For calories, brasserie or fast food are equal
According to a study conducted in the United States, a meal taken in a restaurant would be as caloric, on average, as a meal taken in a fast food restaurant. In fact, even if the menus and dishes offered in restaurants seem healthier, this is without counting on the fact that consumers order quantities such that the meal in the restaurant, in the end, is not less caloric than the fast food meal .
The dishes offered in a brasserie, a pizzeria or a restaurant are therefore consumed in such a way that the meal becomes as bad for your health as a fast-food meal, at a minimum in terms of calories. .
How the study works
This study (1) contradicts many previous studies. The latter indicated that consumers opting for lunch or dinner in a restaurant preserved their health through a better balanced nutritional diet.
The current study was carried out using the National Health and Nutrition Examination databases and was able to demonstrate that previous studies deviated from the actual nutritional facts.
The operation of the study was simple: it consisted of a quick interview with each of the individuals in order to ask them questions about their diet over 2 days. This kind of interview is carried out regularly by the National Health and Nutrition Examination . A total of 12,528 responses from individuals aged 20 to 64 were analyzed. These responses were retrieved between the years 2003 to 2010.
The study is interesting because it is based on the real behavior of individuals .
Unprecedented results
The energy intake consumed during a meal in a restaurant is more harmful to health than fast food, in the sense that individuals consume more calories there. The figures given speak for themselves: 205 calories in restaurants on average against 194 calories in fast food . However, the amount of saturated fat seems higher in fast food (3.48g on average against 2.52g).
Clearly: a meal at a fast food or restaurant is associated with too high a caloric intake, as well as low nutritional quality.
The study also revealed a surprising fact. If men are born free and equal in rights, they nevertheless opt for energy intakes that differ according to their socio-economic category and especially their socio-ethnic category.
It would turn out that according to origins, social status and social category, the energy intake chosen by individuals differs greatly. Indeed, individuals of African origin opt for higher energy intake (calories) than individuals of American origin. Similarly, it would seem that individuals with low and middle incomes would also opt for more calories than individuals with high incomes.
Stephen Paul is the lead author and founder of My Health Sponsor. Holder of a diploma in health and well-being coaching with more than 200 articles in the field of health, he makes it a point of honor to offer advice based on reliable information, based on scientific research, and verified by health professionals.