Restaurants should post calories

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maryd523
maryd523 Posts: 661 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I have been somewhat frustrated the last couple times I go out to eat. I always ask for the nutritional information and usually they tell me to go online.

This just seems wrong. You wouldn't be expected to go online to check information before buying a can of soup, so why is it so difficult to find out which meal is going to be healthiest?

Some restaurants have the calories content listed right under the menu item, next to the price, and that is WONDERFUL. How great would it be if every restaurant had to do that? A significant amount of people would probably change their orders depending on it, and restaurants would be inclined to provide healthier options.

Maybe someday....
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Replies

  • Barneystinson
    Barneystinson Posts: 1,357 Member
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    People still order crap regardless.


    BUT...

    As someone who doesn't order crap, I agree it'd be nice to see.
  • barbiex3
    barbiex3 Posts: 1,036 Member
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    Story of my life. I used to be an out to eat junkie!! but now I only order the things on the menu labeled as under 550. Most places will have low cal or carb options listed. If they dont, then salad without dressing!! haha
  • tracivee
    tracivee Posts: 56 Member
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    I think it would be nice to have it available upon request, but to mandate that is ridiculous. When you go to a restaurant, you know what is healthy and what is not. I think it's perfectly reasonable to have the info online. Many people have internet on their phone. For those who do not--plan ahead or go with the salad. :)
  • RoseCoreling
    RoseCoreling Posts: 55 Member
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    I totally agree!! I said this a few weeks ago in my nutrition class-I'm sure people would definitely appreciate seeing the nutritional info underneath/next to the listed menu item. When we go out to eat, I usually have to either-look online before we go, or when we get there hop on my droid and look at the nutrition info before I order. It's kind of a hassle and would SO much easier if they posted it on the menu!
  • chubswonky
    chubswonky Posts: 195
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    They do in New York! :)
  • AmyBMelt13
    AmyBMelt13 Posts: 20
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    Red Lobster has the calories on their menus!!! It's awesome.
  • LikeNoOneElse84
    LikeNoOneElse84 Posts: 475 Member
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    I agree. I would love to see the basic nutritional values posted. Even McDonalds now does it so you would think the "nicer" restaurants would do it.
  • crazymama2two
    crazymama2two Posts: 867
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    by the middle of 2012 around here anyways (New England) there is going to be law stating that they have to put their nutritional info on the menu...*squeee* very excited.
  • CARNAT22
    CARNAT22 Posts: 764 Member
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    I think it would be nice to have it available upon request, but to mandate that is ridiculous. When you go to a restaurant, you know what is healthy and what is not. I think it's perfectly reasonable to have the info online. Many people have internet on their phone. For those who do not--plan ahead or go with the salad. :)

    I kind of agree.

    If I decide to opt for something that will take me way over my calories then that is my problem.

    I know enough about food and nutrition to know that going for a creamy pasta dish with bread on the side is going to be much more calorific than a chicken dish with salad.
  • maryd523
    maryd523 Posts: 661 Member
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    I think it would be nice to have it available upon request, but to mandate that is ridiculous. When you go to a restaurant, you know what is healthy and what is not. I think it's perfectly reasonable to have the info online. Many people have internet on their phone. For those who do not--plan ahead or go with the salad. :)

    I have to strongly disagree with you. I worked at a popular Italian restaurant for years and some of the options you think are "healthiest" are extremely high-calorie with sodium sky-high.

    Maybe it would be "ridiculous" to mandate nutritional information if we were a nation of fit, slim, healthy people. But we are not. We are fat. So maybe providing some information, which in no way infringes upon any rights whatsoever, is a good start.

    P.S. Besides, knowledge is power. It's always better to have the information and then choose whether to ignore it, then to not have it at all.
  • ChitownFoodie
    ChitownFoodie Posts: 1,562 Member
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    Theres a lot of restaurants in Chicago that already do that. Actually, by the end of the year, any chain restaurant that has more than 20 restaurants are required to. I eat out every single day because my job has a lot of lunch meetings. I haven't had one issue with it. I actually think I have mastered the art of staying under calories while still being a full fledged foodie.
  • Kolohe71
    Kolohe71 Posts: 613 Member
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    by the middle of 2012 around here anyways (New England) there is going to be law stating that they have to put their nutritional info on the menu...*squeee* very excited.
    California has this for fast food, but sit down type restaurants aren't required to post. Although, I expect this to change soon.
  • jodazary
    jodazary Posts: 144 Member
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    starting in 2014 all resturants will have to have nutrition info readily available either on the menu or in the restuarant in form of a pamplet but that is still 3 years away any fast food place i have been in will give you a pamplet with all the info if you ask except subway wonder what they are hiding? logans ( for those of you who have them ) wont even provide the info on line i emailed em and was told it was not available
  • mindy14456
    mindy14456 Posts: 552 Member
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    I agree, I do a lot of planning before I go out, going online to look at the menu and nutritional information. Would be so great if it was right there, so you didn't have to plan but could go out spur of the moment.
  • kaaatielove
    kaaatielove Posts: 248 Member
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    They do in New York! :)

