In short: you can eat takeaway and stay under 500 calories, but only if you order the right dish and skip the extras.
- Indian: tandoori chicken, about 200 grams, with salad and raita, no naan and no rice. The chicken runs about 250 to 300 calories, and the order lands around 300 to 350 calories.
- Chinese: steamed chicken with broccoli, sauce on the side, plus a small portion of steamed rice. The dish is about 150 to 200 calories, and the order lands around 250 to 325 calories.
- Pizza: two slices of Domino’s 14 inch crunchy thin crust cheese pizza, 209 calories a slice, so about 420 calories for the two.
- Burger: a McDonald’s hamburger at 250 calories plus a small fries at 230 calories, which comes to 480. Swap the fries for a side salad and the order drops to about 300 calories.
- Kebab: one skewer of chicken shish, about 230 calories, with salad, no pitta and sauce on the side. The order lands around 250 to 280 calories. A lamb doner with pitta and sauce can reach 1,283 calories.
Introduction
Takeaway has a reputation problem, and most of it is earned. A single meal can quietly pass 1,000 calories before you have finished the bread. But the whole menu is not the problem. The problem is the default order: the creamy sauce, the fried coating, the bread on the side, the rice underneath, and the sugary drink on top.
This post gives you the lowest calorie takeaway options: the exact order to ask for, chain by chain, with the calories for each. Every figure comes from USDA FoodData Central values or published chain nutrition, and the sources are listed at the end. One warning: portions vary by restaurant, and the figures here are for the standard serving named in each section.
If you want to see how one of these meals fits your day, the calories calculator gives you your daily target, and the TDEE calculator gives you your daily burn. A 500 calorie takeaway is a sensible dinner inside a 1,800 to 2,200 calorie day.
How the Numbers Work
All calorie figures in this post are US figures unless the text says otherwise, because the chains publish US nutrition first. Menus vary by country. Where the UK number is meaningfully different, the post gives it too.
The figures come from two kinds of source. USDA FoodData Central lists standard restaurant dishes, such as chicken chow mein and tandoori chicken, with values measured per 100 grams. The chains themselves publish nutrition for their own menus, such as McDonald’s and Subway. Third-party nutrition sites were used only where they quoted one of those two sources, and the post says so in the sources list.
Two rules sit behind every order in this post. First, grilled beats fried, and steamed beats stir-fried: frying adds oil, about 120 calories per tablespoon. Second, the extras cost more than the main dish. The bread, the rice, the chips and the sauce are where most takeaway meals go over 500 calories. Order the main dish, skip or halve the extras, and most takeaways fall back under 500 on their own. Our macro calculator shows how a meal like this splits into protein, carbohydrate and fat.
Indian: Tandoori Chicken With Salad
Indian is the easiest takeaway to order well, because the tandoor does the work for you. Tandoori chicken is marinated in yoghurt and spices, then cooked in a clay oven so hot that fat drips away instead of sitting in oil. No batter, no frying, and no creamy sauce unless you ask for one.
The order: tandoori chicken, about 200 grams, with a side salad and raita, no naan and no rice. Ask for it plain, not with extra butter brushed on top.
The calories: tandoori chicken runs about 140 calories per 100 grams, based on USDA values, so a 200 gram restaurant portion is about 250 to 300 calories. The salad adds very little. The whole order lands around 300 to 350 calories, with roughly 35 to 45 grams of protein.
What to avoid: chicken tikka masala. The same chicken in a creamy tomato sauce runs about 330 calories for a 6 ounce serving of the dish alone, and a normal restaurant portion with rice can pass 700 calories before you have touched the naan. Butter chicken is the same story: the sauce is where the calories live, not the chicken. Dal is a reasonable side if you want something warm, but the post gives no calorie figure for restaurant dal, because recipes vary by how much oil the kitchen uses.
Chinese: Steamed Chicken With Broccoli
Chinese takeaway is the hardest to judge, because the same dish can be steamed or stir-fried, and the difference is hundreds of calories. Order the steamed version and ask for the sauce on the side, so you control how much goes on.
The order: steamed chicken with broccoli, sauce on the side, plus a small portion of steamed rice, about half a cup. If the restaurant cannot do steamed, ask for it stir-fried with light oil.
The calories: a steamed chicken and broccoli serving runs about 150 to 200 calories. White rice adds 200 to 250 calories per cup, so half a cup adds about 100 to 125. The whole order lands around 250 to 325 calories. The sauce on the side adds little if you use a spoonful or two, but a full ladle of sweet sauce can add as much again, so dip rather than pour.
