Pie, glorious pie. From chicken pie recipes that date back as far as 2000 BC to picnic pork pies that pack 13g fat per serving and a Greggs steak bake containing over 400 calories, 75 per cent of the British population eat a pie at least once a month.
It’s the crunch of the crispy pastry case followed by the creamy, flavourful filling that makes a pie so hard to resist. And it’s why pies have stood the test of time and long held a special place in our culture. One of the earliest British cookbooks published in 1660 (The Accomplished Cook by Robert May) is full of pie recipes made with mutton, liver and kidney. Still today, they’re regulars in cook books and restaurants.
Through the ages, pie-making has been a way of reviving leftover meat by combining it with an array of seasonal vegetables, stock and pastry. Healthy, economical and nutritious. “Cheaper cuts of meat that were padded out with some vegetables and put in a pastry case to make a bigger meal,” says Dr Lindsay Middleton, a food historian at the University of Glasgow.
Over the years, though, thanks to innovations in food technology we’ve seen our pies evolve from home-made hearty dishes to mass produced, greasy pastry cases that are filled with poor-quality meat and ultra processed ingredients. Recipes for lovingly made, seasonal and nutritious pie are being ditched for ready-made unhealthy versions, found in abundance in high street bakeries and supermarket freezers. We consumed more than £1 billion of these ready-made varieties – savoury and sweet – last year. You don’t have to be a food critic to notice the difference between a homemade variety and one that is pumped full of artificial flavourings, emulsifiers and added salt.
Our taste for a ready-made pie is part of a cultural shift in the way we eat, says Dr Middleton. “Lots of people don’t have the time to be making big roasts in a way that we used to. It used to be more culturally ubiquitous to have a roast on Sunday, and then use the meat all the way through the week. Now, we buy it ready-made.” But it’s a shift that’s not only challenging the very definition of a British pie, but our health as well.
What is it about pies that pose a health risk?
Firstly, today’s shop-bought pies contain more pastry per serving. It used to be that a homemade pie would be served in slices with a pastry layer on the top and the bottom, not the sides. But in an age of convenience foods, individual pies which are encased in more pastry – and so saturated fat and calories – per portion.
Our portion sizes have increased too. The typical dinner plate has grown by 6cm since the 1970s, encouraging us to eat more at our evening meal. Also, large, homemade, family-sized pies that provided a hearty but healthy filling with a sensible portion of pastry are frequently substituted for individual, shop-bought pies that offer up a lot more short-crust, and therefore extra calories, fat and salt.
“Modern pies, especially individual fully encased ones, often contain more pastry and larger servings compared to traditional homemade versions,” says Nichola Ludlam-Raine, a nutritionist and author of How Not to Eat Ultra-Processed. “The emphasis on convenience has resulted in pies with thicker crusts and less nutritious fillings.”
Then, there’s the ingredients list that makes up the filling. Homemade pies are traditionally leftover meat from a Sunday roast with vegetables, stock and pastry, but “many ready-made pies incorporate additives, preservatives and lower-quality ingredients to extend shelf life and reduce costs,” she says.
Ready-made pies may also be made with processed meats (meat combined with preservatives such as nitrates to make them last longer and taste better), which are known to damage the cells that line the bowel, which can lead to bowel cancer. “This shift reflects broader dietary trends in the UK, where ultra-processed foods account for a significant portion of daily energy intake,” Ludlam-Raine notes. Studies suggest that diets high in ultra-processed foods can lead to obesity, heart disease and cancer.
Can you eat pies and still be healthy?
The good news is that the health effects of pies are not all negative. They can be full of nutrients and increase fullness. “Homemade pies with lean meats and vegetables can be nutritious, providing essential vitamins and minerals,” Ludlam-Raine notes. These include protein and fibre, which can promote a feeling of fullness, aiding in appetite control, she says.
To increase the healthy quality of your pie, “incorporate more vegetables to boost nutrient density and add flavour,” Ludlam-Raine suggests. “Use lean proteins such as chicken, turkey, or plant-based proteins – like lentils or beans – and control the fat content by using healthier fats such as olive oil.”
But there are health drawbacks to eating too many of the wrong sort of pies. They’re high in saturated fat and salt, which can increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases, Ludlam-Raine explains.
Too much saturated fat – more than 30g per day for men and 20g per day for women – has been shown to raise levels of “bad” low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, which contributes to fatty build-ups in the arteries (known as atherosclerosis). This narrows the arteries, raising the risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke. A portion of pie can contain up 20g of saturated fat.
Meanwhile, too much salt can raise blood pressure, which is a major risk factor for heart problems. Adults are advised to have no more than 6g per day, but some popular brands of pie contain over 2g per serving.
