Restaurant portions vary substantially by cuisine, dish, city, and restaurant type. In measurements collected from 2011–2014, non-chain restaurant meals averaged 689 grams and 1,205 gross kilocalories, while a multinational study collected in 2014–2017 found lower weighted mean energy in China than in the U.S. comparison. The figures below describe measured meals and menu trends; they are not dietary advice.
Contents
- Restaurant meal benchmarks
- Mexican and American portions
- Chinese and Italian portions
- Japanese, Thai, Indian, and Greek portions
- Vietnamese portions and energy density
- Country, restaurant type, and long-term trends
Restaurant meal benchmarks
The multisite study, Energy Contents of Frequently Ordered Restaurant Meals and Comparison with Human Energy Requirements and US Department of Agriculture Database Information: A Multisite Randomized Study, measured dinner-sized takeout entrées and accompanying sides from non-chain restaurants in Boston, San Francisco, and Little Rock during 2011–2014. Drinks, appetizers, and desserts were excluded. Across those meals, the average was 1,205 ± 465 gross kcal, with a measured range of 113 to 3,008 gross kcal. Average portion weight was 689 ± 261 g, and average energy density was 1.87 ± 0.68 kcal/g. (Source: multisite randomized study)
Ninety-two percent of the measured non-chain meals exceeded 570 kcal. Entrées supplied an average of 1,000 ± 430 kcal. Sides accompanied 49% of meals and contributed 398 ± 26 kcal when present. These numbers describe the sampled order structure, so a meal with a side is not directly comparable with an entrée-only order. (Source: multisite randomized study)
The three highest-energy cuisine groups in that sample were American, Italian, and Chinese, which averaged 1,485 kcal per meal. Average meal portions also differed by city: 737 g in Boston, 679 g in San Francisco, and 644 g in Little Rock. Those city figures are sample averages, not universal serving standards for every restaurant in each location. (Source: multisite randomized study)
Mexican and American portions
Mexican meals averaged 1,110 ± 372 kcal, 578 ± 312 g, and 2.21 ± 0.83 kcal/g across the three U.S. sites. Individual dishes showed how much the meal format mattered. Chicken fajitas averaged 1,434 ± 304 kcal and 899 ± 266 g, while cheese quesadillas averaged 1,025 ± 285 kcal and 399 ± 197 g. Beef tacos averaged 872 ± 284 kcal and 436 ± 172 g. (Source: multisite randomized study)
| Measured dish or cuisine | Energy | Portion weight | Energy density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken fajitas | 1,434 ± 304 kcal | 899 ± 266 g | 1.65 ± 0.33 kcal/g |
| Cheese quesadillas | 1,025 ± 285 kcal | 399 ± 197 g | 2.90 ± 1.04 kcal/g |
| Beef tacos | 872 ± 284 kcal | 436 ± 172 g | 2.07 ± 0.32 kcal/g |
| American-cuisine meals | 1,451 ± 400 kcal | 591 ± 180 g | 2.51 ± 0.42 kcal/g |
| Cheeseburgers | 1,412 ± 305 kcal | 543 ± 110 g | 2.62 ± 0.28 kcal/g |
American-cuisine meals averaged 1,451 ± 400 kcal, 591 ± 180 g, and 2.51 ± 0.42 kcal/g. Within that group, ribeye-steak meals averaged 1,726 ± 420 kcal and 749 ± 198 g; cheeseburgers averaged 1,412 ± 305 kcal and 543 ± 110 g; and grilled chicken sandwiches averaged 1,216 ± 301 kcal and 481 ± 87 g. (Source: multisite randomized study)
The chicken-fajita averages also varied by city. Boston meals averaged 1,324 ± 373 kcal and 1,013 ± 420 g, while San Francisco meals averaged 1,411 ± 169 kcal and 818 ± 112 g. The measured energy values were similar even though the reported average weights differed. (Source: multisite randomized study)
Chinese and Italian portions
Chinese-cuisine meals averaged 1,478 ± 525 kcal, 737 ± 179 g, and 2.01 ± 0.57 kcal/g. General Tso’s chicken averaged 1,894 ± 440 kcal and 762 ± 171 g, while pork fried rice averaged 1,571 ± 189 kcal and 732 ± 109 g. Beef-and-broccoli meals averaged 970 ± 408 kcal and 717 ± 241 g, with an energy density of 1.34 ± 0.29 kcal/g. (Source: multisite randomized study)
The Chinese meal averages differed notably between two sampled cities. Little Rock meals averaged 1,725 ± 495 kcal and 873 ± 208 g, compared with 1,228 ± 490 kcal and 625 ± 124 g in San Francisco. The study’s city-level results therefore show variation within the cuisine category as well as between cuisines. (Source: multisite randomized study)
Italian-cuisine meals averaged 1,556 ± 492 kcal, 848 ± 236 g, and 1.90 ± 0.57 kcal/g. Fettuccini Alfredo averaged 1,754 ± 582 kcal and 778 ± 190 g, lasagna averaged 1,422 ± 422 kcal and 777 ± 214 g, and spaghetti and meatballs averaged 1,492 ± 434 kcal and 988 ± 250 g. Spaghetti and meatballs had the largest average weight among those three Italian dishes, while Fettuccini Alfredo had the highest average energy. (Source: multisite randomized study)