The backup order: chicken chow mein, one cup. USDA values put a cup, about 220 grams, at about 290 calories, with about 22 grams of protein. The catch is the portion: a takeaway container often holds two cups, about 580 calories, so ask for a small portion.
What to avoid: anything deep fried, battered, or swimming in sweet sauce: sweet and sour chicken, crispy beef, and spring rolls all push a Chinese takeaway past 800 calories.
Pizza: Two Slices of Thin Crust Cheese
Pizza is the takeaway people assume is impossible on a calorie budget, and it is the easiest to fix, because the crust is where most of the calories live. A thin crust cuts the bread by about half.
The order: two slices of Domino’s 14 inch crunchy thin crust cheese pizza. No extra cheese, no stuffed crust, no meat toppings.
The calories: one slice is 209 calories, from USDA values, with about 8.6 grams of protein. Two slices come to about 420 calories. Add a side salad and you have a full meal under 500 calories. UK readers get a slightly better deal: a medium thin and crispy cheese slice from Domino’s UK runs about 157 calories, and the reduced-fat mozzarella version about 135 calories, so two UK slices land around 270 to 315 calories.
What to avoid: deep dish and stuffed crust, which can run close to 400 calories a slice, and meat-heavy toppings. A hand-tossed cheese slice runs about 285 calories, so two of those already pass 500 calories. Thin crust is the whole trick here.
Burger: A Hamburger and Small Fries
Burgers are the most transparent takeaway of all, because the big chains publish exact nutrition for every item.
The order: a McDonald’s hamburger and a small fries. No cheese, no bacon, no extra sauce, and water instead of a soft drink.
The calories: a McDonald’s hamburger is 250 calories, with 12 grams of protein. A small fries is 230 calories. Together they come to 480 calories. If you want the cheese, a cheeseburger is 300 calories, so a cheeseburger plus a small fries is 530 calories, just over the line.
The lighter swap: skip the fries and add a side salad instead, and the hamburger order drops to about 300 calories. Or keep the fries and skip the burger’s top bun.
What to avoid: the double and the large. A Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese runs about 740 calories on its own, and a large fries adds more on top.
Kebab: One Skewer of Chicken Shish
The kebab shop has the biggest gap on this list between the best order and the worst order: the same shop can serve you a 250 calorie meal or a 1,283 calorie meal.
The order: one skewer of chicken shish with salad, no pitta, sauce on the side. Ask for yoghurt sauce rather than garlic mayo if the shop offers it.
The calories: one skewer of grilled chicken shish, about 130 grams of meat, runs about 230 calories, with about 27 grams of protein. With salad and a spoonful of sauce, the whole order lands around 250 to 280 calories. It is the lightest full meal on this list, and one of the highest in protein. Our protein intake calculator shows how that protein fits your daily target.
What to avoid: the doner. A full lamb doner kebab with pitta and sauce can reach 1,283 calories, according to Nesta and Food Standards Scotland data from 2025. The meat is fattier, the pitta adds about 200 calories, and the sauce adds 50 to 150 more. A chicken shish wrap with salad and sauce runs about 550 calories, and a shish plate with rice and salad about 750 calories. If you want the wrap, eat half and save half.
Bonus: Subway Turkey Breast
Subway is the only chain on this list where you build the meal yourself. The lowest calorie standard build is the 6 inch Turkey Breast.
The order: a 6 inch Turkey Breast sub on 9-grain wheat bread, with lettuce, tomato, onion, green pepper and cucumber, and mustard instead of mayo. No cheese, no extra sauce.
The calories: about 280 calories, with about 18 grams of protein and 3.5 grams of fat, from Subway’s published nutrition. A footlong is roughly double, so stick to the 6 inch. Adding cheese adds about 50 to 80 calories, and ranch dressing adds about 140 calories, so the sauce choice alone can push the sandwich from 280 to over 400 calories.
The Five Orders at a Glance
| Takeaway | The order | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| Indian | Tandoori chicken, about 200g, with salad and raita | About 300 to 350 |
| Chinese | Steamed chicken with broccoli, sauce on the side, half a cup of rice | About 250 to 325 |
| Pizza | Two slices, Domino’s 14 inch crunchy thin crust cheese | About 420 |
| Burger | McDonald’s hamburger plus small fries | 480 |
| Kebab | One skewer of chicken shish with salad, no pitta | About 250 to 280 |
What Pushes an Order Over 500 Calories
The five orders above all work. The things below are what break them.
| The extra | What it adds |
|---|---|
| A pitta or flatbread | About 200 calories |
| A portion of rice or bulgur | 220 to 280 calories |
| A creamy sauce, garlic mayo or ranch | 50 to 150 calories |
| A small fries | 230 calories |
| Cheese on a burger or sub | About 50 to 80 calories |
One extra on its own is usually fine. Two extras together are what push an order over 500. A hamburger and small fries is 480 calories. Add cheese to the burger and it is 530. The skill is not willpower. It is counting the extras before you order them.
