by Adele Mackie
accrediated practisng dietition 

Last month, we showed you just how many kilojoules, fat and excess carbohydrate are hidden in a typical fish and chip meal.

This month, we’re looking at a pub-favourite, the chicken parmigiana!

Chicken parmigiana with chips and coleslaw
Image source: The Coffee Club NZ	Kilojoules (energy) 4232 kilojoules (1007 calories) Total fat 39 grams Saturated fat 10 grams Carbohydrate 83 grams Fibre 5 grams Sodium 1934 milligrams

As you can see, this meal contains a huge amount of kilojoules, a large portion of your daily total fat intake, and an excessive amount of carbohydrate and sodium for one meal. Unsurprisingly, most of the fat comes from the deep-fried chips and crumbed chicken, plus the ham and cheese topping. The coleslaw is another contributor, as it contains a creamy dressing.

The crumbed chicken and potato chips are the main source of carbohydrate in this meal. Many people forget about the breadcrumbs, but a typical, restaurant-prepared chicken schnitzel or parmigiana can contribute as many as 45 grams of carbohydrate.

Similar kilojoules, but more food!

Rather than eating one meal containing a huge number of kilojoules, it’s best to spread them out across the day. This will help you manage your appetite, weight and blood glucose levels. The below options also contain a variety of different vitamins and minerals to help keep your body healthy.

Snack 1
+	170 grams of Chobani (less than 0.5 per cent fat) plain Greek yoghurt, plus 100 grams of mixed berries	Nutrition fact: Low-fat Greek yoghurt contains no added sugar and is a great high-protein snack. Adding fruit provides a flavour hit, plus loads of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fibre.
Meal 1
	Zucchini slice with salad	Nutrition fact: A zucchini slice is a great way to sneak in loads of vegetables, such as grated zucchini and carrot, diced onion, pumpkin and sweet corn. This recipe uses wholemeal self-raising flour for extra fibre.
Snack 2
	Handful of almonds	*Nutrition fact: All types of nuts contain vitamins, minerals and healthy fats, however, they’re also very high in kilojoules, so the portion size is key to weight management.
Meal 2
	Healthy chicken parmigiana recipe from Australian Healthy Food Guide magazine	Nutrition fact: This recipe cuts back on the fat by leaving out the hot chips; pan frying the chicken breast in spray oil; and using reduced-fat cheese.

As you can see, you can eat two full meals and two small snacks for a similar number of kilojoules, and about the same amount of fat, carbohydrate and half the sodium, compared to the one chicken parmigiana with chips and coleslaw. Eating smaller portions of carbohydrate across the day, rather than as a large amount in the one meal, can also help you better manage your blood glucose levels.

For more information about managing carbohydrates when you have type 2 diabetes, why not attend our Carb Smart Program?