It should be required by federal law...
Replies
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Expensive? it would take about 2-4 hours (depending on menu size) to sit down with a menu and go through every item and calculate the totals. Then you could print out 1 copy for each table and laminate it and it could cost less than 50 bucks.
There is no excuse not to let your customers know whats in what they are eating.
No....the FDA would have to do this.
It is a first world problem as somebody mentions above....but it's killing us off nonetheless.
Going to a restaurant that we make a conscious choice of going to that doesn't provide nutritional information is killing us off????
Wow people if you are so worried stay HOME!0 -
Haha...
"It's killing us off, nonetheless."
High-sodium and calorie food roaming the countryside, crushing all in its path, seeking out humans!
Yeah, take some g@dd@mn responsibility for your actions. No one puts a gun to your head and says "Eat at Chili's" or "You can't eat just one." That's you, everybody. It IS possible to make a poor eating decision once in a while and not only stay in shape, but survive to old age...0 -
Settle down. He was being facetious.
seriously? Jesus, one generation passes away and all the lessons are forgotten.
This country was better off when even the government was against government, and there was no need for term limits for politicians because no one really wanted the job for long! I for one am glad to see Bloomberg and his stranglehold on soda sizes, and standard capacity magazines.
Agree!!0 -
How is this thread still going??? If you want to see nutritional information then only frequent restaurants that provide them. If you've ever worked in a non fast food food kitchen then you would know that even if you were provided nutritional info, it would only be a ballpark estimate for many many reasons. Only preprocessed crap like fast food that is basically just heated up in the restaurant will be accurate enough to make a difference. If you really want to know the exact nutritional data for what you're eating then cook at home and figure it out for yourself.0
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Expensive? it would take about 2-4 hours (depending on menu size) to sit down with a menu and go through every item and calculate the totals. Then you could print out 1 copy for each table and laminate it and it could cost less than 50 bucks.
There is no excuse not to let your customers know whats in what they are eating.
No....the FDA would have to do this.
It is a first world problem as somebody mentions above....but it's killing us off nonetheless.
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...To have printed "Nutrition Facts" for every menu item in every restaurant in the country. It should be required to have it available either in print, at the front of the restaurant, or online for anyone to read. Does anyone else get as frustrated as I do when they go out to eat?
California only has it for chains. It really helps you to see your past choices and how wrong they were.0 -
My husband and I owned a small fine dining restaurant. The menu had the ability to change every few days as we bought fresh and available. I would have had to sit and redo a nutritional information every other day. The time and energy would have been crazy to do that. If you had a dietary requirement all you had to do was say something (and most did when reservations were made) and the chef (hubby) would cook accordingly. That wasn't a problem - he actually enjoyed it. Vegan, vegetarian, allergy, whatever, We had one lady come in on a liquid diet - he would specially make her 3 courses of soups when she came in, just so she could have every course.
If you have a standard menu and several locations - sure it would be nice, but a small family run place like we had - it would have been a nightmare. We didn't even have a printed menu - I just told you what was available each night (usually 5-6 choices) Unless you ordered a specific item (lobster or something with your reservation).0 -
Has anyone mentioned that, in Ontario, they're putting this regulation into place. Keep in mind, it is only for fast food joints and only a calorie content is going to be placed (written next to the price for each menu item). It will not effect independent shops or places where you sit down with a menu booklet and a waiter serves you. Only places like Mcdonalds, Wendy's, etc.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/ontario-law-to-force-calorie-count-on-fast-food-menus-1.2549382
"Only restaurants that have more than 20 Ontario locations and do more than $5 million of business annually will be affected by the legislation."
"the new law would require them to post calorie counts prominently on menu boards or menus or alongside the food when it is served."
"Bill 59 requires high or very high sodium items to be flagged somewhere on the premises, though not necessarily on the menu board."0 -
Expensive? it would take about 2-4 hours (depending on menu size) to sit down with a menu and go through every item and calculate the totals. Then you could print out 1 copy for each table and laminate it and it could cost less than 50 bucks.
There is no excuse not to let your customers know whats in what they are eating.
Heh, well that's charming.0 -
I would love it if it was always available in some form...though I must say I do not like it so "in your face" as to be on every menu item all the time...example: needed something to eat at the airport in NY. Slim pickings. Went to a sports bar type place where every menu item had the nutritional info...couldn't find anything even remotely healthy but needed to eat.... I ordered terrible chili that was about 900 calories for a bowl. Plus is was expensive.I'd rather have been in ignorance if my choices are bad or worse and just get what sounds good.
But in general, yes, I wish I could always find the info if I wanted it. I just pick something from the database that sounds close when I don't have the actual info. It's not perfect, but it doesn't happen enough that it's really an issue.
On a side bar...it would be great if every place could offer lighter menu options, like under 500 calorie choices. That would make me super happy.
They do. It's called only eating part of it. Now you can be super happy!0 -
On a side bar...it would be great if every place could offer lighter menu options, like under 500 calorie choices. That would make me super happy.
They do. It's called only eating part of it. Now you can be super happy!
