We know that you’re probably all out with your friends and family having a snag or two today, but do you know how your snagz stack up in terms of your health? We’ve compared a few for you, as not all sausages are created equal.
Popular Snag Choices
Organic Sausages
This seems to be a common favourite at many BBQ’s. Unfortunately, a standard sausage is quite high in energy due to its high levels of fat. When compared to a traditional cut of steak, these are high in fat and sodium. Don’t be tricked into thinking organic is healthier, as organic sausages have comparable amounts of both fat and sodium. The average sausage contains a whopping 18g to 20g of fat (with over a third of this being saturated fat, which isn’t good news for your heart health), and 600-800mg of sodium, which is more than 10x the sodium in a similar size piece of steak.
Low-Fat Sausage Varieties
There are some lower-fat varieties on the market, such as the peppercorn sausages available at Woolworths. In terms of energy, a single sausage provides around 620kj, which is considerably less to a standard sausage (850-1000kj/sausage), which can be a great choice for people trying to manage their weight.
These generally contain 50% less fat and saturated fat than a standard sausage and about 1/3 less sodium. If we were to compare this with a piece of lean steak, however, it still only provides 60% of the protein of steak and is a lot lower in nutrients such as iron, b vitamins and zinc.
Kangaroo Sausages
These are the lowest energy sausages you will tend to find, providing just 420kj per sausage. They are also much lower in fat, thanks to Kangaroo being a very lean meat. An average Kangaroo sausage provides just 1.8g of total fat and 0.7g of saturated fat.
However, the sodium content is high (600mg/serve) and comparable to a standard sausage so these should still be an occasional meat choice rather than a staple.
Vegetarian/Vegan Sausages
In terms of energy content, these generally sit between a standard and a low-fat sausage, proving around 870kj per sausage. The saturated fat content, however, is MUCH lower. For example, the veggie delights sausages provide 10g of fat per serve, but only 0.9g of saturated fat. So a much better choice for heart health.
Best BBQ choices
It’s always best to choose unprocessed meat options, such as steak or chicken breast or even fish that isn’t battered or crumbed, as these are lower in fat and sodium as well as higher in protein and nutrients. However, if it’s a tradition to throw a snag on the barby on Australia day, try choosing a lower fat/energy option such as kangaroo.
To find out more about healthy eating, check out some of our other blogs or contact one of our friendly dietitians here.
