Why hasn't the entire world..

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Replies

  • tootoop224
    tootoop224 Posts: 281 Member
    ...It's not going to make me leave, I'm still eating there!...
    You answered your own question^^^. When it starts hurting busisness, or they realize it can get them more business, they'll put it on there.
  • EmmaKarney
    EmmaKarney Posts: 690 Member
    Yeah, that's fine, but those who don't care don't have to read it, I just want a CHOICE.

    Yeah the choice is eat here or don't eat here.

    It's a bit OTT to say that all restaurants should work out the nutritional value of all of their meals just to cater to those trying to lose weight.
  • lauren3101
    lauren3101 Posts: 1,853 Member
    I did ask this question not so long ago and someone mentioned smaller, local restaurants and how much of a pain it would be, which I do understand. However, I see no reason why a chain restaurant shouldn't have to do this. Our government is constantly reminding us of our health and weight issues as a nation and doing this would certainly help.

    Unfortunately, it's not as simple as 'you know what is healthy'. I have ordered 'the healthy option' before and been shocked later after a little investigation. Sometimes, for the calorie content of a salad, you may as well have had a burger.

    I would also like to add that sometimes chain restaurants will put their calorie count on their website. If they can do this, then why not put it on a menu? This isn't always a problem if our meals out are planned in advance, but when we pop into a restaurant on the offchance, it would be nice to not have to sit there googling the menu and calorie content of everything on my phone for 15 minutes before I can order. Believe me, my fiance is never impressed with that.

    At the very least, restaurants could offer an 'under 500 calorie' menu, or something similar.
  • Matt_Wild
    Matt_Wild Posts: 2,673 Member
    *shrugs*

    You know what is good for you and what isnt. If you think McDonalds is "healthy" then clearly there is something weird going on with you to begin with.

    Fast food never made anyone fat. The overuse of it did. Fast Food IMO, does not have any obligation to put nutritional labels on anything. Enjoy in moderation. Period.

    Oddly, Maccys give you the info the OP is asking for LOL!

    I think the OP has a good idea. Some punk *kitten* *****es on her again just looking to argue because they can.
  • Iron_Feline
    Iron_Feline Posts: 10,750 Member
    I actually don't want to see the calorie values on the menu at a restaurant. I don't go out often for a meal and when I do I just get what I want and enjoy it and guestimate when I get home.

    I want to be able to order without having the calories glaring at me say no no you can't order me - even though I'm delicious and you only have me once every few months, I'm so high in cals it would ruin your day. :noway:

    Honestly this feels like a nanny state thing, and not everyone is on a diet or even cares.
  • Matt_Wild
    Matt_Wild Posts: 2,673 Member
    I actually don't want to see the calorie values on the menu at a restaurant. I don't go out often for a meal and when I do I just get what I want and enjoy it and guestimate when I get home.

    I want to be able to order without having the calories glaring at me say no no you can't order me - even though I'm delicious and you only have me once every few months, I'm so high in cals it would ruin your day. :noway:

    Honestly this feels like a nanny state thing, and not everyone is on a diet or even cares.

    So because it doesn't matter to you, sod everyone else?
  • donald149
    donald149 Posts: 211 Member
    Admiral's Feast is one of the most popular items at Red Lobster. If the stats below we're provided, I'd imagine sales would drop. Nutrition summary:
    Calories 1280
    Fat 73g
    Carbs 92g
    Sodium 4300 mg
    Protein 63g


    Source: My fitness pal food tracker
  • Iron_Feline
    Iron_Feline Posts: 10,750 Member
    I actually don't want to see the calorie values on the menu at a restaurant. I don't go out often for a meal and when I do I just get what I want and enjoy it and guestimate when I get home.

    I want to be able to order without having the calories glaring at me say no no you can't order me - even though I'm delicious and you only have me once every few months, I'm so high in cals it would ruin your day. :noway:

    Honestly this feels like a nanny state thing, and not everyone is on a diet or even cares.

