Small vent-- nutritional info at restaurants/estimating calo

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  • bugbeenz
    bugbeenz Posts: 31
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    Most restaurants barely break even. Offering nutritional info is just not a reality for a small restaurant. It is time consuming and has the potential for too much error. Big chains with standard menus that don't ever change have the capability of doing this, but their food pretty much sucks. Do your own legwork and support the independents. Requiring all restaurants to provide nutrional info would effectively shut down most of us.

    and this :smile:
  • dutchessrachel
    dutchessrachel Posts: 6 Member
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    I like to pick apart what I'm eating, and figure out the calories for every component of the sandwich (or meal). For example, figure out the bread by itself, the meat/cheese by itself and mayo or dressing, and then add it all together. Then you can just quick add your calories. It might not be perfect, but it's close!
  • 42kgirl
    42kgirl Posts: 692 Member
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    This one sticks in my craw because it's always written by someone with zero knowledge of the industry.
  • GardenKat99
    GardenKat99 Posts: 15
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    I believe that the chain restaurants should because they have standardized menus. Smaller cafes, mom/pop shops have the luxury of changing up the menu to reflect the season, locally grown etc and often can not afford the nutritional analysis. Although it would benefit me financially if it were the law for every food establishment (I am a Dietitian who does menu analysis), I don't feel the information would be adequate especially since most do not know how to use the nutrition software properly. It is costly as well--valid, up to date databases run anywhere between $600-$5,000 for a license.

    Also who will "police" that the menus/foods are actually the proper caloric amounts? In California, the public health dept fines $50 for those who do not post (chain rest. of 20 or more must post). Government just can't keep up with it.

    Let's put the money, time and effort into providing/mandating nutrition education PreK-12th grade like any other academic subject (math, reading etc). Its not a requirement now and most are not teaching nutrition unless they have grants etc to do so. Learning to eat, relaxing about food and enjoying healthy portions etc will all push our "demand" and the market will respond.
  • GardenKat99
    GardenKat99 Posts: 15
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    Most restaurants barely break even. Offering nutritional info is just not a reality for a small restaurant. It is time consuming and has the potential for too much error. Big chains with standard menus that don't ever change have the capability of doing this, but their food pretty much sucks. Do your own legwork and support the independents. Requiring all restaurants to provide nutrional info would effectively shut down most of us.

    and this :smile:

    So true.
  • GardenKat99
    GardenKat99 Posts: 15
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    Does anyone else think that all restaurants should have to offer nutritional information upon request? I hate going to places to eat and playing the guessing game with my calorie intake. I had a chicken salad sandwich on 9 grain bread today at a local bakery (they are a small chain) and had to guess on what the calories were. They range from 170 calories on up to 700 calories on here. How in the heck am I supposed to choose? Do you shoot high when you estimate or go right down the middle?

    The best part of nutrition education in schools would be that you would know how to choose regardless of calories by the time you graduate. Its the beauty of science based nutrition education ..... great post and discussion!
  • becoming_a_new_me
    becoming_a_new_me Posts: 1,860 Member
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    Nearly every restaurant I frequent, including the small independents are more than happy to accomodate my requests. I almost always default to either a grilled chicken breast or salmon with no sauce, steamed veggies with no sauce or butter, and either a sweet potato or rice. Most don't even mind weighing and measuring the items to make sure that I hit my macros. They just charge me ala carte which comes out less than a meal.
  • guamSUPERgirl90
    guamSUPERgirl90 Posts: 255
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    When I eat out and I can't find out how many calories I ask the waiter/waitress what the ingredients are. That way I can single out how many calories each ingredient has, add them up, voila... nutrition facts for my meal. But thats just me.
  • LaurenAOK
    LaurenAOK Posts: 2,475 Member
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    Most restaurants barely break even. Offering nutritional info is just not a reality for a small restaurant. It is time consuming and has the potential for too much error. Big chains with standard menus that don't ever change have the capability of doing this, but their food pretty much sucks. Do your own legwork and support the independents. Requiring all restaurants to provide nutrional info would effectively shut down most of us.

    and this :smile:

