Advertisement
Research Original Research: Brief| Volume 116, ISSUE 10, P1606-1612, October 2016

Download started.

Ok

The Fast-Casual Conundrum: Fast-Casual Restaurant Entrées Are Higher in Calories than Fast Food

Published:May 11, 2016DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2016.03.020
The Fast-Casual Conundrum: Fast-Casual Restaurant Entrées Are Higher in Calories than Fast Food
Previous ArticleDecreases in High-Fat and/or High-Added-Sugar Food Group Intake Occur when a Hypocaloric, Low-Fat Diet Is Prescribed Within a Lifestyle Intervention: A Secondary Cohort Analysis
Next ArticleAvailability of Foods and Beverages in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program−Authorized Dollar Stores in a Region of North Carolina

      Abstract

      Background

      Frequently eating fast food has been associated with consuming a diet high in calories, and there is a public perception that fast-casual restaurants (eg, Chipotle) are healthier than traditional fast food (eg, McDonald’s). However, research has not examined whether fast-food entrées and fast-casual entrées differ in calorie content.

      Objective

      The purpose of this study was to determine whether the caloric content of entrées at fast-food restaurants differed from that found at fast-casual restaurants.

      Design

      This study was a cross-sectional analysis of secondary data. Calorie information from 2014 for lunch and dinner entrées for fast-food and fast-casual restaurants was downloaded from the MenuStat database.

      Outcome measures

      Mean calories per entrée between fast-food restaurants and fast-casual restaurants and the proportion of restaurant entrées that fell into different calorie ranges were assessed.

      Statistical analyses performed

      A t test was conducted to test the hypothesis that there was no difference between the average calories per entrée at fast-food and fast-casual restaurants. To examine the difference in distribution of entrées in different calorie ranges between fast-food and fast-casual restaurants, χ2 tests were used.

      Results

      There were 34 fast-food and 28 fast-casual restaurants included in the analysis (n=3,193 entrées). Fast-casual entrées had significantly more calories per entrée (760±301 kcal) than fast-food entrées (561±268; P<0.0001). A greater proportion of fast-casual entrées compared with fast-food entrées exceeded the median of 640 kcal per entrée (P<0.0001).

      Conclusions

      Although fast-casual entrées contained more calories than fast-food entrées in the study sample, future studies should compare actual purchasing patterns from these restaurants to determine whether the energy content or nutrient density of full meals (ie, entrées with sides and drinks) differs between fast-casual restaurants and fast-food restaurants. Calorie-conscious consumers should consider the calorie content of entrée items before purchase, regardless of restaurant type.

      Keywords

      To read this article in full you will need to make a payment

      Purchase one-time access:

      Academic & Personal: 24 hour online accessCorporate R&D Professionals: 24 hour online access
      One-time access price info
      • For academic or personal research use, select 'Academic and Personal'
      • For corporate R&D use, select 'Corporate R&D Professionals'

      Subscribe:

      Subscribe to Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
      Already a print subscriber? Claim online access
      Already an online subscriber? Sign in
      Register: Create an account
      Institutional Access: Sign in to ScienceDirect

      References

        • Flegal K.M.
        • Carroll M.D.
        • Kit B.K.
        • Ogden C.L.
        Prevalence of obesity and trends in the distribution of body mass index among US adults, 1999-2010.
        JAMA. 2012; 307: 491-497
        View in Article

      2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC guide to strategies for reducing the consumption of energy dense foods. http://www.cdph.ca.gov/SiteCollectionDocuments/Strats4ConsumptionofEnergyDenseFoods.pdf. Published March 2010. Accessed March 5, 2016.

        View in Article

      3. Fryar CD, Ervin RB. National Center for Health Statistics data brief no 114. Caloric intake from fast food among adults: United States 2007-2010. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db114.pdf. Published February 2013. Accessed March 5, 2016.

        View in Article
        • French S.A.
        • Harnack L.
        • Jeffery R.W.
        Fast food restaurant use among women in the Pound of Prevention study: Dietary, behavioral and demographic correlates.
        Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2000; 24: 1353-1359
        View in Article
        • Clemens L.H.
        • Slawson D.L.
        • Klesges R.C.
        The effect of eating out on quality of diet in premenopausal women.
        J Am Diet Assoc. 1999; 99: 442-444
        View in Article
        • Wilcox S.
        • Sharpe P.A.
        • Turner-McGrievy G.
        • Granner M.
        • Baruth M.
        Frequency of consumption at fast-food restaurants is associated with dietary intake in overweight and obese women recruited from financially disadvantaged neighborhoods.
        Nutr Res. 2013; 33: 636-646
        View in Article
        • Satia J.A.
        • Galanko J.A.
        • Siega-Riz A.M.
        Eating at fast-food restaurants is associated with dietary intake, demographic, psychosocial and behavioural factors among African Americans in North Carolina.
        Public Health Nutr. 2004; 7: 1089-1096
        View in Article
        • Pereira M.A.
        • Kartashov A.I.
        • Ebbeling C.B.
        • et al.
        Fast-food habits, weight gain, and insulin resistance (the CARDIA study): 15-year prospective analysis.
        Lancet. 2005; 365: 36-42
        View in Article

