Five family restaurants, compared

Gusto, Saizeriya, Denny’s, Jonathan’s and Royal Host differ clearly in average calories and how easy a light meal is.

Two clear groups

Meal items average 590 kcal at Gusto, 555 at Jonathan’s and 595 at Royal Host, versus 436 at Saizeriya and 412 at Denny’s. Under-500-kcal choices make up 64% of Denny’s menu and 57% of Saizeriya’s, but only about 40% at the other three.

Why the low averages

Saizeriya and Denny’s list many small plates, so a two-or-three-dish order lands near the others. Judge by the total — our calculator adds it up.

Salt tells a different story

Average salt per item: Jonathan’s 2.9 g and Gusto 2.3 g versus Denny’s 1.5 g, Royal Host 1.7 g, Saizeriya 1.8 g. Lower calories do not imply lower salt.

Figures in this article are aggregated from the 30,399 items across 191 chains we publish (as of 2026-09-18). Reference values follow Japan’s Dietary Reference Intakes (2020).

Written by

Okazaemon (runs tabecal)

Sales job, late twenties. Lost 18 kg over three years without giving up eating out, with one rule: 20 g+ protein and 10 g or less fat per meal. Checks every chain’s officially published nutrition data daily. Not a nutrition professional — consult a doctor or dietitian for medical decisions. About the operator →

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