    I don't see how this makes a difference. I do understand the potential for error, but it would be nice to have at least a rough estimate. I mean, look how easy it is to calculate a recipe with MFP - restaurants could just use something like that and have a good estimate quickly and easily. If they have a website, it would be free for them to add nutritional information to it. Or they could print one out and make a few copies to show customers when they're in the restaurant. Would cost less than 5 bucks.
  • 42kgirl
    42kgirl Posts: 692 Member
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    Most restaurants barely break even. Offering nutritional info is just not a reality for a small restaurant. It is time consuming and has the potential for too much error. Big chains with standard menus that don't ever change have the capability of doing this, but their food pretty much sucks. Do your own legwork and support the independents. Requiring all restaurants to provide nutrional info would effectively shut down most of us.

    and this :smile:

    I don't see how this makes a difference. I do understand the potential for error, but it would be nice to have at least a rough estimate. I mean, look how easy it is to calculate a recipe with MFP - restaurants could just use something like that and have a good estimate quickly and easily. If they have a website, it would be free for them to add nutritional information to it. Or they could print one out and make a few copies to show customers when they're in the restaurant. Would cost less than 5 bucks.
    Of course you don't understand. If you haven't worked or better yet owned a restaurant, you have no idea of the hours of work it entails. It is not a restaurant's job to calculate how many calories you eat. If it's so easy to calculate, then do it yourself.
  • LaurenAOK
    LaurenAOK Posts: 2,475 Member
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    Most restaurants barely break even. Offering nutritional info is just not a reality for a small restaurant. It is time consuming and has the potential for too much error. Big chains with standard menus that don't ever change have the capability of doing this, but their food pretty much sucks. Do your own legwork and support the independents. Requiring all restaurants to provide nutrional info would effectively shut down most of us.

    and this :smile:

    I don't see how this makes a difference. I do understand the potential for error, but it would be nice to have at least a rough estimate. I mean, look how easy it is to calculate a recipe with MFP - restaurants could just use something like that and have a good estimate quickly and easily. If they have a website, it would be free for them to add nutritional information to it. Or they could print one out and make a few copies to show customers when they're in the restaurant. Would cost less than 5 bucks.
    Of course you don't understand. If you haven't worked or better yet owned a restaurant, you have no idea of the hours of work it entails. It is not a restaurant's job to calculate how many calories you eat. If it's so easy to calculate, then do it yourself.

    Actually I worked for over a year in a small privately-owned restaurant.

    I would gladly calculate it myself, except for I have absolutely no idea how much of each ingredient is in the meal. Like I said, I totally understand that there's a potential for error when restaurants calculate recipes - the chef may use a slightly different amount of butter every time, etc. - but a rough estimate would be so much better than nothing. Of course each restaurant is free to do what it wants; that's the point of owning your own restaurant, I guess. I'm just saying it would be very helpful and I do tend to favor restaurants where nutritional information is available, as others on this thread have mentioned. It's possible that adding nutritional info could even help business in that respect.

    Also, this:
    I think in Washington its a law that anywhere that serves food has to have the nutrional information available.

    I'm not sure on the accuracy of that, but if it's true than obviously this is something that's doable. I'm pretty sure Washington has small restaurants just like everywhere else.
  • SweetSammie
    SweetSammie Posts: 391 Member
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    I usually go with the higher estimate. I also try to leave a couple of hundred exercise calories. It IS frustrating, and sometimes I find myself ordering things that I think will be easier to track, especially if we are eating out for convenience, not for a celebration.
  • mfp_1
    mfp_1 Posts: 516 Member
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    ***********************************
    http://www.fda.gov/food/labelingnutrition/ucm217762.htm

    On March 23, 2010, the President signed the health care reform legislation into law. Section 4205 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 requires restaurants and similar retail food establishments with 20 or more locations to list calorie content information for standard menu items on restaurant menus and menu boards, including drive-through menu boards.
    ***********************************
  • celesteflenory
    celesteflenory Posts: 22 Member
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    You know... I thought I was the only one frustrated by this. It actually has made me shy away from wanting to eat out. It is absurd that all of the fast food restaurants have their nutritional info out--but we know better than to eat at these places. Yet, it seems that the restaurants, cafe, and local joints do not seem to care enough to post it? And what is worse is that when I request it, they look at me strange. (I am very overweight). It is maddening. I actually cancled an order because of that. Well...it had more to do with the rudeness of the cashier when I asked for the information, but still... But I agree with several people on here, when in doubt, be sure to modify whatever you can to a healthier meal (sans mayo, no butter, serve sauce on side, etc), I tend to estimate on the higher side, and then workout to help with the potential extra calories, and do not be afraid to ask what IS IN the food you are eating. If anything, just tell them you have to track your calories.

    Best of luck to you!

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