Winter Favourite Shepherd's Pie Nutrition Comparison

During the freezing winter months, coming home to a warming meal is something to look forward to. And surprisingly, many of us have the same vision in mind - the traditional Shepherd’s Pie. Yes, family favourite, Shepherd's Pie, has topped a poll as the most comforting winter food.

An online survey by YouGov for Sainsbury’s supermarket, found that 60 percent of people preferred Shepherd’s Pie during the winter. Unfortunately, it’s also viewed as one of the most fattening dishes.

The combination of holiday celebrations, reduced outdoor exercise and filling up on calorific comfort foods, all conspire to make winter one of the most difficult times of the year for dieters and weight watchers.

Although cooking from scratch enables us to exert some control over the calories in our food, many of us rely on ready meals which can be heated up quickly after a long day at work. 

However, when choosing a Shepherd’s Pie ready meal, there are wide variations in the calorie and fat content between brands.

The chart below compares the calorie content per 100g of branded Shepherd’s Pies.

Note that these figures are for Shepherd’s Pie, not Cottage Pie. Shepherd’s Pie is traditionally made with minced lamb while cottage pie uses minced beef. All the brands shown in this chart also make a cottage pie.

 Calories per 100g of Shepherd's Pie

From the table below you can compare calories, fat and salt levels per pack as well as per 100g. Note that not all packs are the same size.

Shepherd's Pie Brand Nutritional Comparison

Brand	Pack Size	Calories		Fat		Salt
		Pack	100g	Pack	100g	Pack	100g
ASDA
Great Stuff Shepherd's Pie	300g	285	95	10.5g	3.5g	1.5g	0.5g
Extra Special Classic Shepherd’s Pie	400g	508	127	26.0g	6.5g	2.4g	0.6g
Classic Shepherd’s Pie	500g	512	102	25.0g	5.0g	2.8g	0.6g
Bisto
Bisto Shepherd’s Pie	375g	309	82	9.0g	2.4g	1.59g	0.43g
Iceland
Shepherd’s Pie	500g	506	101	18g	3.6g	2.5g	0.5g
Marks & Spencer
Shepherd’s Pie	400g	440	110	25.6g	6.4g	3.6g	0.90g
Morrisons
Shepherd’s Pie Savers	300g	217	76	4.5g	1.6g	1.8g	0.6g
Morrisons Kitchen Shepherd’s Pie	450g	425	97	17.6g	4.0g	2.3g	0.5g
Sainsbury
Basics Shepherd’s Pie	300g	218	75	7.5g	2.6g	1.60g	0.55g
Be Good To Yourself Shepherd’s Pie	450g	328	77	9.4g	2.2g	2.03g	0.48g
Shepherd’s Pie	400g	339	89	13.7g	3.6g	2.05g	0.54g
British Classic Shepherd’s Pie	450g	426	101	20.8	4.9g	2.23g	0.53g
Taste the Difference Shepherd’s Pie	400g	476	119	20.1	5.0g	1.78g	0.45g
Tesco
Value Shepherd’s Pie	300g	210	70	4.7g	1.6g	1.4g	0.5g
Shepherd’s Pie	450g	400	90	12.2g	2.7g	2.6g	0.6g
Finest Shepherd’s Pie	430g	505	120	24.5g	5.7g	3.0g	0.7g
The Co-operative
Shepherd’s Pie	400g	365	90	15.2g	3.8g	1.8g	0.4g
Waitrose
Frozen Shepherd’s Pie	400g	412	103	17.08g	4.27g	2.25g	0.56g
Menu Main for 1 Shepherd’s Pie	350g	490	140	30.0g	8.57g	2.7g	0.78g
Savoury & Comforting Shepherd’s Pie	400g	495	124	32.48g	8.12g	1.15g	0.29g
Weight Watchers
Shepherd’s Pie	320g	211	66	5.6g	1.8g	1.7g	0.5g

Note: Packs are not all the same size. Larger packs generally have more calories, so check the value per 100g to see whether it's a higher calorie product. Figures are correct at the date of publishing. Manufacturers are liable to change their ingredients etc. in the meantime which may alter the nutritional values.

Take care with portion sizes when serving up ready meals. Some labels recommend an entire 400g pack is equal to one serving. However, this can easily be split between two or more people when served with plenty of vegetables. Serving a smaller portion is one of the best ways of cutting calories, while piling on the vegetables helps satisfy hunger.


If you’re unsure what constitutes high levels of fat or salt, this article details low, medium and high levels of fat, sugar and salt per 100g. - Read Post 

© Diets and Calories 2012