Calories on menus everywhere
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Be careful!!! Those calories aren't always accurate. Sometimes they're less but sometimes they're several hundred higher than what's listed. I would use extreme caution if you dine out frequently.0
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missteena88 wrote: »Be careful!!! Those calories aren't always accurate. Sometimes they're less but sometimes they're several hundred higher than what's listed. I would use extreme caution if you dine out frequently.
All the times I have seen fast food restaurants like McDonald's, Wendy's, and Burger King have food independently tested they have always come in very close. My guess is because their product is very standardized to keep cost down since they run on a small margin. Sit down restaurant chains, on the other hand, do far worse, probably because the cooks have much more freedom in how they prepare food in sit down restaurant chains. Good think McDonald's and the rest are far better in Canada, at least my experience it their food tastes much better than it does when I am down in the USA.2 -
CafeRacer808 wrote: »Many restaurants in Los Angeles include calorie information on their menus or website but unfortunately, it's not mandatory.
Yeah, most chains in Chicago have had it for some time, from what I've noticed. It's not mandatory, so some don't.0 -
Ready2Rock206 wrote: »They do that where I live too. It's very helpful. Unfortunately I often prefer non-chain restaurants so they don't have to provide calorie info.
Yeah -- I find it useful if I want to buy a quick lunch out/take to my desk. My more caloric dinners out aren't at chains so ah well, I guess or estimate or just quick add a reasonable seeming number.0 -
was so excited when I saw this finally started last week in Ontario!!
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however, if you get grilled chicken and roasted vegetables that will be less calorie dense; why is the restaurants fault that people don't care to make that connection?
So you, as a customer, can tell how much oil was used to roast those vegetables? And how much oil/butter is on that grilled chicken? Sure, it's a lower calorie choice than the fettucini alfredo - but it may still be a 1000 calorie plate. Restaurants add a *lot* of hidden calories that are not obvious to the consumer. Requiring them to 'fess up to that is a good thing. Basically, it's a "truth in advertizing" argument.5 -
rileysowner wrote: »missteena88 wrote: »Be careful!!! Those calories aren't always accurate. Sometimes they're less but sometimes they're several hundred higher than what's listed. I would use extreme caution if you dine out frequently.
All the times I have seen fast food restaurants like McDonald's, Wendy's, and Burger King have food independently tested they have always come in very close. My guess is because their product is very standardized to keep cost down since they run on a small margin. Sit down restaurant chains, on the other hand, do far worse, probably because the cooks have much more freedom in how they prepare food in sit down restaurant chains. Good think McDonald's and the rest are far better in Canada, at least my experience it their food tastes much better than it does when I am down in the USA.
This is exactly right. I just know a lot of sit down restaurants where they have "under 600" menus or what have you. And since sit down restaurants tend to be the most miscalculated, it could really throw someone off if they indulge too often.1 -
SusanMFindlay wrote: »however, if you get grilled chicken and roasted vegetables that will be less calorie dense; why is the restaurants fault that people don't care to make that connection?
So you, as a customer, can tell how much oil was used to roast those vegetables? And how much oil/butter is on that grilled chicken? Sure, it's a lower calorie choice than the fettucini alfredo - but it may still be a 1000 calorie plate. Restaurants add a *lot* of hidden calories that are not obvious to the consumer. Requiring them to 'fess up to that is a good thing. Basically, it's a "truth in advertizing" argument.
Never said that..I just know what is going to be a heavy meal vs a light one. Do you really think adding the calorie count is going to make every meal magically equal what the calorie count is?0 -
I love it! I noticed though that the Tim Hortons soup give calories for 12 ounces, but the small is 10 ounces. I don't know what the large is.1
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SusanMFindlay wrote: »however, if you get grilled chicken and roasted vegetables that will be less calorie dense; why is the restaurants fault that people don't care to make that connection?
