Why hasn't the entire world..

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  • splashblob
    splashblob Posts: 249 Member
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    Embraced the idea of putting nutritional information on our menus? It's so frustrating to go out for a meal and have no indication of how many calories are in each dish. I like to be informed about this stuff people! It's not going to make me leave, I'm still eating there! I'd just like to eat the best meal possible (nutrition wise).

    And those restaurants who are like "no that has nothing to do with me" (I saw that on a show once).. of course, cause it's not like you sell food... to people............ or eat yourself...........................


    I share your frustration.
    well, theres a few variables. In the small mom and pop restaurants or the restaurants where they don't have a set menu since they're not a chain, the menu constantly changes along with how different people make special requests so its hard for the small restaurants to do this. But yeah, I know its frustrating. Believe me, I live in Asia and it is very very frustrating to look up everything online because most of the products here that're mass produced don't even have the nutrition facts in the back like they do in US :(

    Same situation here. It's so hard estimate calories here too because most of the food here is heavily rely on sauce/seasoning and oil.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,951 Member
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    Because not everyone looks at food as numbers, and not everyone worries about losing/maintaining weight.

    Not to mention that when you have a human cooking the food, it's not uniform, meaning there could be slop on the numbers by 30% or more, additionally, you just can't expect a chef to go through that kind of work, and have it done with any sort of accuracy. Nor can you expect there to be nutritional testing done, if you want to keep the per plate price economical.

    Fast food can do it and absorb the costs because it's all packaged, uniform, and they're in the volume business. You can't expect that with any reasonability from someone who is actually taking time to prepare an artful dish.

    It would be nice, but ultimately, if you're worried about numbers, don't go out.
  • jaygreen55
    jaygreen55 Posts: 315 Member
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    consumers should be informed as much as possible. especially with food. every gas station tells u the octane of gas. y not the nutrition of foods in restaurants?

    Gas stations are resellers of a single ingredient product that is strictly measured. It's not like they refine it on the premises.
  • StheK
    StheK Posts: 443 Member
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    Again - the lawsuits have already started and it does cost time and money especially for little mom and pop restaurants that are already struggling.

    Chefs work insane hours - and you want them to do MORE work. Just for you - nope that's not selfish or blind to other peoples problems.

    Want them to do more work just for me? Selfish or blind? WTF? It's perfectly reasonable to state that as a customer (you know, the person PAYING for the product and service being offered) I have certain preferences that would make me more likely to spend money in your establishment! You're right, they don't have to offer it, and they may decide it's not worth it from a cost/benefit analysis, but there's absolutely nothing fricken wrong with stating that there's a demand that somebody can then choose to supply or not. That's called commerce. It's the foundation of capitalism. What the heck is wrong with you people?
  • socajam
    socajam Posts: 2,530 Member
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    I do the same. Its call taking responsibility for what goes in your mouth.
  • ksuh999
    ksuh999 Posts: 543 Member
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    Where's all the Californians and New Yorkers? They legislated this. Restaurants with more than a certain # of locations have to post caloric info on their menus and even their menu boards.

    It's sorta shocking actually. Went to Cali in December, holy fark In'n'Out's stuff are caloric bombs.
  • Trilby16
    Trilby16 Posts: 707 Member
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    Embraced the idea of putting nutritional information on our menus? It's so frustrating to go out for a meal and have no indication of how many calories are in each dish. I like to be informed about this stuff people! It's not going to make me leave, I'm still eating there! I'd just like to eat the best meal possible (nutrition wise).

    And those restaurants who are like "no that has nothing to do with me" (I saw that on a show once).. of course, cause it's not like you sell food... to people............ or eat yourself...........................

    Because not everyone looks at food as numbers, and not everyone worries about losing/maintaining weight.

    But there's no harm to those who DON'T pay attention if they put the numbers for those who DO.

    I'm fairly certain you won't die, either.

    The OP is not afraid of dying, sir, she just wants some information. What's your problem with that exactly? We have that information in NYC. SOme people look at it, some don't but it's there IF YOU WANT IT.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,951 Member
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    ... Its call taking responsibility for what goes in your mouth.

