Beware! Calories on Menus

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Source: http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/07/19/restaurant.calories.off/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

One in 5 restaurant calorie listings are off

(CNN) -- You think you're being smart when, in an effort to eat more healthfully, you check a restaurant's website to see how many calories are in a dish you plan to order.

It turns out perhaps that effort isn't worth as much as you think. A new study by Tufts University nutrition researchers shows nearly one out of five restaurant dishes has at least 100 calories more than what the restaurants states on its website.

The underestimated foods came from several restaurant chains, including Chipotle Mexican Grill, Olive Garden, Boston Market and Outback Steak House.

"I think restaurants have a lot to answer for here," said Susan Roberts, the senior author of the paper published in this week's Journal of the American Medical Association.

The study looked at 269 food items at 42 fast-food and sit-down restaurants in Massachusetts, Arkansas, and Indiana between January and June 2010. Lead author Lorien Urban, then a graduate student at Tufts, and others purchased the foods without telling the restaurants they were for a study. They brought the foods to the lab at Tufts, analyzed the calories, and then compared them with the calories listed at that time on the restaurants' websites.

On average, the calorie counts were accurate. However, the lab analysis showed that 19 percent of the foods tested had 100 or more calories in excess of what was on the website.

"One food had more than a thousand calories more than it was supposed to," Roberts said, referring to a side order of chips and salsa at On The Border Mexican Grill and Cantina. "It was just shocking."

Sit-down restaurants were more likely to have inaccurate readings. Roberts said she thinks this is because individual workers have some leeway in how they prepare the foods, whereas the process is more automated in fast food restaurants.

In fact, several restaurants have caveats like the one on the Outback Steakhouse website, which states that "menu items are hand-prepared and caloric values may vary from the stated amount."

A new federal law will require calories to be stated on menus at large chain restaurants in the next year. Because of this, the National Restaurant Association said, "many restaurant chains are looking at tighter kitchen quality control standards."

The Tufts researchers looked at information on the restaurants' websites, which listed the number of calories absorbed by the body, which is different from the total number of calories in a dish. Using information from the restaurants' websites, the researchers estimated the total number of calories in the food, and then tested the food in the lab and made a comparison.

According to the Tufts lab analysis, Chipotle's burrito bowl with rice, black beans, peppers, onions, lettuce, green tomatillo salsa, and cheese had 703 total calories -- 249 more total calories than what was expected based on information from the website.

In a statement, Chipotle acknowledged that there could be calorie differences between what's posted on its website and what's actually served to customers because of "the seasonality of ingredients, adherence to recipes, and cooking from scratch."

At Olive Garden, Tufts found that the chicken and gnocchi soup had 529 calories, which was 246 more than what would be expected based on the website.

Olive Garden told CNN the numbers on its website "are as accurate as they can be for dishes that are individually crafted by hand."

At Boston Market, three pieces of dark meat (two drumsticks and a thigh) was 572 calories, according to the lab analysis -- 215 calories more than what would be expected from the restaurant's nutrition information. Boston Market did not respond to CNN's request for comment.

Some of the foods with the biggest discrepancies were lower-calorie items such as salads, which dieters would be more likely to choose. For example, the Tufts lab analysis showed the classic blue cheese wedge side salad at Outback Steakhouse contained 1,035 calories -- 659 calories more than what would be expected based on what was on the restaurant's website.

Joe Kadow, executive vice president of OSI Restaurant partners, which owns Outback Steakhouse, said he suspected that the Tufts researchers tested their entrée-sized salad rather than the side salad.

Urban said she's sure she ordered the side salad.

"Looking at it, I think the issue is they put on a lot of dressing -- more than they normally put," she added.

Roberts, author of "The 'I' Diet," said these discrepancies help explain why some of the people in her diet groups have had trouble losing weight even when they used a restaurant's website to select lower calorie dishes.

"If you have 100 calories more than you think [every day], that's something like 10 or 15 pounds of extra weight you gain over the course of the year," she said.

She advises dieters to order items such as dressing, cheese, and sauce on the side, so they can have better control over calories

ratherbeskiing

Thank you this was eye opening and very good to know!

Brandei

This is scary stuff

bprague

well that sucks

Gabby215

Frightening - there were some big differences there! Also nice to see my alma mater in the news - go Tufts!!!

MrsHephron

Wow thanks for the info. Scary to think we are all so uninformed!

brandiuntz

I'm not surprised for some to be off by 100 calories or so, but those items that were off by close to 1000 calories is amazing and scary. Talk about hidden calories.

Really is a good reminder to get any cheeses, dressings, sauces on the side when you can.

juliapurpletoes

Thank you so much for posting! I suppose we shouldn't be surprised...how many restaurants do you know that would take the time to properly measure foods as they go on your plate.

abbysmommy1

Wow - that's eye opening! Thanks for posting!

Hodar

A new study by Tufts University nutrition researchers shows nearly one out of five restaurant dishes has at least 100 calories more than what the restaurants states on its website.