    So because it doesn't matter to you, sod everyone else?

    So because it matters to you make the restaurants have more work to do and print new menus when some of the small non chains are struggling as it is? What about those that change their menu weekly or even daily?

    Yeah lets open them up to lawsuits because the cal count isn't accurate. Nice attitude.

    Edit: I'm just as entitled to my opinion as you are.
  • quirkytizzy
    quirkytizzy Posts: 4,052 Member
    Freakin' A man. It's part of the reason I don't mind McDonald's trips as much as I used to. At least I know what I'm getting there - and it's much more convenient to have it on the menu. Wendys and BK have the info on a plaque to the side, at least.

    I like to fit going out meals into my allowance, so I really do rely on the calorie counts.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    I actually don't want to see the calorie values on the menu at a restaurant. I don't go out often for a meal and when I do I just get what I want and enjoy it and guestimate when I get home.

    I want to be able to order without having the calories glaring at me say no no you can't order me - even though I'm delicious and you only have me once every few months, I'm so high in cals it would ruin your day. :noway:

    Honestly this feels like a nanny state thing, and not everyone is on a diet or even cares.

    Totally agree. When one of the chain restaurants started putting calories on the menu, it took all the fun out of going out, because I didn't get what I really wanted, I got what sounded healthier. When I want to know, I'll look it up.

    On the other hand, now that I regularly eat about 1000 calories for dinner alone, I don't think it would have the shock value it once did.
  • Yeah, that's fine, but those who don't care don't have to read it, I just want a CHOICE.

    Yeah the choice is eat here or don't eat here.

    It's a bit OTT to say that all restaurants should work out the nutritional value of all of their meals just to cater to those trying to lose weight.

    I don't think they should state it just to cater for those trying to lose weight, I think they should cater to those who value knowing what they're putting in their body.
    I want to be able to order without having the calories glaring at me say no no you can't order me

    They're not telling you that you can't eat it, it's on the menu for you to be able to order it, they're simply telling you how many calories is in it. Ignorance isn't bliss for me when it comes to calorie control. Like quirkytizzy, I work my dinners out into my allowance, so it's helpful to know these things.

    Why are people treating knowledge like it's a bad thing?
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    Yeah, that's fine, but those who don't care don't have to read it, I just want a CHOICE.

    you do have a CHOICE. you chose to eat out, you chose to go to that particular restaurant. i like having access to the nutritional information (either at the site on one the web) but yet i do not feel that the entire world has to cater to my every whim

    if you're so serious about knowing what you put into your body you have the option of buying all your own raw ingredients and cooking your own foods. or only frequent the restaurants that give you the info you want.
  • Matt_Wild
    Matt_Wild Posts: 2,673 Member
    I actually don't want to see the calorie values on the menu at a restaurant. I don't go out often for a meal and when I do I just get what I want and enjoy it and guestimate when I get home.

    I want to be able to order without having the calories glaring at me say no no you can't order me - even though I'm delicious and you only have me once every few months, I'm so high in cals it would ruin your day. :noway:

    Honestly this feels like a nanny state thing, and not everyone is on a diet or even cares.

    So because it doesn't matter to you, sod everyone else?

    So because it matters to you make the restaurants have more work to do and print new menus when some of the small non chains are struggling as it is? What about those that change their menu weekly or even daily?

    Yeah lets open them up to lawsuits because the cal count isn't accurate. Nice attitude.

    Edit: I'm just as entitled to my opinion as you are.

    Course you are, never said you are not.

    Using your logic - Why put calories on food packs as well?

    And who the smeg said anything about a lawsuit - I don't see that happening anywhere at any point at any time, ever.
  • dad106
    dad106 Posts: 4,868 Member
    When most people go to eat out, they don't care about what they are eating.. all they know is that they are hungry and they want food, and they want food that tastes good.

    When I was losing, I looked up calorie counts to restaurant dishes.. and drove my self crazy re-configuring everything trying to make it fit as well as possible.