That's hardly realistic! You can't expect someone to control what they eat. Everyone needs to be told what to do, when to do it, and that includes what and how much we eat. We can't control ourselves!0 -
Expensive? it would take about 2-4 hours (depending on menu size) to sit down with a menu and go through every item and calculate the totals. Then you could print out 1 copy for each table and laminate it and it could cost less than 50 bucks.
There is no excuse not to let your customers know whats in what they are eating.
Heh, well that's charming.
Yep, because we all know that when the government gets involved, things happen quickly. Certainly, there wouldn't be any testing procedures involved. I bet the restaurant can just use the MFP numbers and be done with it....SO EASY.
/sarcasm0 -
I'm not denying that average quality of life in developed countries is higher, just critiquing the use of the term 'first world'. Especially as it's usage here is showing how it has directly impacted peoples views to the extent they're implying that there are no restaurants in developing nations. We often see rural areas where standards of living are shocking in the media, and many people think of this if you're asked what first comes to mind if I say "Nigeria" for instance, we never see the cities and infrastructure that also exist.
I've been to Algeria, Egypt, and several other countries of that socioeconomic level. I've been to England, France and live in the US. I've been in their respective major cities. You would not make the statements you did if you had also had the opportunity.0 -
No it shouldn't be required by federal law.. Its up to the individual to make the best choices they can if you don't see something on the menu for you then move on. On side bar I love restaurants who offer under 500 cal options0
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Nope. No issues at all.0
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I would love it if it was always available in some form...though I must say I do not like it so "in your face" as to be on every menu item all the time...example: needed something to eat at the airport in NY. Slim pickings. Went to a sports bar type place where every menu item had the nutritional info...couldn't find anything even remotely healthy but needed to eat.... I ordered terrible chili that was about 900 calories for a bowl. Plus is was expensive.I'd rather have been in ignorance if my choices are bad or worse and just get what sounds good.
But in general, yes, I wish I could always find the info if I wanted it. I just pick something from the database that sounds close when I don't have the actual info. It's not perfect, but it doesn't happen enough that it's really an issue.
On a side bar...it would be great if every place could offer lighter menu options, like under 500 calorie choices. That would make me super happy.
They do. It's called only eating part of it. Now you can be super happy!
Yes, that would work if you could take 1/2 of your food home all the time, but that is not always possible, so paying for a 900 calories meal and only eating about 500 calories or less is a waste of money and food because the restaurant will be throwing away what the patrons don’t eat. Having smaller portions available in the menu is a win-win situation.0 -
I would love it if it was always available in some form...though I must say I do not like it so "in your face" as to be on every menu item all the time...example: needed something to eat at the airport in NY. Slim pickings. Went to a sports bar type place where every menu item had the nutritional info...couldn't find anything even remotely healthy but needed to eat.... I ordered terrible chili that was about 900 calories for a bowl. Plus is was expensive.I'd rather have been in ignorance if my choices are bad or worse and just get what sounds good.
But in general, yes, I wish I could always find the info if I wanted it. I just pick something from the database that sounds close when I don't have the actual info. It's not perfect, but it doesn't happen enough that it's really an issue.
On a side bar...it would be great if every place could offer lighter menu options, like under 500 calorie choices. That would make me super happy.
They do. It's called only eating part of it. Now you can be super happy!
Yes, that would work if you could take 1/2 of your food home all the time, but that is not always possible, so paying for a 900 calories meal and only eating about 500 calories or less is a waste of money and food because the restaurant will be throwing away what the patrons don’t eat. Having smaller portions available in the menu is a win-win situation.
There's always the kids menu.0 -
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I totally agree OP, its why I don't go out to eat much. I like knowing how many calories are in my foods and how they will be cooked,etc.0
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I totally agree- this is not a huge effort my any means, it just takes someone with an attention span and a calculator. I've done this for the final "prepared values" of many of my homecooked items, including my turkey-beef chili and some of my grandma's recipes, for carbs, calories, fat and fiber. It takes a bit of time when you have a lot of ingredients, but it's good to actually know where you stand with a cup of chili or a piece of the lasagna.0
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I would love it if it was always available in some form...though I must say I do not like it so "in your face" as to be on every menu item all the time...example: needed something to eat at the airport in NY. Slim pickings. Went to a sports bar type place where every menu item had the nutritional info...couldn't find anything even remotely healthy but needed to eat.... I ordered terrible chili that was about 900 calories for a bowl. Plus is was expensive.I'd rather have been in ignorance if my choices are bad or worse and just get what sounds good.
But in general, yes, I wish I could always find the info if I wanted it. I just pick something from the database that sounds close when I don't have the actual info. It's not perfect, but it doesn't happen enough that it's really an issue.
On a side bar...it would be great if every place could offer lighter menu options, like under 500 calorie choices. That would make me super happy.
They do. It's called only eating part of it. Now you can be super happy!
Yes, that would work if you could take 1/2 of your food home all the time, but that is not always possible, so paying for a 900 calories meal and only eating about 500 calories or less is a waste of money and food because the restaurant will be throwing away what the patrons don’t eat. Having smaller portions available in the menu is a win-win situation.
