Maybe skip the fries with that
High calorie count aside, chicken gyros pita packs a protein punch. It’s up to you if you eat the whole thing
Chicken gyros pita, $6.50 Messini Authentic Gyros, 445 Danforth Ave.
The ask Alexis Aguila relies on her Fitbit to track calories and stay healthy.
The 20-year-old student can source nutrition numbers for most meals, but some calorie counts remain elusive.
That’s why she asked the Dish to uncover the calories in the “chicken gyros pita,” a famously popular creation from Messini Authentic Gyros, a bustling restaurant on Toronto’s Danforth Ave.
The pita, made with hand-cut chicken and topped with chopped tomatoes, onions and a garlicky tzatziki sauce, is also filled with French fries, a bonus ingredient that Aguila says makes the meal irresistible.
“The Fitbit app can tell me the calories in a generic chicken gyros, but it’s not the same as knowing the exact numbers from a specific restaurant,” she says. “Whenever I go to Messini’s, it’s a gamble to know the calories — am I within the estimated range? Or am I way under or way over? I never know.”
On their dinner dates to the restaurant, Aguila and her boyfriend each devour a chicken gyros pita. They also split an order of Greek fries, which come drizzled with olive oil and garnished with feta cheese and oregano.
“They are addictive,” Aguila says. “It’s always too much food and we think we shouldn’t order all of it. But we do anyways because it’s so delicious.” The guess Aguila uses the nutrition numbers provided by her Fitbit app as a baseline for her guess.
“It tells me that a chicken gyros is around 750 calories,” she says. “But I think Messini’s is way over that. Maybe around 900 calories because of the amount of fries it has. Plus I think the bread is high in calories.
“I’m kind of nervous to find out.”
The exclusive results Calories: 1,044 Fat: 49 grams Sodium: 1,035 milligrams Carbohydrates: 88 grams Protein: 63 grams
The breakdown
Pick up this pita and you won’t be surprised it is a 450-gram (one pound) meal. Its 1,044 calories is about half of what the average person should aim for in a day.
Its 49 grams of fat is just 15 grams shy of the average woman’s maximum recommended daily allotment. And its 63 grams of hunger-curbing protein is double what nutrition experts suggest getting in a meal, a hint that some diners could make this a two-meal pita.
In terms of calories, this pita is the same as eating two grilled chicken sandwiches that are topped with lettuce and tomato, plus a regular order of fries from Harvey’s. According to posted nutrition information, at Jimmy the Greek, a gyros pita topped with tomato, onion and tzatziki contains 769 calories. The expert opinion In many ways — and minus the French fries — registered dietitian Carol Harrison says this wrap is a nutritious choice that she would encourage people to eat.
“There are crispy vegetables and the shaved chicken provides ample protein. It’s just in larger portions than we want people to eat.”
For health-conscious diners, Harrison says there are several ways to give the meal a nutritional boost.
Ask for half the usual amount of fries; skipping them altogether is the best op- tion, she says, but that removes some of the yum factor.
When you order, request extra vegetables — more tomatoes, a handful of lettuce — and see if the restaurant can serve it with a whole wheat pita.
As always, if a meal seems large, you can split it in two. But Harrison, acknowledging that’s not always an easy option for diners, also suggests giving yourself permission to leave some of your meal on the plate.
“One of the problems with larger portions is that once it’s in front of you, it’s easy to keep eating, even once you are satisfied,” she says.
Some ways to eat mindfully are to avoid eating food too fast, to talk with your dining partner, to take frequent sips of water and, when you are halfway or twothirds through your meal, sit back and consider your plate.
“If you’re no longer hungry, stop eating,” she says. “Make it an intentional decision to stop and think about your hunger. It’s very easy to mindlessly keep eating beyond feeling hungry.” The restaurant reaction Marinos Dafnas, owner of Messini Authentic Gyros, is surprised by the calorie count.
“It’s actually 300 to 400 calories below what I expected,” he says during a phone conversation with the Star.
“This is a powerful item that I have. Most of my customers are young, big guys who want a big meal. It’s why this is a very high-calorie item.” Why fries inside the pita sandwich? Dafnas, who opened his restaurant 15 years ago, explains the combination is a recipe from Greece that dates back about 30 years. The big, all-in-one meal is popular with late-night revellers.
“Back home in Greece, this item is sold on every corner. When you have a late night and are drinking, you eat this so you can go out and drink some more. At first, people thought I was crazy to put fries in it. Now it’s our trademark.”
Dafnas acknowledges the gyros pita is not meant to be an everyday food. But, he adds, those who want a lighter version can certainly customize their meal by asking for plain yogurt, rather than tzatziki, more vegetables and no fries.
“I’m not going to be ashamed at the calories. That’s just what it is. But I’m happy people are aware of what they are consuming.”
“Most of my customers are young, big guys who want a big meal. It’s why this is a very high-calorie item.” MARINOS DAFNAS MESSINI AUTHENTIC GYROS OWNER
The reader reaction At first, Aguila questions the nutrition results.
“One thousand calories? Really? I didn’t think it would hit the one-grand mark.”
Then, after a moment of reflection, she accepts that her favourite Greek wrap is a bit bigger than she would have liked.
“Am I really surprised? No. I was expecting the worst.”
With nutrition numbers in hand, Aguila plans to order just the chicken gyros on her next trip to Messini’s.
“Or,” she continues with a laugh, “maybe just the Greek fries. Because they are still a calorie mystery.” The Dish is a weekly series that helps healthconscious diners navigate Toronto’s food scene by revealing the nutrition information of Star readers’ favourite foods. If you are curious about the calories in a meal or treat, email Megan Ogilvie at mogilvie@thestar.ca. Items selected to be featured in the Dish will be sent to an accredited laboratory for nutritional analysis.