      9. Fast casual is only restaurant segment to see traffic growth in 2013, reports NPD. https://www.npd.com/wps/portal/npd/us/news/press-releases/fast-casual-is-only-restaurant-segment-to-see-traffic-growth-in-2013-reports-npd/. Published February 5, 2014. Accessed March 5, 2016.

        View in Article

      10. Fast casual fuels Technomic Top 500 growth once again. https://www.technomic.com/Pressroom/Releases/dynRelease_Detail.php?rUID=362. Published April 28, 2015. Accessed March 8, 2016.

        View in Article

      11. Roberto F. The Chipotle effect: Why America is obsessed with fast casual food. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2015/02/02/the-chipotle-effect-why-america-is-obsessed-with-fast-casual-food/. Published February 2, 2015. Accessed March 1, 2016.

        View in Article

      12. Five consumer trends shaping the future of the food and foodservice industries. https://www.npd.com/wps/portal/npd/us/news/press-releases/2015/five-consumer-trends-shaping-the-future-of-the-food-and-foodservice-industries/. Published May 7, 2015. Accessed March 1, 2016.

        View in Article

      13. Food with integrity. https://www.chipotle.com/food-with-integrity. Published 2015. Accessed March 1, 2016.

        View in Article

      14. Panera Bread’s food policy statement. https://www.panerabread.com/content/dam/panerabread/documents/nutrition/panera-bread-food-policy.pdf. Published June 3, 2014. Accessed March 1, 2016.

        View in Article

      15. General Electric Company. Category segments. http://gerestaurantreview.com/category-segments/. Published 2015. Accessed March 8, 2016.

        View in Article
        • Wu H.W.
        • Sturm R.
        What's on the menu? A review of the energy and nutritional content of US chain restaurant menus.
        Public Health Nutr. 2013; 16: 87-96
        View in Article

      17. New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Menustat methods. http://menustat.org/methods-for-researchers/. Published 2015. Accessed March 1, 2016.

        View in Article

      18. Code of Federal Regulations. Title 45, Public Welfare, Department of Health and Human Services, Part 46: Protection of Human Subjects; 2009. http://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/humansubjects/guidance/45cfr46.html#46.101. Accessed March 5, 2016.

        View in Article
        • Su L.J.
        • Arab L.
        Salad and raw vegetable consumption and nutritional status in the adult US population: Results from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
        J Am Diet Assoc. 2006; 106: 1394-1404
        View in Article

      20. Ranch number one dressing flavor shipped to u.s. foodservice outlets, Reports SupplyTrack. https://www.npd.com/wps/portal/npd/us/news/press-releases/ranch-number-one-dressing-flavor-shipped-to-us-foodservice-outlets-reports-supplytrack/. Published April 1, 2014. Accessed March 5, 2016.

        View in Article
        • Bleich S.N.
        • Wolfson J.A.
        • Jarlenski M.P.
        Calorie changes in chain restaurant menu items: Implications for obesity and evaluations of menu labeling.
        Am J Prev Med. 2015; 48: 70-75
        View in Article
        • Bleich S.N.
        • Wolfson J.A.
        • Jarlenski M.P.
        Calorie changes in large chain restaurants: Declines in New menu items but room for improvement.
        Am J Prev Med. 2016; 50: e1-e8
        View in Article
        • French S.A.
        • Story M.
        • Neumark-Sztainer D.
        • Fulkerson J.A.
        • Hannan P.
        Fast food restaurant use among adolescents: Associations with nutrient intake, food choices and behavioral and psychosocial variables.
        Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2001; 25: 1823-1833
        View in Article
        • Befort C.
        • Kaur H.
        • Nollen N.
        • et al.
        Fruit, vegetable, and fat intake among non-Hispanic black and non-Hispanic white adolescents: Associations with home availability and food consumption settings.
        J Acad Nutr Diet. 2006; 106: 367-373
        View in Article
        • Thompson O.M.
        • Ballew C.
        • Resnicow K.
        • et al.
        Food purchased away from home as a predictor of change in BMI z-score among girls.
        Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2004; 28: 282-289
        View in Article
        • Poti J.M.
        • Duffey K.J.
        • Popkin B.M.
        The association of fast food consumption with poor dietary outcomes and obesity among children: Is it the fast food or the remainder of the diet?.
        Am J Clin Nutr. 2014; 99: 162-171
        View in Article
        • Fox M.
        New menu labeling requirements: Academy advocacy expands opportunities.
        J Acad Nutr Diet. 2015; 115: 707-708
        View in Article

      28. Federal Drug Administration. Overview of FDA labeling requirements for restaurants, similar retail food establishments and vending machines. http://www.fda.gov/food/ingredientspackaginglabeling/labelingnutrition/ucm248732.htm. Published July 9, 2015. Revised July 9, 2015. Accessed March 8, 2016.

