Nutritional Info at Restaurants

TNGirlyGirl

Okay, so this may be a bit of a rant, but for the THIRD time in less than two weeks, I've gone out to eat and asked for nutritional information, and the servers couldn't provide it!! WTH???? With as many people who are watching their diets (for a variety of reasons) you'd think restaurants would be able to provide this!!!

I'm not only eating to lose weight, but I also have food allergies and some places won't/can't tell me what their ingredients are so I can make informed decisions. I know which restaurants I can't even walk into...but I've been surprised a few times by having an allergic reaction because servers give me inaccurate information.

Does anyone else have this problem? Maybe we should start a list of restaurants that won't work with us and boycott them until they provide us with the nutritional info we deserve!!!

Rant over, but I won't be eating at Buddy's BBQ for a long time!!!!

mandycox1301

I totally agree with you. It should be mandatory that ALL restruants have a guide!!!!! Semolinas doesnt do it either and the waiter tried telling me that my lunch portion of chicken roban with zucchini had 2000 calories in it!!! I was pissed!!!

waverly9876

I have asked servers before and they usually give you the blank stare. I now go online before I eat and type in the restaurant and see if they have nutrition. I even emailed corporate Mellow Mushroom and asked them if they had it. They emailed me back saying that they were getting it soon. Maybe do that with the restaurant u love going to. :-) Good luck!

mandycox1301

Oh sorry bad word....:happy:

dayzeerock

Where do you live?! Most states have that as a LAW now that food establishments must POST their nutritional and dietary information for all restaurants and locations....sorry you're having such a hard time finding information where you live...that really sucks...not even restaurant management or the chefs are able to assist you??

WildflowerAL

I have found it helpful to on on-line before I go out to eat to look up nutritional information. It helps me decide what to order before I get there and keeps me from being tempted to order not so healthly options.

jhardenbergh

I always look on the web before I leave the house to go out. Outback is my favorite for eating out. A lot of healthy options. Most restaurants will alter the way the cook it too, if they can. I always ask for my steak to be cooked no butter just a little seasoning. If you have the mobile ap, you could always look up what you'd like to get on MFP before you decide.

mariapuhl

I know no restaurants here that are small and not chains don't have the nutritional information..... I don't think boycotting those types of places would change anything.

But most of the chains have them online, which is good.

penny39

I know I was told they have to have their food tested and many restaurants if they are a small chain or mom and pop place can't afford to do it . At least that's the excuse I was given at one restaurant. Don't know if it's true or an excuse. I wish more places would give the information also.

Losing2Live69

I went to a restaurant this past Sunday called Grindstone Charlie's. They didn't have nutritional information. I ordered lemon pepper salmon...which came served on a small amount of rice. My 2 sides were cole slaw and a house salad. They didn't offer any low cal dressing so I got ranch. I cannot eat a salad without dressing. There wasn't any nutritional info on the net either. So...I looked up each item and it came out to over 700 calories! I won't be back there! I thought I got something healthy, but when it was all calculated I ate half of my calories in one meal! I know what you mean by getting frustrated when a restaurant doesn't have nutritional info available. My nephew is allergic to dairy and gluten. My sister finds it hard to take him out to eat. Olive Garden is always happy to provide nutritional info, so does Applebee's. However, Applebee's food is loaded with sodium. I think restaurants should be required to provide it.

concordancia

I just tried to look up dinner for the evening and the restaurant we ate at has a "nutrition" website that tells us how important nutrition is to them, but not one iota of nutritional information on what they serve.

As for allergies, yes, servers are unlikely to know the minute details of what is in the food, but they should be willing to ask. However, any restaurant with premade ingredients will have to read through the list - not always possible if a bag was taken out of a box and the box was immediately broken down to make room. I don't think the other diners want their server going through the trash! Basically, unless it is a restaurant known to be accommodating, you are taking your life in your hands if you ask other people to prepare your food. I have heard stories of waitstaff adding whatever the customer was allergic to. Immature waitstaff is pretty infamous for what they will do to customer's food and at that level of maturity, they aren't really thinking of the consequences of allergies.

TNGirlyGirl

Where do you live?! Most states have that as a LAW now that food establishments must POST their nutritional and dietary information for all restaurants and locations....sorry you're having such a hard time finding information where you live...that really sucks...not even restaurant management or the chefs are able to assist you??

Unfortunately, the law only requires nutritional information be provided if restaurants claim that their menu items are "low fat" or "low sodium", etc. The FDA doesn't require restaurants to post or even provide nutritional data for regular menu items.

I've tried googling the data, or looking it up in our database, but it's not always possible when I'm on the run.

ANeWcRe8N

I also agree... I went to a restaurant today and unfortunately I have no idea how many calories to log :ohwell: I think every restaurant should have nutritional info available!

KayakAngel

So get this - I did what I was supposed to and looked up my lunch before I got to the Backyard Burger window in Franklin, TN (their info IS on the net, so cool). I ordered the Hawaiian chicken sandwich. They tell me that they no longer put pineapple on the sandwich; they use a pineapple SAUCE. They ask me if that's okay. I said, no, gross - you know the sauce had to be high in fat. I ended up ordering the next best chicken sandwich for 100 calories more than I planned. Sorry to tag onto your rant, but why do restaurants insist on taking a good semi-healthy thing and ruining it???

christine24t

I believe that chain's should have nutritional information, but it would be almost impossible for mom-and-pop restaurants to do that.

mattbryan

Grassroots efforts......

We need to all continually ask each restaurant we frequent for nutritional info. The more people ask, the more restaurants will be willing to provide the info. Forget the negative boycott efforts. You will naturally gravitate tot he places that you like or that meet your needs. If your wait staff gives you a blank stare, then ask for a manager. Tell him/her that you love the menu, but would appreciate being able to make informed nutritional decisions. A little positive reenforcement goes a long way.

Rage_Phish

My family owns a restaurant and have nutritional info pages available by request! We might get 1 person a month who asks for one, but we got em.