Calories posted on menus, would it influence how you order?

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  • jujubean1992
    jujubean1992 Posts: 462 Member
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    i would! i cringe when i log foods i think have more than 300 cals.
  • kelsully
    kelsully Posts: 1,008 Member
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    Oh and on the ice cream front. I am a long distance runner...I love ice cream in the summer and I almost always have the calories for it when we do have ice cream. If we go out for ice cream I know how many calories I have left and it influences my choices. Did I run 15 miles and need to make up 1000 calories to be over 0 net calories...if so then I won't get something huge and glutenous but I might get the peanut butter topping....if I only have 300-500 I might only get one scoop of something with no toppings etc...if I only have 150-250 for ice cream I take a few tastes from my kid that can't finish her ice cream anyway...so even when having ice cream I like to know what I am getting...
  • Janet39
    Janet39 Posts: 280 Member
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    I would love it, It may influence my choice or maybe only stop me going for pudding. But I would love to have the choice :)
  • RobinV_Seattle
    RobinV_Seattle Posts: 191 Member
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    Yes - sort of.

    I rarely select the really low-calorie item, but it helps me avoid the highest calorie items. Also, it gives me a gauge on how hard and long I'll need to work out for to make up for my calorie splurge!
  • WattsJA
    WattsJA Posts: 160 Member
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    More than just the Calories .. I would want to know the break down like this


    Calories
    ..Fat
    ....Sat. Fat
    ....Trans Fat
    ..Carbs
    ....Fiber
    ....Sugar (not necessary)
    ..Protein


    THAT information would TOTALLY make or break my ordering.
  • mosneakers
    mosneakers Posts: 343 Member
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    I would love that!!! I think it would play a big role in my "cheat" meal too. The control freak in me still wants to know exactly what I'm putting in my body (even if it is the crap that I know I shouldn't eat) :wink:

    Yes, I agree with Watts - list everything. It might be low in calories, but loaded with sodium or sugar or whatever else we're watching.

    Yesterday was a great example. I got a probiotic smoothie from Jamba Juice. The website listed the values for the 16oz. They were doable - I felt ok getting that. When I got there, they said I could get it in a 12oz size. Oh yeah, I got that - AND - I sat there for 20 min taking all the nutritional values from the 16oz and converting it to 12oz.
  • hazelnutflav
    hazelnutflav Posts: 391 Member
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    i am a true believer in home cooked meals that way i know what im eating and i control every ingredient.

    however there are those time when there is a celebration or special dinner out at a resturant since i dont go out often maybe once or twice a year then no i wont count a thing because its a special occassion so im going to have what i want including dessert.

    so since i am not a fast food person i rarely find myself in one however if i had to get something it would be a salad, nothing fried and water to drink.
  • szczepj
    szczepj Posts: 422
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    If I was stuck between two meals, definitely.
  • Qarol
    Qarol Posts: 6,171 Member
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    Heck yea, it would influence me! As it is, I check a restaurant's website before going out, to better plan what I'm going to order. Every so often, I eat out for fun and don't care about calories. But most times, I do. It would be easier if the info was there at the restaurant instead of me trying to plan ahead and look online.
  • Dtrmnd86
    Dtrmnd86 Posts: 406 Member
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    I always check calories and sodium before ordering something. We stopped at Wendy's the other day and I got mad because they don't have any calories listed. I ended up choosing what I thought was okay but it was a 360calorie snack. I won't be going there again unless it's preplanned and I can look online at what to get.
  • TubbsMcGee
    TubbsMcGee Posts: 1,058 Member
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    OF COURSE!!

    Plus it would save me so much time in having to look up the nutritional info online using my phone, while the waiter stand there...tapping his foot waiting for me to make up my mind.

    All chain restaurants in my town have nutritional pamphlets they like to hide behind the counter (which I now have a large collection of). The trouble is eating at the little Ma n' Pop shops around here where I have to ask about all the ingredients and their cooking preparation. Surprisingly, everyone is always willing to help me out.

    Arrgh why don't they just dooo it already??!! Please please please post nutritional info in the menus!
  • calliope_music
    calliope_music Posts: 1,242 Member
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    yes and no.

    it would likely affect my choice of my main entree (i'd be more apt to get a large salad for dinner or something) but maybe indulge a little in a dessert or an appetizer.

    i also like when calories are posted on menus. however, if i want a burger and fries, i'm getting a burger and fries!!
  • sleepytexan
    sleepytexan Posts: 3,138 Member
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    Calories are listed here in CA on menus of restaurants with multiple locations. Some of the smaller healthy/organic restaurants list the info voluntarily as well. It absolutely influences what I order. I scan for the numbers before I even look at the item descriptions.
  • sleepytexan
    sleepytexan Posts: 3,138 Member
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    there is a nice website, Dottie's Weight Loss Zone, that lists calorie and WW point info for hundreds of restaurants. Her website is free and it's DWLZ (dot com)

    blessings.
  • christine24t
    christine24t Posts: 6,063 Member
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    yes i always look up the menu before i go out! i am not the type of person that can pack up half a meal so i need to eat something low calorie. at applebees, i get the paradise chicken salad. it's like 350 calories.
  • rlcott2231
    rlcott2231 Posts: 11
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    Absolutely it influences me!!! I would love it if every menu supplied the info because its shocking when you look it up later and see what you really just ate, like just happened to me at lunch!
  • lclarkjr
    lclarkjr Posts: 359 Member
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    It would certainly be a factor in what I order. If I am going to a new place or even if I'm at a familiar restaurant and I can't decide between which dish I want, I can guarantee that calorie content will play a big part in deciding what to get.
  • Matiara
    Matiara Posts: 377 Member
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    My county requires that restaurants post their calories and I do look at the numbers out of curiosity, but it doesn't influence my choices. I eat out once a week for fast food when I'm running errands and once every couple of months at real restaurants, so I consider it my treat. I can make a salad and other healthy meals at home for a lot cheaper, so I don't see the point in going out for it. If I ate out daily or more often, I would probably take the numbers into consideration.

    I ate at my favorite restaurant a few months ago. I hadn't been there in more than a year and I ate half the bread in the basket on table with butter, my entree, and their chocolate lava cake a la mode for dessert (SO good!) I know it was probably close to or over 1,000 calories because I was stuffed and did not even want to look at food for about six hours, but I didn't care because it wasn't something that I do every day. I did take my Crystal Light on the go packet and asked them for a big glass of ice water to mix it in. *angelic* Anyway, I lost five pounds that week. Actually that was the last week that I lost any weight, so maybe I should stuff myself more often.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
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    A few years ago, my husband and I went to Ruby Tuesdays quite regularly. Then they added the calories to the menu. Yikes! I was comfortably maintaining my weight at the time, but I still didn't want to eat what I knew was a whole days worth of calories in one shot. So I ordered something else. And left feeling lousy and unsatisfied. And after a few more visits, we stopped going. Then they closed down. :laugh:

    I know it's not a smart or healthy way to live, but at this stage, I don't care one bit about the calorie count when I go out to eat. I don't go out regularly anymore. Maybe twice a month. A bi-weekly splurge is not going to undo the work I do the other thirteen days. I'd rather stick my head in the sand and enjoy my meal, even if it is a 2000 calorie hamburger. :drinker:
  • silkysly
    silkysly Posts: 701 Member
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    YES!....
    If I know I’m going out to a certain restaurant, I go online & preselect what I will be ordering based on calories & nutrition.

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