I've often wondered about this; I chalk this up to 'human error'. Why? Say the server adds more than 1 ladle of salad dressing to your salad. Now bear in mind, she is hoping for a tip - and a tip is more likely from a satisfied customer, than one who feels that they were 'skimped' on something.

At the end of the day - 100 calories isn't really that much. Yeah, it's irritating - but I usually wind up my day about a 100 calories shy of my goal - and that goal is based on a 3,500+ calorie/week deficity. All in all, on a diet of 2,000 calories, a 5% margin of error isn't too bad - considering that humans are involved.

If you want a fast, accurate and efficient robot/computer - you don't build it out of meat.

hroush

I was just going to post this myself, but thought I would check around to see if someone else did first.

imgonnadoit123

Public Interest Group Slams Restaurants' Most Unhealthful Meals

NPR
NPR colleagues, including Peter Sagal, braved a taste-test of the Denny's Fried Cheese Melt last summer.

Published: July 19, 2011
by Linda Thrasybule

One of the reasons why Americans are still getting fat is that we eat too much. And it doesn't help that the nation's restaurant chains promote their oversized and fattening food items, while at the same time touting their new healthier menu options for kids.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) today announced its winners for their Fourth annual "Xtreme Eating Awards" at the National Press Club in Washington. But these aren't the awards restaurants want — they're offered for dishes with the highest calories, fat and sodium.

"Today's winners certainly contribute to obesity, and to heart disease, high blood pressure and other illnesses," said Michael F. Jacobson, executive director for CSPI. "And just as bad, these huge meals shape our way of thinking what's a normal size meal."

This year's winners included Denny's Fried Cheese Melt. It's four fried mozzarella sticks and melted American cheese grilled between two slices of sourdough bread, served with wavy-cut French fries and marinara sauce. "Grilled cheese with a twist," says Denny's.

How does it taste? Crunchy and cheesy, say the funsters from Wait Wait, Don't Blog Me who tried the Denny's cheese bomb last summer.

But this sandwich, plus fries and marinara sauce, packs 1,260 calories—more than half the average person's recommended daily calorie limit—2,000 calories. Or as Bonnie Liebman, CSPI nutrition director put it, "It's like eating two Pizza Hut Personal Pan Pepperoni pizzas."

Another CSPI notable is the Cheesecake Factory Farmhouse Cheeseburger, which totals 1,530 calories, and that's just eating the burger sans fries.

Then there's the Cold Stone Creamery PB&C Shake, a whopping 2,000-calorie shake with peanut butter, chocolate ice cream and milk. Calorie-wise, it equals two 16 oz. T-bone steaks plus a buttered baked potato.

Liebman says meals reaching up to 1,000 calories have become the norm. "Companies are competing with each other to wow more customers," she said. Borrowing from the current Applebee's slogan, "They're stacking, stuffing and topping, trying to outdo each other with more excess."

But the National Restaurant Association (NRA) says consumers want choices.

"Consumers choose to dine out for many occasions – whether it's a daily lunch outside the office, or a special birthday dinner with family. With this in mind, restaurants provide an array of menu options from more indulgent to better-for-you menu options," said Joy Dubost, NRA's director of nutrition and healthy living, in a statement e-mailed to Shots.

Meals like these will be subject to more explicit calorie labeling requirements next year, which may help people make better choices, says Jacobson. However, it will not solve the obesity epidemic. "It's not going to be a game changer, but it will help," he says. [Copyright 2011 National Public Radio]

Gary6030

I know its inevitable but I'm trying my best not to eat out as much as possible. Its harder to run those extra unknown calories off than it is to cook something at home.

dls06

If they told you the truth they would lose a lot of business. Wonder why we all need to lose weight?

jodazary

eat at home slim your waist fatten your piggy bank if you cook it yourself you can control whats in it and how much then put the money you would have spend on the meal out in the piggy bank to buy yourself a reward for all your hard work

grasp

I found this interesting bit:

"The Tufts researchers looked at information on the restaurants' websites, which listed the number of calories absorbed by the body, which is different from the total number of calories in a dish"

Also, 80% of the sample was accurate. Simply put, if your counting calories avoid sit down dining out.

imgonnadoit123

I found this interesting bit:

"The Tufts researchers looked at information on the restaurants' websites, which listed the number of calories absorbed by the body, which is different from the total number of calories in a dish"

Also, 80% of the sample was accurate. Simply put, if your counting calories avoid sit down dining out.

interesting indeed. Yes good to avoid dining out...this was a real eye opener for me. I kinda trusted the calories on the menu were somewhat accurate...had no idea that 20% of the time it could be way way off.

LosingTheWeight2014

This is why I have stopped eating out all together while I'm counting calories and trying to reach my goal.

Thanks for the information though...it's nice to know you can't really trust what they are putting out there.

clvdandj

I <33333 chipotile and i'll eat it no matter how many calories are in it. haha

illusio

From the UK, calories on menus hasn't hit here yet. On a visit to New York a few months ago, went into a Hooters - thought the 4-digit number next to the meal was a reference code or something. When I realised it was ACTUALLY calories, I nearly peed my pants! Horrific.

imgonnadoit123

HAHA!! okay it's sad but glad they have the calories so you can at least see!