Fast food meals have fewer calories than restaurant dishes

[Lmws214]

Fast food meals have fewer calories than restaurant dishes, BMJ finds

 

 

Fast food meals are less calorific than many restaurant dishes, research published in the BMJ has found.

The study found that meals served by popular high street eateries - including Harvester and Hungry Horse - contain more than twice the amount of recommended calories.

Health officials say that a main meal should contain no more than 600 calories.

But the study found that the average dish served in a chain restaurant contains 1033 calories.

The figure far exceeds the average 751 calorie countent found in meals served by fast-food joints including MacDonalds, Wimpy and Burger King.

 

The biggest offenders were the Hungry Horse and Stone House restaurant chains, which which clocked up 1,358 and 1,275calories in an average main meal respectively.

Other well-known restaurant chains with high calorie content included Harvester, at 1,166 calories, JD Wetherspoon, with 1119 calories, and Nandos, on 1,019 calories.

Advice issued by Public Health England in March said people should be aiming to consume 600 calories for lunch and dinner.

Author Dr Eric Robinson, a behavioural psychologist at Liverpool University, said the findings were "shocking".

But he warned that they under-estimate the true picture, since drinks, starters, desserts and side orders were excluded from the study.

 

He said: "Only one-in-ten of the meals we surveyed could be considered a healthy number of calories.

"Although some of the results are shocking our findings probably underestimate the number of calories consumed in restaurants because our analysis did not include drinks, starters, desserts or side orders."

 

He said: "It's really clear what the food industry need to do - they need to act more responsibly and reduce the number of calories that they're serving."

Britain’s restaurant habits are fuelling its obesity crisis he said, with four in ten adults eat out at least once a week.

Dr Robinson said the poor nutritional content of 'fast food' is well known but full service restaurants where dining tables are provided have received less attention.

The study analysed the calories in 13,500 main meals from 21 full-service and six fast-food chains.

Among fast food chains, meals at Burger King had an average of 711 calories, followed by Wimpy, at 721 calories, and McDonald’s at 726 calories. The highest meal in a restaurant classed as “fast-food” was at KFC, with an average of 987 calories.

 

Dr Robinson said: "On average, the energy content of main meals served by full service restaurants was 268 calories higher than that of main meals served by fast food restaurants.”

Researchers said many public health experts had focussed concern on fast foods, but not paid enough attention to the stodgy and fatty fare sold in high street restaurants.

The UK is the most overweight nation in Western Europe - with levels of obesity growing faster than in the US.

 

Last year a study by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) said Britain was the sixth-worst country in its 35 member states - coming behind Mexico, the USA, New Zealand, Finland and Australia.

Two in three adults are overweight or obese.

The Government is consulting on introducing mandatory calorie labels on restaurant menus, while health officials are working on plans to cut the calorie content of meals.

 

 

 

 

https://www.msn.com/en-sg/health/fitness/fast-food-meals-have-fewer-calories-than-restaurant-dishes-bmj-finds/ar-BBQYCUr?ocid=spartanntp

 

 

[Sosaria]

Servings are too big. Don't talk about restaurants, even buying mixed rice or briyani or nasi padang, the pile of rice is too much.

 

Of course there may be big eaters that expect that amount. I'd rather smaller portions at reduced prices. Save money and save health.

[Friendstar]

Fast food uses a lot of processed food. Contents like chemical preservatives, antibiotics and meat glue are common.

That's the killer.

 

Best is still home cook.

[Ender]

Restaurans are too expensive to eat everyday anyway to be a concern. Unless you are a regular poster at the makan thread, LOL.

[inlinesix]

Fast food uses a lot of processed food. Contents like chemical preservatives, antibiotics and meat glue are common.

That's the killer.

 

Best is still home cook.

Home cook not necessary unless you know source of your raw material

[Jamesc]

If your favourite nasi padang or chai png is giving you too much rice

 

just have to open your mouth and ask for less rice lah.

 

What so difficult about this?

 

People are getting dumber these days.

 

Dumb things they have no hesitation to open their mouth and say.

 

Smart things like "can I have less rice please" never occur to them? 

 

  

[BanCoe]

Home cook not necessary unless you know source of your raw material

Assumption is that home cooked food is usually what is produced in the farms with minimal processed stuff and minimal deep frying and high fibre content

[inlinesix]

Assumption is that home cooked food is usually what is produced in the farms with minimal processed stuff and minimal deep frying and high fibre content

That’s a very big ASSumption.

 

A lot of farms use xxxcide & chemical fertilizers. If xxxcide is surface-based, still ok.

[BanCoe]

Thatâs a very big ASSumption.

 

A lot of farms use xxxcide & chemical fertilizers. If xxxcide is surface-based, still ok.

Ok my Assumption is small, you are wise

[inlinesix]

Without knowing farming practice, I will not say home cooked is better.

 

I could only says less harmful as compared to processed food.

Edited December 16, 2018 by Davidtch

[Kusje]

Servings are too big. Don't talk about restaurants, even buying mixed rice or briyani or nasi padang, the pile of rice is too much.

 

Of course there may be big eaters that expect that amount. I'd rather smaller portions at reduced prices. Save money and save health.

 

The cost of rice is negligible 

[Lala81]

I don't really find it that big an issue here. The portion servings here are not ridiculously large.

Even for soft drinks, most restaurants just give u the 250ml can nowadays.

 

Even if u say you are getting less for your $, that can't be a bad thing in terms of consumption of sugary beverages.

[Sosaria]

The cost of rice is negligible

Precisely so. Hawkers purposely pile on a lot, create a big plate of food, partly for psychological effect, justifying the increased prices

[Kangadrool]

you never buy rice from supermarket or shops before?

 

Rice is not cheap.

 

The cost of rice is negligible 

 

[Mkl22]

Fast food uses a lot of processed food. Contents like chemical preservatives, antibiotics and meat glue are common.

That's the killer.

 

Best is still home cook.

Best is grow or rear own food. You also never know what animal feed and pesticides are used.

[Spinelli_ck]

you never buy rice from supermarket or shops before?

 

Rice is not cheap.

 

you are right. else most chai png stalls would be using Thai Hom Mali rice liao.

[UncleAtas]

Stop comparing.

[Kopites]

you never buy rice from supermarket or shops before?

 

Rice is not cheap.

Long rice?