There may be more calories in your Chipotle meal than a McDonald’s order. New research has shown that fast casual restaurants, like Chipotle, may contain more calories in their meals than fast food restaurants. “The researchers examined the calorie counts of 3,193 entrees sold at restaurants representing 24 different fast food chains and 28 fast-casual chains, according to the report in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. They found the average fast-casual entree had about 760 calories compared to the typical fast food entree with about 560 calories. Schoffman said the study team was surprised by the overall results and by finding a greater proportion of fast casual restaurant entrees exceeded the median of 640 calories.” The study noted, however, that it only looked at calorie counts and not nutritional value as well. The researchers hypothesized that even though many fast casual restaurants have more calories, they are actually bigger portions with generally healthier ingredients. Customers should pay attention to what ingredients they’re ordering, in addition to calorie counts, to make sure they are making a healthy choice
