Front-runners flunk food test

John Banks and Len Brown. Photo / Steven McNicholl

John Banks and Len Brown led the straw poll after Thursday night's mayoral debate, but nutritionists rate their low-polling rivals Colin Craig and Andrew Williams much higher on the food front.

The candidates were asked, "If you had $10 to spend at the supermarket for your family of six's evening meal on a given day, what would you buy?"

The Weekend Herald asked the Nutrition Foundation, without identifying the candidates, to analyse the meals and say which would be the most nutritious.

The cost of each meal's ingredients was also calculated, bearing in mind the candidates were told they could assume they had salt, pepper, oil and butter at home.

Andrew Williams' vegetable frittata would cost about $9.65 (excluding eggs).

He said he would buy kumara, potato, silverbeet and make a "wonderful meal".

The foundation said it was a "nice" meal, but would be improved by a bit more variety in vegetables.

"Replace kumara with grated/sliced carrot and a few mushrooms to fit in with price limit. Would also need to buy eggs, which are an economic, good source of protein."

Colin Craig's chilli tuna rice with green vegetables costs around $10. He said he would buy rice, canned tuna, chilli sauce and then spend whatever was left on green vegetables.

The foundation said: "Also a nice meal - quite suitable for someone with few cooking skills. Add a carrot for more colour in the vegetable mix."

Len Brown's Heart Foundation Tick sausages with mashed potatoes would cost about $14.40 if each of the six had one sausage each. He said he would buy spuds, sausages, and milk.

The foundation said: "Would benefit from the addition of vegetables - carrot, pumpkin and green vegetables with silverbeet a cheap option. Substitute margarine for butter (cheaper and a more healthy fat) or mash with milk only. If higher fat sausages used as a cheaper option, suggest boil first and draining water off to reduce the fat content."

John Banks' sandwich pie, excluding the sandwiches, would cost $6.44 - whether there is any additional cost depends on whether a cafe was willing to provide the sandwiches free or or not.

He said he would go to a local coffee shop and ask for any unsold sandwiches they were going to throw out. He would take them home, mix them up and top with eggs, milk, salt and pepper to make a pie of some sort.

The Nutrition Foundation said: "Would not recommend this. Our major concern is about food safety - sandwiches from a coffee shop may or may not be suitable for use after being in a coffee shop all day.

Would be able to buy supermarket own brand bread cheaply, add sandwich fillings and make 'some sort of pie', but this might be more like a dessert than a main meal. Would have very low vegetable content."

Colin Craig's dinner suggestion was judged the healthiest.