        View in Article
        • Dumanovsky T.
        • Huang C.Y.
        • Nonas C.A.
        • Matte T.D.
        • Bassett M.T.
        • Silver L.D.
        Changes in energy content of lunchtime purchases from fast food restaurants after introduction of calorie labelling: Cross sectional customer surveys.
        BMJ. 2011; 343: d4464
        View in Article
        • Wethington H.
        • Maynard L.M.
        • Haltiwanger C.
        • Blanck H.M.
        Use of calorie information at fast-food and chain restaurants among US Adults, 2009.
        J Public Health (Oxf). 2014; 36: 490-496
        View in Article
        • Krieger J.W.
        • Chan N.L.
        • Saelens B.E.
        • Ta M.L.
        • Solet D.
        • Fleming D.W.
        Menu labeling regulations and calories purchased at chain restaurants.
        Am J Prev Med. 2013; 44: 595-604
        View in Article
        • Sinclair S.E.
        • Cooper M.
        • Mansfield E.D.
        The influence of menu labeling on calories selected or consumed: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
        J Am Diet Assoc. 2014; 114: 1375-1388
        View in Article
        • Dumanovsky T.
        • Nonas C.A.
        • Huang C.Y.
        • Silver L.D.
        • Bassett M.T.
        What people buy from fast-food restaurants: Caloric content and menu item selection, New York City 2007.
        Obesity (Silver Spring). 2009; 17: 1369-1374
        View in Article
        • Kirkpatrick S.I.
        • Reedy J.
        • Kahle L.L.
        • Harris J.L.
        • Ohri-Vachaspati P.
        • Krebs-Smith S.M.
        Fast-food menu offerings vary in dietary quality, but are consistently poor.
        Public Health Nutr. 2014; 17: 924-931
        View in Article
        • Rosenheck R.
        Fast food consumption and increased caloric intake: A systematic review of a trajectory towards weight gain and obesity risk.
        Obes Rev. 2008; 9: 535-547
        View in Article
        • Anzman-Frasca S.
        • Mueller M.P.
        • Sliwa S.
        • et al.
        Changes in children's meal orders following healthy menu modifications at a regional U.S. restaurant chain.
        Obesity (Silver Spring). 2015; 23: 1055-1062
        View in Article
        • Wansink B.
        • Love K.
        Slim by design: Menu strategies for promoting high-margin, healthy foods.
        Int J Hosp Manag. 2014; 42: 137-143
        View in Article

      38. About: The Little Beet. https://www.thelittlebeet.com/about/. Accessed March 5, 2016.

        View in Article

      39. Our Story: Sweetgreen. http://sweetgreen.com/our-story/. Accessed March 5, 2016.

        View in Article

      40. The QSR 50: The top 50 brands in quick service and fast casual. https://www.qsrmagazine.com/reports/qsr50-2015-top-50-chart. August 2015. Accessed March 5, 2016.

        View in Article

      Biography

      D. E. Schoffman is a doctoral student, Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia.

      Biography

      C. R. Davidson is a doctoral student, Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia.

      Biography

      S. B. Hales is a doctoral student, Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia.

      Biography

      A. E. Crimarco is a doctoral student, Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia.

      Biography

      A. A. Dahl is a doctoral student, Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia.

      Biography

      G. M. Turner-McGrievy is an assistant professor, Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior, an affiliate, Center for Research in Nutrition and Health Disparities, and an affiliate, Prevention Research Center, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia.

      Article info

      Publication history

      Published online: May 11, 2016
      Accepted: March 21, 2016
      Received: July 23, 2015

      Footnotes

      STATEMENT OF POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

      FUNDING/SUPPORT There is no funding to disclose.

      Identification

      DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2016.03.020

      Copyright

      © 2016 by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

      ScienceDirect

      Access this article on ScienceDirect

      The content on this site is intended for healthcare professionals.


      We use cookies to help provide and enhance our service and tailor content. To update your cookie settings, please visit the Cookie Preference Center for this site.
      Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. except certain content provided by third parties.


      RELX