A Chinese takeaway meal can contain more calories than an adult's total daily requirements, new research has found.
The study also found that salt levels are extremely high in oriental dishes.
The Safefood research sampled 220 Chinese meal items from 35 outlets across the country.
It found an average portion of prawn crackers contained 608 calories, almost a third of an adult's guideline daily amount.
All main courses tested also contained more than half of an adult's total guideline daily amount of salt intake and, in some instances, exceeded it.
It also found that an average rice portion was sufficient for two adults.
The average portion of egg fried rice contained 727 calories, representing more than a third of an adult's guideline daily amount.
Safefood said that while it is encouraging that almost two thirds (62%) of people regard Chinese takeaway as a treat, "portion sizes are clearly unnecessarily generous and not healthy".
