We analysed your favourite fast food and restaurant meals in the UK
Here's everything you should know...
We analysed the nation’s favourite takeaways, restaurants and fast-food chains to better understand the nutritional value you are getting when eating out.
Specifically, we looked at the number of calories in each meal and how long it would take to burn off those calories by running, walking and swimming.
With the help of the nutritional data provided by the restaurants and by using an energy-burning calculator provided by Bupa, we learned some of the best and worst restaurants to eat out at while dieting.
Let’s get into the data
Here’s a Quick Summary of Our Key Findings:
1) A typical Chinese takeaway consisting of Spring rolls, egg fried rice and sweet and sour chicken was the highest calorific meal and would take at least 5 hours and 26 minutes of swimming to burn off the calories consumed.
2) Burger King and Nandos were statistically the worst restaurants to eat at when being calorie-conscious. Out of the top 10 spots of high-calorie meals, Burger King took 5 spots and Nandos took 3.
3) When choosing dips to accompany your food, Franks Red Hot-dip from Dominos Pizza was a clear winner, containing only 21 calories per serving an equivalent to 2 minutes of running.
4) Dominos Herb and Garlic Dip contained 675 calories and would take 1 hour and 31 minutes to burn off walking.
5) KFC, Wagamama and Subway had the meals with the least amount of calories. KFC had 3 meals in the bottom 10 high calory meals whereas Wagamama and Subway both had 2.
6) Vegan and Vegetarian meals on average contained the same number of calories as their meat equivalents.
7) It would take 1 hour and 29 minutes of swimming to burn off a portion of prawn crackers.
8) Restaurants that are considered healthier such as Nandos on average had higher calorie meals than Mcdonald’s.
The nation’s favourite takeaway is the nation’s worst for calories.
A study carried out by Tombola revealed that the Chinese takeaway is the nation’s favourite takeaway. Our study however has shown that a small meal from a Chinese is by far the highest calorie meal in this study.
A typical Chinese takeaway meal consisting of Spring rolls, egg fried rice and sweet and sour chicken had 2184 calories and would take 5 hours and 26 minutes of Swimming to burn off the equivalent in calories.
The same meal would require 4 hours and 55 minutes of walking or 4 hours and 21 minutes of running at a steady pace.
Stay away from Burger King and Nandos if you are dieting
Both restaurants can be enjoyed as part of a well-balanced diet, however, if you are counting calories Burger King and Nandos were statistically the worst restaurants to eat at.
Burger King had 5 meals on our list:
- Katsu Chilli Whopper Meal
- Bacon Double XL Meal
- Double Whopper Meal
- Steakhouse Angus Meal
- Plant based Katsu Chilli Whopper Meal
Nandos had 3 high-calorie meals on our list:
- Whole Chicken
- Boneless Chicken Thighs Meal
- Sunset Burger
Burger King’s Katsu Chilli Whopper Meal has 1595 calories in it and would take an average person 3 hours and 10 minutes of running to burn them off.
Nandos whole chicken with 2 sides was one of their highest calorie meals coming in at 1856 calories, this would take 3 hours and 41 minutes of running to burn off.
If your going to dip your food make it a Frank’s Red Hot Dip
Frank’s Red Hot Dip from Dominos Pizza was the lowest calorie dip in our study. With only 21 calories per serving. If you want to keep your running, walking and swimming to a minimum this is the dip you should be used when dieting. Franks Red Hot Dip would only require 2 minutes of running or walking and only 3 minutes of swimming to burn off.
Dominos herb and garlic dip on the other hand is the worst dip to use when dieting. A full portion contains 675 calories and would require 1 hour and 20 minutes of running, 1 hour and 31 minutes of walking or 1 hour and 41 minutes of swimming to burn off.
The Dominos herb and garlic dip have more calories in them than some full meals. KFC, Wagamama, Chipotle and Subway all had meals with fewer calories than the Dominos herb and garlic dip.
Eat out at KFC, Wagamama or Subway to consume fewer calories.
The restaurants with meals with fewer calories were KFC, Wagamama and Subway.
KFC had 3 meals in our lowest calorie meals, Wagamama and Subway both had 2.
