mince, covering in batter and deep fat frying, undoes any good there ever was.

Make it healthier
This’ll be a challenge, unless you make it yourself. The best you can do is steer clear of additional condiments and serve with a side salad.

Read about the other 7 food types on our sister site H3insurance.com.