Research finds high calorie rates at restaurants

There are an average of 1,128 calories in a Canadian sit-down restaurant meal, according to new research.
Scientists at the University of Toronto examined the calories, sodium, fat and cholesterol levels of nearly 700 main courses and more than 150 desserts in 19 sit-down restaurants across Canada to come to the figure, according to the Daily Mail.
The UK’s chief medical officer recommends most people should consume around 2,000 to 2,500 calories a day – meaning these meals contain around half of their daily intake.
Additionally, the average meal contains 151 per cent of the daily recommended amount of sodium, 83 per cent of saturated and trans fats and 60 per cent of cholesterol.
Mary Scourboutakos, a PhD student who worked on the study, said: “It’s important to note that all meal categories had a wide range of calories, so even within the lowest ranking category, which was salads, there were still some salads that contained up to 1,370 calories.”
Surf and turf meals are ranked as the highest calorie meal types, with the average dish containing 1,662 calories – significantly more than half of the daily amount needed.