Low-calorie meals in KFC include:
- Fillet Salad Meal
- Zinger Burger Meal
- Zinger Rice Box Meal
Low-calorie meals in Wagamama include:
- No duck donburi
- Teriyaki chicken hiyashi bowl
Low-calorie meals in Subway include:
- Meatless Meatball Marinara Salad
- Steak and Cheese Salad
Vegan and Vegetarian meals on average contained the same number of calories as their meat equivalents.
Burger King’s Plant based Katsu Chilli Whopper Meal contained 1385 calories, whereas their meat equivalent the Katsu Chicken Royale Meal contained 1326 calories.
Nandos Portobello Mushroom & Halloumi Pitta contains 1323 calories whereas their Grilled Chicken Wrap contains 1257 calories.
Nandos Spiced Chickpea Burger contains 1254 calories whereas Mcdonald’s Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese Meal contains 1246.
Eating Vegetarian or Vegan may have other health and ethical benefits but from a fast-food perspective, there isn’t much difference in the calories they contain.
“Healthy restaurants” serve food with higher calories
Restaurants such as Nandos have a perception of being healthier than fast-food restaurants such as Mcdonald’s, from our study Mcdonald’s meals had fewer calories than Nandos across the board.
Restaurants on this list may have healthier macro or micronutrients but from a calorific point of view, Mcdonald’s meals on average weren’t in the top 10 worst meals. McDonald’s worst meal came in at position 18. The Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese Meal has 1246 calories and would take the average person 2 hours and 28 minutes of running to burn off.
The full dataset can be seen below:
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| Restaurant | Meal | Calories | Time to burn off Running (Hours:Minutes) | Time to burn off Walking (Hours:Minutes) | Time To burn off Swimming (Hours:Minutes) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KFC | 4 Piece Colonels Meal | 1060 | 02:06 | 02:23 | 02:38 |
| KFC | Mighty bucket for one | 1150 | 02:17 | 02:35 | 02:52 |
| KFC | Trilogy Box Meal | 1195 | 02:22 | 02:41 | 02:58 |
| KFC | 3 boneless dips | 810 | 01:36 | 01:49 | 02:01 |
| KFC | Fillet Burger Meal | 855 | 01:42 | 01:55 | 02:07 |
| KFC | Zinger Tower Meal | 975 | 01:56 | 02:12 | 02:25 |
| KFC | 4 Piece Boneless Dips Meal | 940 | 01:52 | 02:07 | 02:20 |
| KFC | Zinger Burger Meal | 450 | 00:53 | 01:00 | 01:07 |
| KFC | Zinger Stacker Meal | 1160 | 02:18 | 02:37 | 02:53 |
| KFC | Popcorn Chicken Meal | 665 | 01:19 | 01:30 | 01:39 |
| KFC | Original Recipe Ricebox and Drink | 620 | 01:14 | 01:23 | 01:32 |
| KFC | Zinger Ricebox and Drink | 610 | 01:12 | 01:22 | 01:31 |
| KFC | Fillet Salad | 370 | 00:44 | 00:50 | 00:55 |
| Mcdonalds | Big Mac | 1000 | 01:59 | 02:15 | 02:29 |
| Mcdonalds | Grand Big Mac Meal | 1200 | 02:23 | 02:42 | 02:59 |
| Mcdonalds | Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese Meal | 1246 | 02:28 | 02:48 | 03:06 |
| Mcdonalds | Quarter Pounder with cheese meal | 1014 | 02:01 | 02:17 | 02:31 |
| Mcdonalds | McChicken Sandwich Meal | 876 | 01:44 | 01:58 | 02:11 |
