Small vent-- nutritional info at restaurants/estimating calo

LaurenAOK

Most restaurants barely break even. Offering nutritional info is just not a reality for a small restaurant. It is time consuming and has the potential for too much error. Big chains with standard menus that don't ever change have the capability of doing this, but their food pretty much sucks. Do your own legwork and support the independents. Requiring all restaurants to provide nutrional info would effectively shut down most of us.

and this

I don't see how this makes a difference. I do understand the potential for error, but it would be nice to have at least a rough estimate. I mean, look how easy it is to calculate a recipe with MFP - restaurants could just use something like that and have a good estimate quickly and easily. If they have a website, it would be free for them to add nutritional information to it. Or they could print one out and make a few copies to show customers when they're in the restaurant. Would cost less than 5 bucks.

Of course you don't understand. If you haven't worked or better yet owned a restaurant, you have no idea of the hours of work it entails. It is not a restaurant's job to calculate how many calories you eat. If it's so easy to calculate, then do it yourself.

Actually I worked for over a year in a small privately-owned restaurant.

I would gladly calculate it myself, except for I have absolutely no idea how much of each ingredient is in the meal. Like I said, I totally understand that there's a potential for error when restaurants calculate recipes - the chef may use a slightly different amount of butter every time, etc. - but a rough estimate would be so much better than nothing. Of course each restaurant is free to do what it wants; that's the point of owning your own restaurant, I guess. I'm just saying it would be very helpful and I do tend to favor restaurants where nutritional information is available, as others on this thread have mentioned. It's possible that adding nutritional info could even help business in that respect.

Also, this:

I think in Washington its a law that anywhere that serves food has to have the nutrional information available.

I'm not sure on the accuracy of that, but if it's true than obviously this is something that's doable. I'm pretty sure Washington has small restaurants just like everywhere else.

SweetSammie

I usually go with the higher estimate. I also try to leave a couple of hundred exercise calories. It IS frustrating, and sometimes I find myself ordering things that I think will be easier to track, especially if we are eating out for convenience, not for a celebration.

mfp_1

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http://www.fda.gov/food/labelingnutrition/ucm217762.htm

On March 23, 2010, the President signed the health care reform legislation into law. Section 4205 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 requires restaurants and similar retail food establishments with 20 or more locations to list calorie content information for standard menu items on restaurant menus and menu boards, including drive-through menu boards.
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celesteflenory

You know... I thought I was the only one frustrated by this. It actually has made me shy away from wanting to eat out. It is absurd that all of the fast food restaurants have their nutritional info out--but we know better than to eat at these places. Yet, it seems that the restaurants, cafe, and local joints do not seem to care enough to post it? And what is worse is that when I request it, they look at me strange. (I am very overweight). It is maddening. I actually cancled an order because of that. Well...it had more to do with the rudeness of the cashier when I asked for the information, but still... But I agree with several people on here, when in doubt, be sure to modify whatever you can to a healthier meal (sans mayo, no butter, serve sauce on side, etc), I tend to estimate on the higher side, and then workout to help with the potential extra calories, and do not be afraid to ask what IS IN the food you are eating. If anything, just tell them you have to track your calories.

Best of luck to you!