Japanese, Thai, Indian, and Greek portions
Japanese-cuisine meals averaged 945 ± 376 kcal, 750 ± 256 g, and 1.37 ± 0.56 kcal/g. Chicken teriyaki averaged 1,041 ± 396 kcal and 782 ± 285 g. Beef yaki udon averaged 706 ± 202 kcal and 838 ± 164 g, producing a reported energy density of 0.89 ± 0.36 kcal/g. Vegetable tempura averaged 1,094 ± 393 kcal and 633 ± 275 g. (Source: multisite randomized study)
Thai-cuisine meals averaged 1,163 ± 341 kcal, 710 ± 138 g, and 1.66 ± 0.47 kcal/g. Chicken pad Thai alone averaged 1,477 ± 235 kcal, 691 ± 113 g, and 2.16 ± 0.28 kcal/g. Indian-cuisine meals averaged 1,250 ± 324 kcal, 690 ± 148 g, and 1.85 ± 0.50 kcal/g. (Source: multisite randomized study)
Greek-cuisine meals averaged 904 ± 413 kcal, 497 ± 196 g, and 1.85 ± 0.63 kcal/g. Greek salad averaged 581 ± 331 kcal, 444 ± 139 g, and 1.26 ± 0.48 kcal/g. The Greek cuisine average was the lightest by reported portion weight among the cuisine averages listed in this section, although the reported standard deviation indicates substantial variation within the sample. (Source: multisite randomized study)
Vietnamese portions and energy density
Vietnamese-cuisine meals averaged 984 ± 347 kcal, 904 ± 375 g, and 1.23 ± 0.51 kcal/g across the three sites. Beef pho averaged 854 ± 350 kcal and 1,324 ± 231 g, giving it a reported energy density of 0.62 ± 0.20 kcal/g. Pork vermicelli averaged 936 ± 385 kcal and 615 ± 216 g, while lemongrass chicken averaged 1,178 ± 223 kcal and 762 ± 183 g. (Source: multisite randomized study)
Beef pho was the lowest-energy-density dish among the listed Vietnamese dishes at 0.62 ± 0.20 kcal/g. Its large average weight and lower energy density illustrate why portion weight and calorie total do not move in lockstep: a heavier meal can contain less energy per gram than a smaller, denser dish. (Source: multisite randomized study)
City-level Vietnamese results also varied. Beef pho averaged 950 ± 176 kcal and 1,365 ± 142 g in Boston, compared with 861 ± 351 kcal and 1,341 ± 252 g in San Francisco. Vietnamese meals averaged 1,031 ± 330 kcal and 921 ± 362 g in San Francisco, versus 822 ± 515 kcal and 825 ± 417 g in Little Rock. (Source: multisite randomized study)
The all-city Vietnamese meal average was 904 g, 215 g heavier than the all-city Greek average of 497 g. That comparison concerns measured averages from the same multisite study and does not mean every Vietnamese meal is heavier than every Greek meal. (Source: multisite randomized study)
Country, restaurant type, and long-term trends
The multinational cross-sectional study, Measured energy content of frequently purchased restaurant meals: multi-country cross-sectional study, collected non-U.S. meals in 2014–2017 and compared them with U.S. data collected earlier. China’s weighted mean restaurant-meal energy was 719 kcal, with a 95% confidence interval of 646–799 kcal. The U.S. comparison was 1,088 kcal, with a 95% confidence interval of 1,002–1,181 kcal. (Source: BMJ multi-country study)
Restaurant type also mattered in that multinational analysis. Fast-food meals contained 33% less energy than full-service meals. Ninety-four percent of full-service meals contained at least 600 kcal, compared with 72% of fast-food meals. Finnish worksite-canteen meals averaged 880 ± 156 kcal, while Finnish full-service and fast-food restaurant meals combined averaged 1,166 ± 298 kcal. Meal weight explained part of the energy variation, with a reported association of R² = 0.53. (Source: BMJ multi-country study)
Longer-term U.S. fast-food menu measurements cover 1986–2016. The study Fast-Food Offerings in the United States in 1986, 1991, and 2016 Show Large Increases in Food Variety, Portion Size, Dietary Energy, and Selected Micronutrients reported that the number of entrée, side, and dessert offerings across 10 U.S. fast-food restaurants increased 226%. These are menu-category trends, not a single standardized serving-size series. (Source: fast-food trend study)
Across that period, U.S. fast-food entrée portion sizes increased by 13 g per decade, while dessert portion sizes increased by 24 g per decade. Dessert energy increased by 62 kcal per decade. The study also reported an increase of 4.6 percentage points of Daily Value per decade for entrée sodium, 1.2 percentage points of Daily Value per decade for entrée calcium, and 3.9 percentage points of Daily Value per decade for dessert calcium. (Source: fast-food trend study)