| Mcdonalds | Filet-o-fish meal | 826 | 01:38 | 01:51 | 02:03 |
| Mcdonalds | McSpicy Meal | 944 | 01:52 | 02:07 | 02:21 |
| Mcdonalds | 6 Chicken Nugget Meal | 768 | 01:31 | 01:44 | 01:54 |
| Mcdonalds | McPlant Meal | 936 | 01:51 | 02:06 | 02:20 |
| Mcdonalds | BBQ and Bacon Chicken one | 1000 | 01:59 | 02:15 | 02:29 |
| Mcdonalds | Tripple Cheeseburger Meal | 1085 | 02:09 | 02:26 | 02:42 |
| Dominos | Original Cheese and Tomato Pizza | 795 | 01:35 | 01:47 | 01:58 |
| Dominos | The Cheese burger | 859 | 01:42 | 01:56 | 02:08 |
| Dominos | Absolute Banger | 910 | 01:48 | 02:03 | 02:16 |
| Dominos | Mighty Meaty | 895 | 01:46 | 02:01 | 02:13 |
| Dominos | Pepperoni Passion | 952 | 01:53 | 02:08 | 02:22 |
| Dominos | American Hot | 848 | 01:41 | 01:54 | 02:06 |
| Dominos | Meateor | 985 | 01:57 | 02:13 | 02:27 |
| Dominos | Vegan PepperoNAY | 533 | 01:03 | 01:12 | 01:19 |
| Dominos | Twisted Dough Balls | 678 | 01:21 | 01:31 | 01:41 |
| Dominos | Chicken Wings | 451 | 00:53 | 01:01 | 01:07 |
| Dominos | Garlic and Herb Dip | 675 | 01:20 | 01:31 | 01:41 |
| Dominos | Franks Red Hot Dip | 21 | 00:02 | 00:02 | 00:03 |
| Dominos | Domino’s Cookies | 694 | 01:22 | 01:34 | 01:43 |
| Dominos | Lotta-chocca Pizza | 828 | 01:38 | 01:52 | 02:03 |
| Chipotle | Burrito | 940 | 01:52 | 02:07 | 02:20 |
| Chipotle | Burrito Bowl | 620 | 01:14 | 01:23 | 01:32 |
| Chipotle | Three Tacos | 870 | 01:43 | 01:57 | 02:10 |
| Chipotle | Keto Salad Bowl | 585 | 01:09 | 01:19 | 01:27 |
| Chipotle | Vegan Bowl | 595 | 01:11 | 01:20 | 01:29 |
| Chipotle | Vegetarian Bowl | 805 | 01:36 | 01:49 | 02:00 |
| Chipotle | Protein Bump Bowl | 840 | 01:40 | 01:53 | 02:05 |
| Nandos | Boneless Chicken Thighs Meal | 1426 | 02:50 | 03:13 | 03:33 |
| Nandos | 1/2 Chicken | 1288 | 02:33 | 02:54 | 03:12 |
| Nandos | Whole Chicken | 1856 | 03:41 | 04:11 | 04:37 |
| Nandos | Sunset Burger | 1402 | 02:47 | 03:09 | 03:29 |
| Nandos | Grilled Chicken Wrap | 1257 | 02:30 | 02:50 | 03:08 |
| Nandos | Grilled Chicken Pitta | 1205 | 02:24 | 02:43 | 03:00 |
| Nandos | Spiced Chickpea Burger | 1254 | 02:29 | 02:49 | 03:07 |
| Nandos | Portobello Mushroom & Halloumi Pitta | 1323 | 02:38 | 02:59 | 03:17 |
| Nandos | Choc-A-Lot Cake | 666 | 01:19 | 01:30 | 01:39 |
| Nandos | Gooey Caramel Cheesecake | 462 | 00:55 | 01:02 | 01:09 |
| Burger King | Whopper Meal | 1276 | 02:32 | 02:52 | 03:10 |
| Burger King | Double Whopper Meal | 1515 | 03:01 | 03:25 | 03:46 |
| Burger King | Katsu Chilli Whopper Meal | 1595 | 03:10 | 03:36 | 03:58 |
| Burger King | Bacon Double XL Meal | 1552 | 03:05 | 03:30 | 03:52 |
| Burger King | Steakhouse Angus Meal | 1452 | 02:53 | 03:16 | 03:37 |
| Burger King | Chicken Royale Meal | 1242 | 02:28 | 02:48 | 03:05 |
| Burger King | Katsu Chicken Royale Meal | 1326 | 02:38 | 02:59 | 03:18 |
| Burger King | Plant Based Whopper Meal | 1197 | 02:23 | 02:42 | 02:59 |
| Burger King | Plant based Katsu Chilli Whopper Meal | 1385 | 02:45 | 03:07 | 03:27 |
| Burger King | Double Cheeseburger Meal | 1061 | 02:06 | 02:23 | 02:38 |
