What Is Healthier Battle: Greek Style– Pork Sausage vs. Shrimp Saganaki

JUST EAT is going Greek! This week, we’ve got two Greek treats. Pork Sausage vs. Prawn Saganaki.

Naughty – Greek Pork Sausage (Loukaniko)

Greek pork sausage, otherwise known as Loukaniko. It’s spicy, but not in the way you’d expect from a British banger.

In loukaniko you’re likely to find orange zest, garlic and a hint of fennel, among several other spices and herbs including cinnamon and oregano. The result is an absolutely delicious sausage best enjoyed as part of a mezze platter.

Whenever you choose ‘sausage’ at a takeaway, whether it’s a battered sausage at your local chippy or those slices of salami on your pizza – it’s never going to be the healthy choice.

Sausages are high in saturated fat, which increases our risk of cholesterol and heart problems. Plus they count as ‘processed meat’, which we’re advised against.

On the plus side, you don’t necessarily need to have a whole loukaniko. Some restaurants serve them as part of a mezze platter, so you could have just a little taste.

Nice – Shrimp Saganaki

This prawn based dish is high in protein but low in fat. Don’t worry that prawns are relatively high in cholesterol – it’s not actually cholesterol in food that sends your blood cholesterol soaring.

If you want to keep your cholesterol levels healthy, it’s much more important to eat less saturated fat, eat more fibre foods, and exercise!

Saganakis are traditionally cooked in a special pan called a sagani. It starts with large and juicy prawns nestled in the pan and covered in a sauce made from tomatoes, onions and garlic.

They’re then topped with crumbled feta cheese before being cooked. What happens next depends on how it’s cooked.

If your saganaki is cooked on top of the stove, the feta will sink into the sauce and go all melty, but if it’s baked in the oven, the cheese forms a delicious crust.

The tomato sauce is super healthy. Tomatoes are packed with vitamin C, as well as beta-carotene, an antioxidant that the body can also use to manufacture its own vitamin A.

Plus onions and garlic contain heart-healthy compounds that make our blood less ‘sticky’ and less likely to form dangerous clots, as well as having an antibacterial effect.

Feta, like most cheeses, is high in fat and salt, but it’s lower in fat than cheddar. This is definitely one of your better nutritional choices at the takeaway.

Sounds delicious!