There's no pleasing people.
Start your own restaurant and set your own rules. Then eat in that restaurant exclusively. You can choose the prep method, the portion size, the nutritional content and everything in between.
I did. It's called "My Kitchen". It's not making me any money but I get exactly what I want and I'm not imposing my wants on other private citizens.0 -
Disagree, it is nice when a restaraunt has nutrition info but there are times I dont want to know. If im having a cheat day and going out to have a good time with my wife I dont realy pay attention to the calories, and realy dont WANT to see them. Again, its nice when they have it available but shouldnt be a law.0
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I totally agree- this is not a huge effort my any means, it just takes someone with an attention span and a calculator. I've done this for the final "prepared values" of many of my homecooked items, including my turkey-beef chili and some of my grandma's recipes, for carbs, calories, fat and fiber. It takes a bit of time when you have a lot of ingredients, but it's good to actually know where you stand with a cup of chili or a piece of the lasagna.
Apparently you skipped the entire thread. It has been pointed out numerous times why it would take far more than that. You're forgetting the whole federal mandate part of it.0 -
I don't think nutritional info provided by restaurants could ever be accurate enough to be worth it. Especially at dinnertime, when it's super busy, do you really think the cooks will pull out the foodscale to measure out 150 grams of chicken breast or vegetables, or bother measuring out the amount of oil they put in the pan or dressing they put on the salad? I wouldn't if I were them, and I don't expect them to. Accurat nutritional info on a menu seems an unrealistic dream and can never be more than a guesstimate in my opinion.0
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The federal government intruding on private businesses is not a good solution.
Here's an alternative
1. Go to restaurants that provide the information and avoid those that don't
2. Encourage more of your friends to do the same
Either the restaurants you're avoiding will begin providing that information to attract more business or they won't
Hmm. This is missing the point. You are regarding those restaurants that AREN'T publishing these figures as "the bad guys". However, think of the litigation risk. Some customers (unfortunately) wouldn't take calorie estimates in good faith and then blame restaurateurs for making them fat if they mistakenly provided the wrong information. Nutrition would have to be signed off by an independent, third party who then took-on that litigation risk. Taking on that risk is EXPENSIVE and only worth paying if you think you may be sued yourself. So - who are our prime "good guy" candidates here who have the most to lose if somebody "claims ignorance" and sues the pants off them a la tobacco companies? A big golden "M" comes to mind and a chain selling overpriced coffee under the guise of a weird water sprite perhaps? Do they ALREADY publish calorie content? Oh yes - EVEN in countries which don't enforce it. Wow - they must really have our best interests at heart! Meanwhile, the disgusting family run seafood stall which is cooking it's fresh catch, daily, depending on what they get in - they're NOT. SCUM. LET'S BOYCOTT THEM.0 -
The FDA aims for a 20% accurate level--enough to be useful without being unrealistic--so if that 8oz chicken was 7oz or 9oz, they would be just fine. If it's varying between 4oz and 12oz, there's a problem.Especially at dinnertime, when it's super busy, do you really think the cooks will pull out the foodscale to measure out 150 grams of chicken breast or vegetables,FDA: FDA does not intend to impose an unrealistic regime (e.g., to require exacting measurements or strict portion controls) in restaurants. However, the agency is requiring that a restaurant have a reasonable basis for believing that a food meets the nutrient requirements for a claim, and that it be able to provide reasonable assurance that the preparation of the food adheres to the basis for the claim.
As passed in California, it's been quite useful. The Cheesecake Factory revealed its blackened chicken sandwich has 1,400 calories and 2,000 mg of sodium. Even if a particular serving may range between 1120-1680 calories, and between 1600-2400mg of sodium, it empowers us to make informed choices. All of those sodium levels are above what I would allow except for a particularly celebratory occasion. And, again, I cited a study showing that consumers often do use this information to eat better.0 -
More places should list it but i don't want the feds anywhere near my food so there is no way i'd support them regulating anything. We already got too much of a nanny state going on here, just look at California and NYC with their food laws.0
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I totally agree- this is not a huge effort my any means, it just takes someone with an attention span and a calculator. I've done this for the final "prepared values" of many of my homecooked items, including my turkey-beef chili and some of my grandma's recipes, for carbs, calories, fat and fiber. It takes a bit of time when you have a lot of ingredients, but it's good to actually know where you stand with a cup of chili or a piece of the lasagna.
You are comparing your home cooked recipes and saying it takes time (for a recipe), but you don't think it would be that big of an effort for a restaurant to do this. You do understand there is testing to be done to get the information right?
One of my favorite places to go out to eat, changes their menu daily, especially the seafood items as it all depends on what they get from the boats coming in. So now they have to get the items, figure out the nutrition for what they make daily...and post this for the lazy and unrealistic consumer...
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Nope. The FDA does not require laboratory testing. Specifically--You do understand there is testing to be done to get the information right?Nutrient levels may be determined based on reliable nutrient data bases, cookbooks, or analyses0
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