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

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 entrees and fast-casual entrees differ in calorie content. Objective The purpose of this study was to determine whether the caloric content of entrees 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 entrees for fast-food and fast-casual restaurants was downloaded from the MenuStat database. Outcome measures Mean calories per entree between fast-food restaurants and fast casual restaurants and the proportion of restaurant entrees 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 entree at fast-food and fast casual restaurants. To examine the difference in distribution of entrees in different calorie ranges between fast-food and fast-casual restaurants, chi(2) tests were used. Results There were 34 fast-food and 28 fast-casual restaurants included in the analysis (n=3,193 entrees). Fast-casual entrees had significantly more calories per entree (760 +/- 301 kcal) than fast-food entrees (561 +/- 268; P<0.0001). A greater proportion of fast-casual entrees compared with fast-food entrees exceeded the median of 640 kcal per entree (P<0.0001). Conclusions Although fast-casual entrees contained more calories than fat-food entrees 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, entrees with sides and drinks) differs between fast-casual restaurants and fast-food restaurants. Calorie-conscious consumers should consider the calorie content of entree items before purchase, regardless of restaurant type.