    Dinning out is supposed to be about enjoying yourself and relaxing. Not driving yourself crazy trying to figure out what you can eat.
  • JoanB5
    JoanB5 Posts: 610 Member
    And "most people" are overweight and health in this country is declining as a whole.

    I don't want it to make me a "no" person every time my family wants to eat out...but I can't eat "normal choices" every time we do or I'll NEVER lose weight as I'm not a body builder or weight lifter (yet).

    Counts remind me that if I want to eat my next meal while on a diet, I cannot have EVERYTHING on the menu, but I CAN enjoy friends, my kids, and a treat outing and eat SOMETHING without killing the rest of the day.

    My kids need them. They had no idea the consequences of eating out...and they sometimes HAVE to eat out more than is truly healthy due to school activities and...gasp...SPORTS. They are using them!

    I really miss it in restaurants and love that McDonald's is doing it. Oddly, it's had the reverse effect on me. Everything eating out is not "bad" at McDonalds. I now know that my Egg McMuffin is okay, my Oatmeal is okay, my fruit parfait, and my hamburger or 4 Nuggets will be okay most days. I like not being surprised with the calorie count later and having regret. My family eats out at least twice a week for McDonalds breakfast with groups and I can enjoy going, knowing the "cost", and for those times when I need fuel without regret, I can make a decent choices. If I'm not wanting to count the cost, I used to just ignore it...didn't hurt me.
  • Iron_Feline
    Iron_Feline Posts: 10,750 Member

    Course you are, never said you are not.

    Using your logic - Why put calories on food packs as well?

    And who the smeg said anything about a lawsuit - I don't see that happening anywhere at any point at any time, ever.

    I was just taking the next logical step in our sadly litigious world. (I don't agree this this btw)

    You have no choice but to buy food to eat at home and it is easy for a large mass produced company to put calories on food packets. In England smaller local produced products don't all have cal counts on them. nor does meat I but from the butcher, fishmonger etc. I don't mind about that either.

    You choose to go to a restaurant. You don't choose to cook and eat at home.
  • Matt_Wild
    Matt_Wild Posts: 2,673 Member
    I'm in England too!

    /waves! :bigsmile:
  • JoanB5
    JoanB5 Posts: 610 Member
    Admiral's Feast is one of the most popular items at Red Lobster. If the stats below we're provided, I'd imagine sales would drop. Nutrition summary:
    Calories 1280
    Fat 73g
    Carbs 92g
    Sodium 4300 mg
    Protein 63g


    Source: My fitness pal food tracker

    WOW. See, I just want to know that. I don't like feeling assaulted for the week when I leave. That throws off my efforts for the whole week right now.
  • palmerar
    palmerar Posts: 489 Member
    Honestly, though, how hard WOULD it be?

    Most restaurants SHOULD have some sort of portioning system in place anyway. You'd just have to measure out the portions once to know what the calorie count/macros are for each dish assuming that your restaurant employees follow the proper portion sizes when cooking the meals.

    Certainly there is a portioning system, but for example when you make sauces/ marinades from scratch there are potentially a dozen or more ingredients in each sauce or marinade of which there are probably a dozen. Not to mention when a restaurant makes a sauce they are making a huge portion to serve a large number of people over the next few days. Depending on who is making the meal different amounts of sauce are used. Proteins are marinated for different periods of time. While there is a recipe, if it doesn't look "right" additional ingredients will be added. Also, who is going to calculate all of this? The chefs? The servers? the managers? None of whom have experience with measuring caloric content? A food scientist would have to be hired, which most restaurants (aside from large corporations) don't have the money to pay for. Of course it would be NICE to see calories at my favorite local restaurant but it is not something is going to happen any time soon.
  • JoanB5
    JoanB5 Posts: 610 Member
    Maybe we could get rid of tags in clothes that tell us how to wash them...anyone who does laundry should know fabrics and how to launder them and should know what size they wear. NOW THEY ARE ANNOYING! We could just switch for a while...no clothes tags, but food labels. LOL
  • ultraplop
    ultraplop Posts: 30
    I agree on the grounds that the consumer should know what they are purchasing. If it was up to me, all food producers and sellers would be required to divulge every single ingredient in the food they are selling. For example, if there is beaver urine in my food, I would really like to know that and personally I don't think its right for something like that to be secret.
  • Admiral_Derp
    Admiral_Derp Posts: 866 Member
    I think it would be an awesome idea. I don't think it should be mandatory. (I don't think a lot of things should be mandatory.) But it would be really handy for people who want to keep track of things like that.
  • Iron_Feline
    Iron_Feline Posts: 10,750 Member
    I'm in England too!

