You might think opting for a salad or sandwich for lunch will see you on your way to a healthy lifestyle . But in fact sandwiches and pasta salads can contain more fat , calories and sugar than burgers and pizzas . Some apparently healthy meals are worse for you than demonised junk foods from the likes of McDonald ’ s , Burger King and Pizza Express , researchers have found . Scroll down for video . Some apparently healthy meals are worse for you than demonised junk foods from the likes of McDonald ’ s , Burger King and Pizza Express , researchers have found . For example , Asda ’ s Piri Piri Chicken Pasta Salad contains 46.5g of fat – two thirds of the recommended daily intake for an adult – which is more than the 43.3g found in a Burger King Bacon and Cheese Whopper . Meanwhile a Marks & Spencer Chicken and Smoked Bacon Salad sandwich contains 694 calories and 37.1g of fat – but a Pizza Express Classic Margherita pizza has 683 calories and contains only 22.5g of fat . And a 624-calorie Brie and Bacon Panini from Caffè Nero comes in at more than 100 calories higher than a 518-calorie McDonald ’ s Quarter Pounder with Cheese . Consumer group Which ? , which conducted the research , said it was surprised to find that three of the sandwiches it surveyed contained more than three teaspoons of sugar . These included Pret ’ s Posh Cheddar and Pickle on Artisan , which contains 17.6g of sugar – equivalent to more than four teaspoons . Which ? added it was easy for customers to overeat at lunchtime , with dishes such as Morrisons ’ Tomato and Basil Chicken Pasta , which states it contains seven servings , often eaten by one person – meaning they consume 683 calories and 38.6g of fat in one sitting . This is more than Burger King ’ s Chicken Royale with Cheese , which has 648 calories and 37.2g of fat . Which ? said its research proves all food suppliers need to adopt the traffic light labelling system , which flags up levels of calories , fat , sugar and salt , to help consumers cut through the confusion and find healthy lunch options . A 624-calorie Brie and Bacon Panini from Caffè Nero comes in at more than 100 calories higher than a 518-calorie McDonald ’ s Quarter Pounder with Cheese . The system is voluntary and many stores opt not to use it . A Which ? spokesman said : ‘ We ’ ve uncovered sandwiches and salads that contain more calories and fat than a Big Mac . ‘ Given our research , it ’ s perhaps not surprising that two thirds of UK adults and a third of children are classed as overweight or obese . Overconsumption of foods high in calories , sugar and fat is fuelling our obesity crisis . ’
Some apparently healthy meals worse for you than demonised junk foods . Asda ’ s Piri Piri Chicken Pasta Salad contains a surprising 46.5g of fat . This exceeds the seveng found in a Burger King Bacon and Cheese Whopper . Caffè Nero has more fat than McDonald ’ s Quarter Pounder with Cheese .