Restaurants Will Need to List Cals

qkiley
qkiley Posts: 65
edited September 29 in Food and Nutrition
Sounds like restaurants with 20 or more locations will be required to list calories on the menu. Woo hoo!

Check out the video here: http://cnn.com/video/?/video/bestoftv/2011/07/12/exp.am.menu.calories.labeling.cnn

Replies

  • cedarhurst2006
    cedarhurst2006 Posts: 378 Member
    Panera bread already does it and you can get half a meal as well. I also like Chipotle but have to check on their website before going though.
  • mallorybriann
    mallorybriann Posts: 1,380 Member
    This will DEF open peoples eyes to the INSANE amount of calories in these meals.
    Before I started MFP. I had no clue!
    Especially Cheesecake Factory, they are always the "not" on the "Eat this not that" list!
  • myvenus
    myvenus Posts: 188 Member
    AWESOME!! FINALLY AMERICA GETS IT!!
  • mallorybriann
    mallorybriann Posts: 1,380 Member
    AGREED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    AWESOME!! FINALLY AMERICA GETS IT!!
  • 27strange
    27strange Posts: 837 Member
    I like this!
  • Rage_Phish
    Rage_Phish Posts: 1,507 Member
    I am against this. I am all for a restaurant being required to have their nutritional info for their customers upon request, but this requirement is a bit much.
  • brown_eyed_girl_06
    brown_eyed_girl_06 Posts: 107
    That would be awesome! I try to look at websites before I go out to eat but I don't always get to...there are some restaurants that already have done that and it is so helpful!
  • Cherilea
    Cherilea Posts: 1,118 Member
    Sounds like restaurants with 20 or more locations will be required to list calories on the menu. Woo hoo!

    Check out the video here: http://cnn.com/video/?/video/bestoftv/2011/07/12/exp.am.menu.calories.labeling.cnn

    My dream come true! Seriously, going out to eat is the hardest thing about this lifestyle change!! For me, it's so hard to even "guess"imate the fat, calories, etc...on menu items. I wish ALL restaurants would do this, not just the ones with 20+ locations...it's a start though. Maybe more will follow suit!
  • Wildflower0106
    Wildflower0106 Posts: 247 Member
    I think it will be good for people who care about how many calories they are eating, but lets face it, McDonalds provides nutritional information and I am pretty sure the Big Mac is still a big seller.
  • msbrownbeauty87
    msbrownbeauty87 Posts: 34 Member
    I think it will be good for people who care about how many calories they are eating, but lets face it, McDonalds provides nutritional information and I am pretty sure the Big Mac is still a big seller.

    BUMP!!!!!
  • qkiley
    qkiley Posts: 65
    I think at the very least, people will have the ability to make informed choices. I'll admit, there have been days where I have had something to eat, knowing it was far to many calories than I should have eaten. But with this change, I won't make those choices by mistake. For example, I won't eat a 1200 calorie salad thinking it is a much healthier option.

    Good call on Panera bread. Love the food and it is great that they list the cals right there for you.

    What will be surprising is to find out what items are lower in cals than you would have guessed.
  • Melissa0824
    Melissa0824 Posts: 3
    Agreed
  • fittocycle
    fittocycle Posts: 827 Member
    Will they be required to list the sodium count as well? That's a huge issue with restaurant food!
  • westcoastSW
    westcoastSW Posts: 320 Member
    LOVE this. It has always seemed ridiculous to me that places did not list calories before. I would refuse to go into a store and buy something without knowing the price -- and be expected to wait until my credit card bill shows up next month to know the damage. So why on earth shouldn't people know what they're putting into their bodies?

    I agree with another poster who commented on informed decisions. I will still eat pizza and burgers now and again, as is my choice, but at the least I would like to be aware and informed before I decide.
  • Jaradel
    Jaradel Posts: 143 Member
    There are some restaurants besides Panera that are already listing calories on their menus, and I think it's a fantastic idea. I don't necessarily need a macronutrient breakdown, but just seeing that this steak or that chicken sandwich is going to cost me X number of calories on my daily total helps keep things in perspective.
  • Aurelia_Willow
    Aurelia_Willow Posts: 40 Member
    Good. I nearly fainted when I saw my beloved Chicken crunch salad from Perkins contained 1,000+ calories (given that the source is accurate.) I would have guessed around 600. Though, they do give you a bucket of honey mustard dressing for the salad.
  • rachrach66
    rachrach66 Posts: 271 Member
    Its about time Dennys and Ihop are definitely gonna open peoples eyes! :noway:
  • bethanyranes
    bethanyranes Posts: 44 Member
    LOTS of restaurants in California have the nutrition info right next to the item on the menu (even the snack bar at the movie theater does it!). I LOVE IT! I find myself just choosing the lowest calorie options, which makes my indecisive *kitten* double happy! :-)
  • khrys1
    khrys1 Posts: 444 Member
    Yay! That will be SO helpful!!!
  • iamhopeful
    iamhopeful Posts: 25
    Great news. This will be very helpful
  • losingthejunk
    losingthejunk Posts: 8 Member
    I hope so much it will be available in Europe too!!

    At Buffalo Grill (btw I don't know if it's an international brand), some meals have an icon which tells us "under 450cal". That's it already!
  • 27strange
    27strange Posts: 837 Member
    Whenever we eat out I am always trying to use the internet browser on my phone or myfitnesspal or other restaurant calorie counting apps to see how many calories things that appear/sound delicious on the menu really are. Having it printed on the menu would be a great benefit.
  • mallorybriann
    mallorybriann Posts: 1,380 Member
    These restaurants give you enough food for 3 people and half your daily calories. It is the publics right to know. Esp with items that people think are healthy but are not. Case in point a 1300 cal SALAD.
    We have a right to know what we are eating.
    I am against this. I am all for a restaurant being required to have their nutritional info for their customers upon request, but this requirement is a bit much.
  • flamnfrekelz
    flamnfrekelz Posts: 19
    In Cali they already have to! it totally helps out...the other night i went to cheese cake factory (obviously for a cheat meal) and what i thought was a healthy broiled chicken was listed with 2400 calories!. YIKES!!!!! i opted for a healthier plate of chicken tacos...which still came in at 1100.

    As a consumer I understand that we need to take responsibility and if you are going to eat out you are not going to have a low cal meal for the most part but listing the calories will def help out. and i think resturants need to be held accountable in that they throw so much unforseen butter on items to make it taste good the consumer would never know unless they read the calorie content
  • Pucker508
    Pucker508 Posts: 67 Member
    I hope all restaurants will start to do this. I would gladly give my business to a restaurant willing to inform its customers, as opposed to one that does not.
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