    QFT. Don't rely on others to do you work for you, get educated on what you're eating, cooking methods, and that way you can ballpark anything.
  • alychil820
    alychil820 Posts: 219 Member
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    I'm lucky to live in NYC, where nearly every restaurant has a calorie count. A lot of restaurants even have full nutritional information if you request it.
  • Iron_Feline
    Iron_Feline Posts: 10,750 Member
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    Again - the lawsuits have already started and it does cost time and money especially for little mom and pop restaurants that are already struggling.

    Chefs work insane hours - and you want them to do MORE work. Just for you - nope that's not selfish or blind to other peoples problems.

    Want them to do more work just for me? Selfish or blind? WTF? It's perfectly reasonable to state that as a customer (you know, the person PAYING for the product and service being offered) I have certain preferences that would make me more likely to spend money in your establishment! You're right, they don't have to offer it, and they may decide it's not worth it from a cost/benefit analysis, but there's absolutely nothing fricken wrong with stating that there's a demand that somebody can then choose to supply or not. That's called commerce. It's the foundation of capitalism. What the heck is wrong with you people?

    The selfish and blind was in response to the comment I responded to. And yes it is selfish to expect a chef to work extra hours to give details that only a small minority actually want. This isn't a 5 minute job. I'd bet you'd be the first to complain when the prices go up to implement this.
  • alychil820
    alychil820 Posts: 219 Member
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    Where's all the Californians and New Yorkers? They legislated this. Restaurants with more than a certain # of locations have to post caloric info on their menus and even their menu boards.

    It's sorta shocking actually. Went to Cali in December, holy fark In'n'Out's stuff are caloric bombs.

    And Californians and New Yorkers seem pretty health conscious as a whole compared to most other states. I think it's a good thing to be educated. If you don't want to pay attention to it, then don't, but for a lot of people it's a wakeup call to realize that some salads are COMPLETELY unhealthy.
  • bubbanene
    bubbanene Posts: 101 Member
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    it is not about losing weight per se its about nutrition and amounts of sugars and sodium which effect all of us financially(insurance costs, taxes for healthcare etc)
  • StheK
    StheK Posts: 443 Member
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    ... Its call taking responsibility for what goes in your mouth.

    QFT. Don't rely on others to do you work for you, get educated on what you're eating, cooking methods, and that way you can ballpark anything.

    For f**cks sake, nobody's relying on others to do their work for them. They're simply saying that it would be nice if there were more information available from which to make an informed decision. They're not even saying it should be mandated- just that it would be nice. Maybe you think we should all just learn how to ballpark prices for things before we buy them, and then find out what they really cost at the end of the month when we get our bank statements? Some people may choose to manage their finances that way, but others appreciate having more detailed information available before they actually spend the money so that they can make even MORE responsible decisions and make the most of the money they DO have. It's not a difficult concept.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
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    I'm really surprised at the comments on this thread. Is it "attack OP day," and I didn't get the memo? Jesus.

    Attack? What attack?
    Not sure why people on a calorie counting website would be arguing against restaurants putting nutritional information on their menus.

    Just because I'm on a calorie counting website doesn't mean I gave up on being a grown man that's responsible for my own actions. I don't need the world to cater to my every whim.
    Yes, I know what is good for me, and I know what is bad for me. However, that menu doesn't tell me that my salmon is basically just deep fried in butter. That MATTERS. How many times do we see stories on "Eat This, Not That" and the nutritional value of some things absolutely blows us away. Salad from Wendy's 900 calories! WHAT?! To the every day citizen, they believe that is a healthy choice, and without any nutritional information, they have no way to determine that....unless they join a site like, oh, IDK, MFP. Then they begin to learn how calories can be easily hidden in foods. Likewise, people will never learn how to eat sensible without some type of guide easily provided. Who cares if this is somewhat passing on the blame for being fat onto the restaurants.....it is A FACT people are fatter than they used to be, and as a society, it should be helped/lessened.