Drinks deserve a special note. Water costs nothing in calories and is the right call with takeaway. A sugary soft drink can add as many calories as a side dish without filling you up at all. If you want flavour, ask for sparkling water with lemon or unsweetened iced tea. The post gives no figure for soft drinks, because sizes and recipes vary too much to quote one number honestly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the lowest calorie takeaway option?
Grilled chicken shish with salad, no pitta, is one of the lowest full takeaway meals, at about 250 to 280 calories. Steamed chicken with broccoli is close behind at about 150 to 200 calories for the dish alone. Both are high in protein and low in fat, which is why they beat fried or creamy options.
Can I eat takeaway and still lose weight?
Yes, if it fits your daily calorie target. A 500 calorie takeaway is a normal dinner inside a 1,800 to 2,200 calorie day. Weight loss comes from the total across the day and the week, not from any single meal.
How many calories are in two slices of Domino’s thin crust pizza?
Two slices of Domino’s 14 inch crunchy thin crust cheese pizza come to about 420 calories, at 209 calories a slice. In the UK, two slices of a medium thin and crispy cheese pizza run lower, about 270 to 315 calories. A hand-tossed cheese slice runs about 285 calories, so two of those would pass 500 calories.
Is a kebab healthy for weight loss?
It depends on which kebab. A grilled chicken shish with salad, no pitta, is about 250 to 280 calories with about 27 grams of protein, one of the best takeaway choices for weight loss. A lamb doner with pitta and sauce can reach 1,283 calories, more than half a day’s calories in one meal. Order shish, skip the pitta, and keep the sauce on the side.
What should I drink with takeaway to keep calories down?
Water is the best choice, because it adds no calories at all. Sparkling water with lemon or unsweetened iced tea are good alternatives. A sugary soft drink can add as many calories as a side dish without filling you up, so it is the easiest thing to cut.
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Sources
- USDA FoodData Central. Tandoori chicken (about 140 calories per 100g), chicken tikka masala (about 330 calories per 6 oz serving), chicken chow mein (about 290 calories per cup, 220g), and Domino’s 14 inch crunchy thin crust cheese pizza (209 calories per slice). https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/
- McDonald’s USA Nutrition Facts for Popular Menu Items. Hamburger 250 calories, cheeseburger 300 calories, small fries 230 calories. https://www.foodpolitics.com/wp-content/uploads/nutritionfacts_mcds.pdf
- Logma. “Chicken Shish Kebab Calories.” One skewer about 230 calories, 150g serving about 250 calories, wrap about 550 calories, pitta adds about 200 calories, rice or bulgur adds 220 to 280 calories, sauce adds 50 to 150 calories. https://www.logma.fit/calories/chicken-shish-kebab-calories
- Nesta and Food Standards Scotland, 2025. A standard lamb doner kebab with pitta and sauces contains approximately 1,283 calories, as reported at https://quickdishcookbook.com/is-a-shish-kebab-healthier-than-a-doner-kebab/
- Subway published nutrition, as listed by SnapCalorie. 6 inch Turkey Breast on 9-grain wheat with vegetables, no cheese or sauce, about 280 calories, 18 grams of protein. http://www.snapcalorie.com/nutrition/subway_turkey_sandwich_nutrition.html
- Domino’s UK nutrition, as listed by FatSecret. Medium thin and crispy cheese pizza, one slice, about 157 calories; reduced-fat mozzarella version, about 135 calories. https://mobile.fatsecret.co.uk/calories-nutrition/dominos-pizza/original-cheese-and-tomato-pizza-standard-mozzarella-thin-crispy-crust-medium/1-slice
Medical Disclaimer
This article is general information only. It is not medical advice, and it is not a substitute for advice from a qualified health professional. Calorie figures are for the standard servings named in the post and will vary by restaurant, portion size and recipe. Talk to your doctor, or a registered dietitian, before changing your diet, especially if you have a medical condition, are taking medication, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have a history of disordered eating.