The Censuswide study interviewed over a thousand Scots on their takeaway habits and found that the biggest spenders are shelling out whopping amounts - over £1,200 a year.

Good news if you run a takeaway. Not so great for your wallet if you're visiting so often that your local takeaway staff know your name, your children's birthday dates and your star sign.

Possibly surprisingly, the survey discovered that Chinese was Scotland’s most popular takeaway (44%), followed by Indian (21%), Italian (12%) and a chippy (8%).

To be honest, this blogger would have thought that chicken tikka masala would have romped the race rather than chow mein but what do I know?

Specially Selected Pork

The research was carried out by Censuswide on behalf of Specially Selected Pork.

And, as you may have already guessed, Specially Selected Pork, a branch of Quality Meat Scotland (QMS), would much rather we bought fewer takeaways and more Specially Selected Pork.

Naturally, there is a health hook. Apparently, 'our love of takeaways could be having an underlying impact on our health – more so than we think. When asked how much calories they estimate to be in their favourite takeaway order, the average response was 1,026.

 When compared to the amount of calories in an average Chinese takeaway of sweet and sour chicken, vegetable spring rolls and fried rice, the results are vastly different, with calories hitting 2,184 (Safefood).'

Fakeaway alternatives

The solution? Quality Meat Scotland wants to highlight the healthier options available to us as part of its Go Places with Pork campaign. You may recall we mentioned this in an earlier blog.

The advice is that we swap takeaways for ‘fakeaway’ options as illustrated by the convenient, low-fat recipes to be found on Scotch Kitchen.

Kirsty Fox, Marketing Manager from QMS hopes the healthier options will satisfy cravings without compromising on flavour, commenting: 'With takeaway orders on the up, we’re encouraging consumers to instead consider alternatives that are healthier, quick and easy to make and more affordable.

'We’ve created delicious dupes of the nation’s favourites, including sweet and sour, Chinese noodles, tikka and souvlaki, each made using Specially Selected Pork, which is sourced from trusted Scottish farms which are approved by the Scottish SPCA.

'The research showed that people are ordering an average of four takeaways a month, spending over a day (25 hours) a year waiting for them to arrive. With this in mind, our recipes can be prepared and cooked in half the time it takes for an order to be delivered.'

Inspired? if so, put away the takeaway menu and take a swatch at this recipe for sweet and sour pork - ready in just fifteen minutes.

Sweet and Sour Pork Fillet

 15 mins

 15 mins

 Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

600g Specially Selected Pork fillet

For the Sauce

1 x large red pepper

4 x spring onions

3 x cloves garlic

300g fresh pineapple

35ml white wine vinegar

35g tomato ketchup

35ml light soy sauce

35ml lemon juice

35ml rapeseed oil

15g piece fresh peeled ginger

For the pork

15ml lemon juice

15ml light soy sauce

20g cornflour

Rapeseed oil to fry

Fresh chopped coriander to sprinkle

COOKING METHOD

For the sauce

Chop the red pepper into thin strips, discarding any white pith and seeds

Wipe, trim and cut the spring onions into thin strips

Peel and finely chop the garlic

Finely chop the ginger

Chop the pineapple into small pieces

In a wok heat the oil and add the peppers, spring onion, garlic and ginger and fry for 2 minutes

Add all the rest of the ingredients for the sauce and bring to the boil – put this to the side while you cook the pork

For the pork:

Cut the fillet in half lengthways – then cut the pork into thin strips

Place the pork in to a bowl along with the extra soy sauce and lemon.

Stir to coat the pork.

Add the cornflour the pork bowl and mix well

Heat some oil in a large frying pan and sauté the pork on a high heat for 4 minutes (You may have to do this in batches if your pan isn’t big enough. Be mindful not to crowd the pan)

When cooked transfer the pork to the wok where the sauce is.

Gently heat through until the sauce is piping hot has thickened slightly.

Serve topped with chopped coriander and steamed rice.