McDonald's Isn't the Only One Feeding You 2,000-Calorie Meals

It's easy to devour your daily nutritional allotment at seemingly healthy fast-casual restaurants such as Chipotle and Potbelly.

A Chipotle burrito. (Photo: 'The Boston Globe'/Getty Images)

Dec 22, 2014· 1 MIN READ

Culture and education editor Liz Dwyer has written about race, parenting, and social justice for several national publications. She was previously education editor at Good.

Which meal would you rather eat: a Big Mac and fries from McDonald's or a burrito from Chipotle? With sales under the Golden Arches slumping in the past few months, it's clear that many consumers are ditching traditional burger chains in favor of healthier options. Given our sky-high obesity rates, that seems like a good thing—except that it turns out that chowing down on a day's worth of calories and sodium isn't all that difficult at most fast-casual eateries.

"Call these chains high-end fast food: Potbelly, Chipotle and Shake Shack have all succeeded in attracting customers who avoid the Burger Kings of the world. Potbelly emphasizes 'fresh, simple ingredients.' Chipotle says its food is locally grown and nutritious. Shake Shack has Danny Meyer’s imprimatur," wrote Josh Barro, Troy Griggs, David Leonhardt, and Claire Cain Miller at The New York Times.

In a brilliant series of images, the Times reveals how easily the calorie count adds up. A meal of a Carnitas burrito from Chipotle is 945 calories, nearly half the nutritional allotment of the average person. Throw in an order of chips and guacamole (770 calories) and a Coke (276 calories), and you're maxed out for the day.

The authors also look at the nutritional impact of ordering meals from other restaurants, such as IHOP, Olive Garden, P.F. Chang's, and Maggiano's Little Italy. Most diners will assume that if they order a slice of cake from Maggiano's, it's not a low-cal treat. But the calorie wallop that breakfast at IHOP packs is particularly surprising. The chain's Classic Skillet meal with sausage is 1,880 calories. Add a glass of orange juice (110 calories), and the daily allotment of calories is on a diner's doorstep.

Of course, you don't have to order the Classic Skillet meal at IHOP, the Carnitas burrito at Chipotle, or the large serving of fries at McDonald's. The authors note that, for example, choosing Chipotle's best-selling burrito bowl can help a consumer eliminate the 300-calorie flour tortilla. "But unless you’re going out of your way to minimize calories at these restaurants, you’re likely to eat far more than a meal is supposed to have," they wrote.