In addition, the combination of pastry and rich, meaty fillings can be calorific and contribute to weight gain. A small 100g serving of pie can contain 410 calories, and that’s before sides are added. “Calorie-dense pies may contribute to obesity if consumed frequently,” Ludlam-Raine notes. That’s because eating upward of the recommended daily intake – 2,000 calories for women and 2,500 for men – can cause weight to creep upwards.
“High intake of processed red meats have been linked to a higher risk of certain cancers,” Ludlam-Raine notes and pies are often full of these.
One reason this occurs is as a result of the presence of haem – a compound found naturally in red meat – which, when digested, breaks down into cancer-causing N-nitroso chemicals.
What’s the healthiest way to enjoy pies?
Opt for a homemade crust
Puff, short-crust, hot water, flaky and suet are popular pastries used to make pies. They’re what transforms the more humble stew into a delicious, indulgent meal. But it also heaps on calories (there’s around 230 in a restrained 50g portion and 7g of saturated fat).
Though time-consuming, making the crust yourself is the best way to improve the health status of your pie. Puff and filo are the pastries with the lowest fat, so a healthier option for the heart. “Making pastry from scratch allows for control over ingredients, reducing the intake of additives and unhealthy fats often found in store-bought versions,” Ludlam-Raine says.
To further increase the health benefits, use wholewheat flour to make your pastry. “This increases the fibre and nutrient content, making it a healthier choice,” she explains.
Additionally, replacing butter with healthier fats such as olive or rapeseed oil can reduce saturated fat content, she notes.
“However, if opting for pre-made pastry, choosing those with minimal additives and made from whole grain flours is advantageous,” Ludlam-Raine adds.
Choose nutritious fillings
A few centuries ago, goose, oysters, and swan were common pie fillings, says Dr Middleton. Today, it’s steak and chicken that are the UK’s favourites. The latter is much better for our health. “Lean meat, options like chicken or turkey, provide protein with lower saturated fat,” notes Ludlam-Raine, making them a healthy choice.
If opting for red meat, game such as venison and rabbit are typically leaner than the likes of beef and pork and are richer in nutrients, she says. It’s worth bearing in mind that we should be limiting our red meat intake to no more than 70g a day, as too much can worsen our heart health, Ludlam-Raine says. Typically vegetables like onion, carrots, celery and leeks are added to the filling, driving up the fibre content and nutritional value.
Vegetarian fillings don’t have to be boring and can up the nutrient count of a hearty pie. “Incorporating vegetables such as sweet potatoes, lentils, or a variety of seasonal veggies can also increase the fibre and vitamin content,” she adds.
The five most healthy shop-bought pies
Ludlam-Raine looked at the nutritional information – including calories, fat and salt – for more than 100 pies sold at the UK’s most popular supermarkets. These are the healthiest five, according to her analysis.
Pieminister’s game pie – made with wild British venison, mushroom and thyme – is among the healthiest pies available in shops, according to Ludlam-Raine. Per 100g, it is one of the lowest in calories (197 per 100g/531 per serving), fat (5.6g per 100g/22g per serving) and saturated fat (3g per 100g/9g per serving).
It may not be traditionally British, but the spinach and feta pie from Pieminster – which also includes kale, lemon and dill and is wrapped in filo pastry – is another low-calorie option. It also doesn’t contain much saturated fat (3g per 100g/6.9g per seving). “And it doesn’t contain red or processed meat,” she adds.
Another vegetarian option – the spinach, feta, red pepper and pine nut pie, wrapped in shortcrust pastry from Higgidy – is a healthier iteration of the ready-made pie. “It has a high vegetable content, moderate calorie count (234 per 100g/586 per serving), and uses whole food ingredients with no processed meats,” Ludlam-Raine says.
A classic chicken and leek pie from Waitrose – cooked in chicken stock and white wine and wrapped in shortcrust pastry, with a flaky puff pastry lid – offers plenty of protein (9.3g per 100g). “It uses lean white meat and includes vegetables too,” Ludlam-Raine says.
Steak pie is a classic and a version from Tesco is one of the healthiest options available, according to Ludlam-Raine. Filled with slow-cooked beef, it is ideal for those who want less processed red meat, she says.
How to spot an unhealthy pie
When selecting pies from supermarkets, it’s worth bearing a few things in mind if trying to pick a healthier option.
The first is the ingredient list, Ludlam-Raine says. “Watch for long lists with additives, preservatives and artificial ingredients,” she says. Next, look at the traffic light labels to check the nutritional content. “High levels of saturated fats, trans fats, sodium (salt) and added sugars are red flags,” she warns.
Finally, try to avoid those that have been highly processed, as these often contain lower-quality ingredients and unnecessary additives, Ludlam-Raine says.
For example, she crowned a pork pie as an unhealthy option: “It’s one of the highest in fat, saturated fat and salt, and also contains processed red meat,” she says.