Mince pies are fatty but Big Macs take the crust

By JOSIE CLARKE

Feel like eating a golfball-sized dollop of fat for lunch?

Try a pie, or better still, a Big Mac.

A Consumers' Institute report says a Big Mac has more fat than a mince pie, a piece of fried fish, or a KFC chicken thigh.

Which is not to say a pie is a healthy alternative.

In its survey of 27 mince pies, the institute found that the fattiest pies contained a golfball-sized serving of fat - or six or seven teaspoons of butter.

The pies had an average fat content of 25g a pie.

This compared with Ministry of Health fat figures of 32g in a McDonald's Big Mac, 30g in a piece of fried fish and 28g in a KFC chicken thigh.

Institute spokeswoman Celia Murphy said people might not have realised how much fat was in pies.

"Pretty much all fast foods have a high fat content.

"We are not advocating the banning of pies or fast food for ever. We are just saying use them as treats, not as staple food."

Household expenditure data reported by the Heart Foundation showed New Zealanders spent $44 million on pies in 1998.

Pacific Island households spent nearly three times as much on pies each week as Pakeha or Maori households.

The institute said it was disappointed with its survey results as 24 out of the 27 pies failed to comply with at least one of the three criteria for fillings laid out in the New Zealand Food Regulations.

Those that measured up were Ponsonby Pies, Quentin's and Mrs Macs.

Four of the pies failed to meet any of the three criteria - No Frills, Slim's Choice, Foodtown and Tuckers Ridge.

The institute said it could hardly recommend pies.

"If you like to eat pies regularly we strongly recommend you select one with a potato top or one with a Heart Foundation tick."

Three pies singled out for having relatively low amounts of fat and a good quantity of solid filling were McLagans (Auckland), Quentin's (Christchurch), and Naturally Gourmet (Wellington).