Restaurant mandatory list of ingredients and calories

Aegelis

What do you think of a regulation whereas restaurants would have to produce upon customer request a list of ingredients and calories for menu items? Helpful? Honest? Too much of a police state? The reason why I ask this is because I find myself trying to log calories after the fact or cannot find the information on here or online that's accurate. At my current profession, we cannot sell a product without producing a list of materials included along with potential health hazards and it's not even consumable.

edorice

I like it and I find it helpful. My daughter's are making better choices at restaurants as well. As a matter of fact, this weekend we all went out to eat at Applebee's and my daughters both picked a meal in the 300 calorie range. Mine was higher, but I shared with my husband and I had hit the treadmill that morning and burned over 600 calories.

Regmama

I would love it for the same reasons you would. I told hubby how much a McDonald's Big Mac was, he was shocked, until I told him how much his beloved Whopper was. Now he is thinking before he takes a bite into one I hate ordering salads at restaurants where I can't find calorie counts on their food which is why I try to avoid eating out on non-cheat days.

Aegelis

Maybe customer demand and competition would make it come to be instead of having to regulate it, that would be nice.

allie1904

Mcdonalds have recently done this in their restaurants here! It's on the main boards with the prices, it's scary when you realise how many cals in a mcflurry!

I think it would make people think twice.

I always look before I go out and see if the nutritionals are online anywhere, it would be helpful if it was mandatory! Maybe not on the menu itself, but avaliable if you should want it xx

bcattoes

I have mixed feelings on it. Having the information is good for making healthier choices as long as you keep in mind that those listings are based on the meals provided to regulators for examination and may vary greatly from what the cook of the day actually puts on your plate. In areas that have this requirement, having that information available hasn't proved to actually make people choose healthier options so I doubt it will have much impact on the national obesity rates.

Aegelis

Mcdonalds have recently done this in their restaurants here! It's on the main boards with the prices, it's scary when you realise how many cals in a mcflurry!

I think it would make people think twice.

I always look before I go out and see if the nutritionals are online anywhere, it would be helpful if it was mandatory! Maybe not on the menu itself, but avaliable if you should want it xx

Surprisingly a lot of people just don't care, and to their credit if there is no problem or don't feel they have a problem, why should they? For those of us who do however, I think it'd be a way to market to us instead of leaving us an untapped, fearful population.

Aegelis

I have mixed feelings on it. Having the information is good for making healthier choices as long as you keep in mind that those listings are based on the meals provided to regulators for examination and may vary greatly from what the cook of the day actually puts on your plate. In areas that have this requirement, having that information available hasn't proved to actually make people choose healthier options so I doubt it will have much impact on the national obesity rates.

Agreed on all points and well said. If they were to do it, I'd want it to be honest surely. I'd even accept "about 450 calories" or "~450cal"

cmriverside

I think the info is helpful. But misleading in most restaurants. Food is prepared by humans. Humans do't always use exact measures. Especially in busy restaurants, you can throw out those "estimates" of calories. They could be off by several hundred depending on the cook.

lottycat

I think it's really helpful and I love it when restaurants do it. It seems to be becoming more and more common too, which is great. However... I think for large chains it's fine. But for small independent restaurants it would just be a huge and time costing expense. Especially in fresh fish restaurants that can change their menus daily, if not more depending on what's been caught etc.

I don't generally think stuff like this should be regulation. Small businesses have a hard enough time competing with huge chains, with out added government interference. But as people have said above, it's a supply and demand issue - if customers want it and ask enough soon more places will end up doing it as a matter of course.

RoseNB

I do think that restaurants should have some responsibility to provide ingredients/calories. Most of my favourite local restaurants don't put it on their menu's but will tell you if you ask and have it on their websites. My favourite local cafe have a chalkboard menu and they still work out the approximate calories of the food.

ElizabethRoad

Absolutely not. It is very helpful when they provide this information, but a regulation? NO.

ASPhantom

Less regulations.

My theory is this "If you have to ask, you probably shouldn't eat there."

IfI don't know how many are in my food and I am worried about it (if I haven't worked out), I choose not to go there and cook something yummy and healthy at home.

april_beth

i wouldnt understand why people DONT want that? if it makes you mad that something has too many calories, then you probably shouldnt be eating it but it's not going to stop you if you really want it.

on the flipside, i WANT it cause im sick of trying to find nutritional values on the 'net and it's frustrating and time consuming. someone just tell me what the nubmers are so i can freakin log it please??!! it would be a damn relief in my eyes. and isnt that coming sooner rather than later??!! hurry up alreayd!

bcattoes

I think it's really helpful and I love it when restaurants do it. It seems to be becoming more and more common too, which is great. However... I think for large chains it's fine. But for small independent restaurants it would just be a huge and time costing expense. Especially in fresh fish restaurants that can change their menus daily, if not more depending on what's been caught etc.
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This is a very good point. If big brother is going to require this there should be a minimum number of restaurants in the chain for the requirement to apply.

DdoubleU77

LOL @ calories on menus = a policing state

HARDLY, besides if this is a problem for you.......................................... DON'T EAT OUT!

simple

Aegelis

I think for large chains it's fine. But for small independent restaurants it would just be a huge and time costing expense. Especially in fresh fish restaurants that can change their menus daily, if not more depending on what's been caught etc.

I don't generally think stuff like this should be regulation. Small businesses have a hard enough time competing with huge chains, with out added government interference. But as people have said above, it's a supply and demand issue - if customers want it and ask enough soon more places will end up doing it as a matter of course.

Good thoughts and sounds about right in my opinion.

Aegelis

dup post

Aegelis

LOL @ calories on menus = a policing state

HARDLY, besides if this is a problem for you.......................................... DON'T EAT OUT!

simple

Hehe, it's one of those slippery slopes that can chain react to other things. If this kind of thing is required of businesses, why don't we ask sinus infection patients to log a microbiological analysis test report before going out into the general public? (I use this test at work to show that products I've worked on are not contaminated). We laugh now but...