People usually think that sitting down for dinner at a full-service restaurant may be healthier than a burger and fries, but a recent survey suggested wherever one goes out to eat, he/she ends up consuming an average of 200 more calories than if you eat at home.

In the survey, researchers analyzed the 2003-2010 data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey that involved more than 18,000 Americans.

According to a paper published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, restaurant outings appear to be less healthy than eating at a fast food outlet. The survey showed that people might be taking in more nutrients but they tend to consume more sodium and cholesterol.

University of Illinois researcher Ruopeng An, said, "You may be at higher risk of overeating in full-service restaurant than eating fast food. Dietary behavior is influenced by eating environment and various factors including longer dining time and greater variety contribute to excess calorie intake at full-service restaurant".

A separate paper in Public Health Nutrition published in August came to similar conclusions. The researchers noted that increase in calorie intake at restaurants was higher for those with middle incomes than for people with high incomes. It was also higher for black adults than for whites or Hispanics.

Findings of another study have shown that meals at individual and small chain restaurants contained two to three times what an average adult needs.

RuopengAn said people usually do not have much information about the food served at full-service restaurants. No one knows whether restaurant food is healthier or better than fast food or the food made and eaten at home.