| Subway | Italian B.M.T | 1095 | 02:10 | 02:28 | 02:43 |
| Subway | Steak and Cheese | 1008 | 02:00 | 02:16 | 02:30 |
| Subway | Meatball Marinara | 1193 | 02:22 | 02:41 | 02:58 |
| Subway | Meatless Meatball Marinara | 1045 | 02:04 | 02:21 | 02:36 |
| Subway | Chicken Tikka | 861 | 01:42 | 01:56 | 02:08 |
| Subway | Tuna | 1025 | 02:02 | 02:18 | 02:33 |
| Subway | Chicken & Bacon | 980 | 01:57 | 02:12 | 02:26 |
| Subway | Chicken Teriyaki | 940 | 01:52 | 02:07 | 02:20 |
| Subway | Veggie Delite | 767 | 01:31 | 01:43 | 01:54 |
| Subway | Steak and Cheese Salad | 468 | 00:55 | 01:03 | 01:10 |
| Subway | Meatless Meatball Marinara Salad | 499 | 00:59 | 01:07 | 01:14 |
| Subway | Mega Meat Salad | 736 | 01:27 | 01:39 | 01:50 |
| Generic | Fish and Chips | 1086 | 02:09 | 02:27 | 02:42 |
| Generic | Kebab, Pitta and Salad | 2000 | 03:59 | 04:30 | 04:59 |
| Generic | Chicken Vindaloo Curry & Rice | 960 | 01:54 | 02:10 | 02:23 |
| Generic | Spring rolls, egg fried rice, sweet and sour chicken | 2184 | 04:21 | 04:55 | 05:26 |
| Generic | Prawn Crackers | 600 | 01:11 | 01:21 | 01:29 |
| Wagamama | teriyaki vegan ‘chicken’ ramen | 813 | 01:37 | 01:50 | 02:01 |
| Wagamama | spicy vegan short ‘rib’ ramen | 728 | 01:27 | 01:38 | 01:48 |
| Wagamama | teriyaki beef donburi | 842 | 01:40 | 01:54 | 02:05 |
| Wagamama | teriyaki chicken donburi | 738 | 01:28 | 01:39 | 01:50 |
| Wagamama | grilled duck donburi | 1282 | 02:33 | 02:53 | 03:11 |
| Wagamamas | no duck donburi | 503 | 01:00 | 01:08 | 01:15 |
| Wagamama | yaki soba | 819 | 01:37 | 01:50 | 02:02 |
| Wagamama | yasai yaki soba | 785 | 01:33 | 01:46 | 01:57 |
| Wagamama | prawn raisukaree | 1035 | 02:03 | 02:20 | 02:34 |
| Wagamama | firecracker prawn | 1067 | 02:07 | 02:24 | 02:39 |
| Wagamama | firecracker tofu | 1208 | 02:24 | 02:43 | 03:00 |
| Wagamama | vegatsu | 1191 | 02:22 | 02:41 | 02:58 |
| Wagamama | chicken katsu curry | 998 | 01:59 | 02:15 | 02:29 |
| Wagamama | hot chicken katsu curry | 1089 | 02:10 | 02:27 | 02:42 |
| Wagamama | teriyaki chicken hiyashi bowl | 530 | 01:03 | 01:11 | 01:19 |
| Wagamama | raisukaree tofu | 1168 | 02:19 | 02:38 | 02:54 |
Methodology
We collected nutritional information from the UK’s favourite restaurants, takeaways and fast-food chains. Each full meal was accompanied by a full sugar drink to keep the results fair.
Where a meal deal was applicable the values of the additional items were added to the calorie count. Dominios Pizza calories were based on 3 people sharing.
We then collected information from the ONS to get the average height and weight of a person in the UK (5ft 9 and 83.6kg).
We then used this data on Bupa’s energy-burning calculator to get the calories burned per hour for Running (502 calories), Walking (443 calories) and Swimming (401 calories). We then calculated and ranked the data.
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TK-Fitness is run By Toby King, a Personal Trainer from Cardiff that provides his clients with workout routines, dietary advice and motivation to hit their personal goals.