    So go buy the ET, NT books. I did, and it helped me lose weight all last year. See? We can actually be responsible and take charge of our own lives
    Also, I'm quite sure when I figure out the calories in food I prepare I calculate-1 tbsp of butter, 4 oz of chicken, 1 cup of tomatoes, 1 tbsp of salt....how HARD IS THAT?!??!??!! Restaurants don't need a gamut of lawyers and scientists...that's so absurd.

    get back to me when you change that recipe to serve 500 people

    Seriously, you guys are a wee bit insane today.

    REPORTED. i'm feeling attacked.
  • AnninStPaul
    AnninStPaul Posts: 1,372 Member
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    pretty sure the average restaurant doesnt have to time or the money to get food items calorically tested like mass produced products are... just gives them greater liability and false advertising to get sued... food chains like mcdonalds,subway, and dennys sure.. but not some average breakfast place

    ^^THIS.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,951 Member
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    They're simply saying that it would be nice if there were more information available from which to make an informed decision.

    That's already available:
    http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/

    Really though, unless someone has worked in a kitchen in a professional capacity, they really won't realize how impractical it would be to offer these figures for all dishes, and how bs the numbers would be.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,951 Member
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    Just because I'm on a calorie counting website doesn't mean I gave up on being a grown man that's responsible for my own actions. I don't need the world to cater to my every whim.
    +1 Well put.
  • StheK
    StheK Posts: 443 Member
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    Again - the lawsuits have already started and it does cost time and money especially for little mom and pop restaurants that are already struggling.

    Chefs work insane hours - and you want them to do MORE work. Just for you - nope that's not selfish or blind to other peoples problems.

    Want them to do more work just for me? Selfish or blind? WTF? It's perfectly reasonable to state that as a customer (you know, the person PAYING for the product and service being offered) I have certain preferences that would make me more likely to spend money in your establishment! You're right, they don't have to offer it, and they may decide it's not worth it from a cost/benefit analysis, but there's absolutely nothing fricken wrong with stating that there's a demand that somebody can then choose to supply or not. That's called commerce. It's the foundation of capitalism. What the heck is wrong with you people?

    The selfish and blind was in response to the comment I responded to. And yes it is selfish to expect a chef to work extra hours to give details that only a small minority actually want. This isn't a 5 minute job. I'd bet you'd be the first to complain when the prices go up to implement this.

    Nope. I happily pay more for great service that accommodates the things I appreciate. I also tip well. I have no problem paying more for a better product and a better service. And I think businesses have the right to know that, just as I have the right to let them know that there is a market for this. And I think you are ridiculous for assuming that some poor chef is going to have to work "extra hours" to accommodate this, and that there wouldn't be some sort of payoff for the business AND the chef, if they decided to make this information available. Businesses are actually in the business of figuring out what people want, determining if they can deliver that or not, how they might reasonable do it, and proceeding accordingly. Again, this is not a demand that everyone should be forced to do this, it's a statement that as a consumer, I would appreciate this and be willing to pay for it. What they do with that is entirely up to them. And the idea that you think there's somehow something wrong with this makes me wonder what the heck I'm doing having this conversation with you.
  • StheK
    StheK Posts: 443 Member
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    They're simply saying that it would be nice if there were more information available from which to make an informed decision.

    That's already available:
    http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/

    Really though, unless someone has worked in a kitchen in a professional capacity, they really won't realize how impractical it would be to offer these figures for all dishes, and how bs the numbers would be.

    What about a complete list of ingredients? Is that too much to ask?
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,951 Member
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    They're simply saying that it would be nice if there were more information available from which to make an informed decision.

    That's already available:
    http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/

    Really though, unless someone has worked in a kitchen in a professional capacity, they really won't realize how impractical it would be to offer these figures for all dishes, and how bs the numbers would be.

    What about a complete list of ingredients? Is that too much to ask?

    In some places, yes. For example, one chef I worked with was asked once how to make a torchon au foie gras like he did, his response translated to english was get out, and drink your own piss.

    ETA - he was an artist, and his work product was a result of his trade secrets that would be worth a lot to his competition.

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