So you, as a customer, can tell how much oil was used to roast those vegetables? And how much oil/butter is on that grilled chicken? Sure, it's a lower calorie choice than the fettucini alfredo - but it may still be a 1000 calorie plate. Restaurants add a *lot* of hidden calories that are not obvious to the consumer. Requiring them to 'fess up to that is a good thing. Basically, it's a "truth in advertizing" argument.
Never said that..I just know what is going to be a heavy meal vs a light one. Do you really think adding the calorie count is going to make every meal magically equal what the calorie count is?
No, but it'll put it much closer to the right ballpark. And, for example, the requirement to publish nutritional information has shown me that there are zero reasonable choices for me at a particular chain that my kids like - even though some of the salads sound fine from the menu descriptions.2 -
crzycatlady1 wrote: »
Fair question. We dine out infrequently, and when we do we make it a point to go to local places, not chains. For others who eat in restaurants more often, it is obviously useful.
By chain restaurants here in Australia, I'm not referring to "Burger King" and the like.
And from the sounds of it, in Ontario, this calorie requirement applies to all restaurants.
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@Machka9
Where have you seen calorie counts in Aus that aren't just chains like Hungry Jacks, Dominos, Subway, Guzman y Gomez etc?
Mostly when I eat out it's at a pub or local (non chain) restaurant, so I'm curious if you have seen anything interesting that shows their cals?0 -
pebble4321 wrote: »@Machka9
Where have you seen calorie counts in Aus that aren't just chains like Hungry Jacks, Dominos, Subway, Guzman y Gomez etc?
Mostly when I eat out it's at a pub or local (non chain) restaurant, so I'm curious if you have seen anything interesting that shows their cals?
Banjo's Bakery ... they haven't listed it for everything yet, but I think they're working on it. They do have it up for my favourite, the Cauliflower and Cheese Pie.
https://banjos.com.au/
La Porchetta
http://www.laporchetta.com.au/our-menu
Zambreros
http://www.zambrero.com/zambrero-au/menu
Fasta Pasta
https://www.fastapasta.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Nutrition-Info-Nov2016-Menu.pdf
Nandos
http://www.nandos.com.au/menu/tasmania-menu2 -
pebble4321 wrote: »@Machka9
Where have you seen calorie counts in Aus that aren't just chains like Hungry Jacks, Dominos, Subway, Guzman y Gomez etc?
Mostly when I eat out it's at a pub or local (non chain) restaurant, so I'm curious if you have seen anything interesting that shows their cals?
Banjo's Bakery ... they haven't listed it for everything yet, but I think they're working on it. They do have it up for my favourite, the Cauliflower and Cheese Pie.
https://banjos.com.au/
La Porchetta
http://www.laporchetta.com.au/our-menu
Zambreros
http://www.zambrero.com/zambrero-au/menu
Fasta Pasta
https://www.fastapasta.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Nutrition-Info-Nov2016-Menu.pdf
Nandos
http://www.nandos.com.au/menu/tasmania-menu
Great, thanks. I knew about Nandos but not the others. Banjo's aren't here in WA and there's only one La Porchetta, but I will bear these in mind for when I'm travelling.0 -
pebble4321 wrote: »pebble4321 wrote: »@Machka9
Where have you seen calorie counts in Aus that aren't just chains like Hungry Jacks, Dominos, Subway, Guzman y Gomez etc?
Mostly when I eat out it's at a pub or local (non chain) restaurant, so I'm curious if you have seen anything interesting that shows their cals?
Banjo's Bakery ... they haven't listed it for everything yet, but I think they're working on it. They do have it up for my favourite, the Cauliflower and Cheese Pie.
https://banjos.com.au/
La Porchetta
http://www.laporchetta.com.au/our-menu
Zambreros
http://www.zambrero.com/zambrero-au/menu
Fasta Pasta
https://www.fastapasta.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Nutrition-Info-Nov2016-Menu.pdf
Nandos
http://www.nandos.com.au/menu/tasmania-menu
Great, thanks. I knew about Nandos but not the others. Banjo's aren't here in WA and there's only one La Porchetta, but I will bear these in mind for when I'm travelling.