    /waves! :bigsmile:


    Hi:drinker:

    Just addressing the entire world comment - can you imagine a French michelin starred restaurant being told to put a calorie count on its menu - Ha as if! :laugh:

    Some of those don't even have prices :noway:
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,455 Member
    You will never know exactly how many calories you eat nor exactly how many you need.


    This is about estimation. And after you've logged your food for a few months, you should be able to do the numbers in your head.


    It's not rocket surgery.


    If you feel the need to be that controlled at all times, buy a digital food scale, set it to grams and eat at home.
  • ultraplop
    ultraplop Posts: 30
    You will never know exactly how many calories you eat nor exactly how many you need.


    This is about estimation. And after you've logged your food for a few months, you should be able to do the numbers in your head.


    It's not rocket surgery.


    If you feel the need to be that controlled at all times, buy a digital food scale, set it to grams and eat at home.

    Even at home you will never be %100 accurate. Calorie counting is always estimation

    I think you are missing the point
  • nikkinz
    nikkinz Posts: 30 Member
    I would choose to go to a restaurant that had nutritional info over one that didnt. Not every restaurant should have to but what a great marketing tool for a resturant to set themselves apart from the rest.
  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
    I happen to oversee a small restaurant, on the side of my full time job. Part of bring a SUCCESSFUL restaurant is knowing the food cost-OF EVERYTHING we offer. It's not difficult to assess the caloric values at that time at all.


    Actually, yes it is. If you change distributors, or if your distributor starts carrying different brands, then your previous calculations could be off - sometimes considerably off. Thus, you'd have to recalculate (labor $) and possibly reprint menus (material $) - thus either make less money or raise prices to offset those costs.

    In addition, many places have daily or weekly specials. If daily, is someone really going to sit there and try to calculate all the new numbers each day?

    Finally, as previously mentioned, if you're that worried about it, don't eat out. Or use your own resources to guesstimate your intake.
  • Matt_Wild
    Matt_Wild Posts: 2,673 Member
    So it seems we are fairly split LOL!

    TBH I do use my iPhone when out and searching for somewhere to have my cheat meal - anywhere that gives me a break down usually gets my dollar!
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member

    And who the smeg said anything about a lawsuit - I don't see that happening anywhere at any point at any time, ever

    Matt, you don't live in the USA. Here was have people suing each other for farting in the workplace. I'm not even joking.

    Heck, McDonald's has openly published their cal information for years, long before it was the law anywhere, and they STILL get sued by every anti-obesity group in the world.
    So it seems we are fairly split LOL!

    TBH I do use my iPhone when out and searching for somewhere to have my cheat meal - anywhere that gives me a break down usually gets my dollar!

    This is what I do as well. Sometimes my co-workers want to go to the local cafe or whatever for lunch but I try to steer it to some chain type place where the cals are in MFP. If it doesn't work, whatever, it's just one meal.
  • Serafimangel
    Serafimangel Posts: 174 Member
    I think it may be very hard for small places to do but if there is a chain (even only three or four) of a place then the nutrition should be there. It annoys me when not only chain eateries but but chain pastry shops dont list the nurtition, or only list the nutrition for half their stuff. I mean if they went to the bother to get the nutrition for some items why not do it for all? Sometimes I want a cupcake, but i'd like to know how many calories are in it. Again this is for places where there are multiple stores, not the little bakery on the corner.