    My dietician and I were talking about this topic the other day and she mentioned that in New York it is a law to provide atleast the Calories next to a menu item.. Her daughter works in times square at TGI Fridays and the nutritional info is on their menu.. I think it's a great idea and it shouldnt be just New York that mandates it..
    On another note... If i know im going to a restaurant- i always check online before I go and get a good idea of what i would want to order.. It helps!
  • bstamps12
    bstamps12 Posts: 1,184
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    I have mixed feelings with how much it would help the average person if calories were posted. So the dish is 900 calories? What does that mean? Unfortunately the average person has no clue how many calories they should be eating so besides seeing the dishes relative to each other, it doesn't give them the info they need.

    That said, it would help me! And my wonderful MFP friends and other health conscious people who like to enjoy a nice dinner and know how many calories we can eat within a healthy range. I think if they can post it online, can't they have a flyer at the restaurant that I can look at? Is that really so hard? I don't have a smartphone so I can't get online after I leave my house and if I am already out of the house and decide to eat out, I have no way of knowing exactly how many calories I am ordering until I have eaten it and get back home. (Yes, I know what is generally healthy but I hate caloric surprises and they are all too common!)
  • jrueckert
    jrueckert Posts: 355 Member
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    The FDA is passing a new requirement that large restaurant chains will have to list calories right on the menu like they do in NY
  • RoseCoreling
    RoseCoreling Posts: 55 Member
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    I think it would be nice to have it available upon request, but to mandate that is ridiculous. When you go to a restaurant, you know what is healthy and what is not. I think it's perfectly reasonable to have the info online. Many people have internet on their phone. For those who do not--plan ahead or go with the salad. :)

    I disagree. With larger than life portions nowadays and a growing obesity epidemic, by posting nutritional information can potentially help someone who is unaware make better decisions. Also, you don't necessarily "know" what is healthy vs. not-Especially at a restaurant. One might see "grilled vegetables" listed on a menu, thinking it's a healthy option, but little do they know, the grilled veggies are grilled in a bunch of clarified butter. One can't always calorically judge a menu item based on the description.
  • nextrightthing
    nextrightthing Posts: 408 Member
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    I would love to see it posted on the menu. You still totally have the choice of choosing what ever you want....if you want to order the higher calorie items then okay. Sometimes food items you think would be a good choice aren't when you see the actual nutritional info for the item. You can see all the nutritional info on items in the grocery store and I always check that out before I buy an item.
  • CaptainGordo
    CaptainGordo Posts: 4,437 Member
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    I think it would be nice to have it available upon request, but to mandate that is ridiculous. When you go to a restaurant, you know what is healthy and what is not. I think it's perfectly reasonable to have the info online. Many people have internet on their phone. For those who do not--plan ahead or go with the salad. :)

    I have to strongly disagree with you. I worked at a popular Italian restaurant for years and some of the options you think are "healthiest" are extremely high-calorie with sodium sky-high.

    Maybe it would be "ridiculous" to mandate nutritional information if we were a nation of fit, slim, healthy people. But we are not. We are fat. So maybe providing some information, which in no way infringes upon any rights whatsoever, is a good start.
    It infringes on the rights of the business owner, and creates a burden on them. Nobody has to eat at a place that doesn't post the nutritional content. Let's let the business owners choose how they run their business, and the consumers choose who they patronize. The free market will always result in better products and service than any government mandate will. Yes, obesity is a problem in the United States, but it is not the government's responsibility to be our nanny. Remember, as we cede our rights to the government in the name of protecting us, we lose more of our liberties (as entrepreneurs and consumers). Time to take care of ourselves, and not depend on the government. Tell me... what has the government done well that private business doesn't do better? Health care for vets? The postal system? Yeesh...

    In a nutshell... if you don't like that a place doesn't post their nutrition facts (which could be way off anyway, depending on who is cooking that night), don't patronize that business.

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