As far as I know, Banjo's is only in Tasmania and La Porchetta is more popular in Victoria, although we do have one here in Hobart.
At La Porchetta's I go with the Italian Side Salad (680 kj), but I ask for no dressing, so it might be less than that. I have the Cannelloni Entrée (1446 kj), and then I finish with the Chocolate Mousse (680 kj). Total: 2806 kj (670 cal) ... which is not bad at all. It's just a little over my normal dinners.
I also use the information from the Banjo's site if I am in another bakery and have a pie of some sort. I just assume that pies in other bakeries are about the same calories as the pies in the Banjo's bakeries, given that they're about the same size and similar flavour, etc. Same with some of the other things on the Banjo's menu ... if I'm in another bakery and their carrot cake is similar to Banjo's carrot cake, I'll log it as a Banjo's carrot cake. Might not be 100% accurate, but it gives me a reasonable number to work with.
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There is a La Porchetta in Fremantle, though I don't eat there often. I know I've seem them in Vic and somewhere else, though I don't remember now. That's a good meal for 600 or so cals!
I usually use Brumbies (not sure if they are WA or national) for bakery items - like you, I think the products from other bakeries are going to be close.0 -
crzycatlady1 wrote: »
Fair question. We dine out infrequently, and when we do we make it a point to go to local places, not chains. For others who eat in restaurants more often, it is obviously useful.
My husband and I eat out a couple of times during the week and most of the time the restaurants may have two or three locations near by, and some only one since they are local places. None of them have the nutritional information listed in their menus and looking for something similar in this website would be time consuming and not accurate at all; therefore, no logging at all for me.0 -
pebble4321 wrote: »There is a La Porchetta in Fremantle, though I don't eat there often. I know I've seem them in Vic and somewhere else, though I don't remember now. That's a good meal for 600 or so cals!
I usually use Brumbies (not sure if they are WA or national) for bakery items - like you, I think the products from other bakeries are going to be close.
Yeah, I copy Brumbies or Bakers Delight for bakery items. For Italian restaurants, I use La Porchetta's info as a 'close enough'.
I think that Australia has a lot less chain "family restaurants" than the US - we tend to have fast(er) food places or independent or smaller chain restaurants, not really a lot like the Applebees, Buffalo Wild Wings, Hooters, Outback Steakhouse, Dennys etc etc they have in the US, which are the big, sit down restaurants with locations all over the country. I think it has a lot to do with our (awesome) pub culture - there are bars in the US but nothing quite like a pub for dining at.0 -
Alatariel75 wrote: »pebble4321 wrote: »There is a La Porchetta in Fremantle, though I don't eat there often. I know I've seem them in Vic and somewhere else, though I don't remember now. That's a good meal for 600 or so cals!
I usually use Brumbies (not sure if they are WA or national) for bakery items - like you, I think the products from other bakeries are going to be close.
Yeah, I copy Brumbies or Bakers Delight for bakery items. For Italian restaurants, I use La Porchetta's info as a 'close enough'.
I think that Australia has a lot less chain "family restaurants" than the US - we tend to have fast(er) food places or independent or smaller chain restaurants, not really a lot like the Applebees, Buffalo Wild Wings, Hooters, Outback Steakhouse, Dennys etc etc they have in the US, which are the big, sit down restaurants with locations all over the country. I think it has a lot to do with our (awesome) pub culture - there are bars in the US but nothing quite like a pub for dining at.
I agree ... also Australia has fewer of those sorts of chain "family restaurants" than Canada does.
And the pub meals are much better here!
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I can't wait for Cracker Barrel to finally have some kind of nutritional labeling! Right now, all they have is a "Wholesome Fixings" menu, and they refuse to give calorie counts for anything else, which is utter bullcrap to me.1
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