Do you really want calorie labels on menus?

[Rocklobster]

I don't count calories when I go out. I go out for flavor. Normally I don't eat much fried, sauced(creamed, gravy or cheesy stuff as a rule) so with that in mind I can order fairly confidently. I count calories at home, though.

 

[Andy M.]

I think it's a good idea to have nutritional information at fast food joints. I'm opposed to it for real restaurants. Especially for small, locally owned establishments.

 

[GB]

I think having that information available is a great thing and I do not think it is a nanny state thing. If they told the restaurants that they can not serve anything about a certain calorie count then that would be nanny state. I am all for having as much information available as possible. You can not always tell just from the description of the dish how calorie heavy it might be and for those looking to watch that sort of thing how else would they know unless it is published somewhere.

My daughter is 9 years old and has been learning about healthy eating in school. She is a label reader and reads the nutritional info on everything I bring into the house. When we go out to eat she picks broccoli over fries, lima beans over dessert, healthy over less healthy. If calorie info was available I am sure she would be looking at that to help her make educated choices. For me, I would not even look at that info, but it would not hurt me or affect me to have it available on the menu for those who do care to see it.

 

[GB]

I'm opposed to it for real restaurants.

Andy, you are someone whose opinion I hold in the highest regard. I am curious why you opposed to it for real restaurants.

 

[Andy M.]

Andy, you are someone whose opinion I hold in the highest regard. I am curious why you opposed to it for real restaurants.

Several reasons, GB.

First, it's not all that easy to accurately determine the caloric content of your foods. Not all restaurants/deli/pizza places have the knowledge or ability to do it accurately. If they have to pay someone to do it, that's an extra expense.

Also, I go to those places because they provide great foods I can't get elsewhere. It's a dining experience, not a nutrition break. I don't care about the nutrition label.

 

[Steve Kroll]

I think nutrition info is great. I don't think that is "nannying". Nannying would be a law that limited the amount of sugar, fat, salt, whatever, in the food served. This just allows people to make an informed decision.

I absolutely agree. I do try to watch what I eat, including at restaurants. I'm not always going out to a restaurant for enjoyment. Sometimes I have to be at a restaurant for a lunch meeting, and don't always have the choice of the venue.

While some are making the argument that nutrition information is available on separate websites, flyers, etc., it's often difficult to look at the menu and then compare with a chart and try to figure out the calorie count. On top of that, when they break the calorie chart into the components of the meal - i.e. the sauce is in one section and the vegetable in another - it becomes a nightmare.

I don't understand why anyone would disagree with it. If you want the information, it's there. If you don't, well, then just ignore it.

 

[GB]

Thanks Andy. I had not considered the difficulty in calculating it. As always you have enlightened me.

 

[Steve Kroll]

I think it's a good idea to have nutritional information at fast food joints. I'm opposed to it for real restaurants. Especially for small, locally owned establishments.

I do agree with the principle, but I think there is also a gray area as to what qualifies as a "real restaurant" vs. fast food. For example, there are lots of mom & pop burger and sandwich places that would be considered fast food. And then there are the Olive Gardens and Applebees types, which are much more like "real restaurants" (though some may argue otherwise) than fast food.

Just a thought, but maybe a better criteria would be to take into consideration the number of restaurants or franchises operated by a given company.

 

[taxlady]

Several reasons, GB.

First, it's not all that easy to accurately determine the caloric content of your foods. Not all restaurants/deli/pizza places have the knowledge or ability to do it accurately. If they have to pay someone to do it, that's an extra expense.

Also, I go to those places because they provide great foods I can't get elsewhere. It's a dining experience, not a nutrition break. I don't care about the nutrition label.

That's part of what I liked about the proposed Ontario law. It will only be required of chains of five or more restos earning $5,000,000/year or more.

 

[Rocket_J_Dawg]

It's not so much that I am against the proposed legislation, it's that like most things this province comes up with is it's half a55. It doesn't apply to the multitude of mom and pops, whether they are a junk food outlet or a fine dining restaurant. Here in Barrie we have more mom and pop restaurants than we do big chains.

What I would like to see is a listing of allergens. Eggs, soy, nuts glutin.

Recently we met some friends at our local (insert Big Chain here) and the waitress couldn't answer Mrs D's question on whether a particular dish contained egg yoke. She simply pointed to a disclaimer at the bottom of the menu that stated "To our guests with food sensitivities or allergies: (big chain) cannot ensure that menu items do not contain ingredients that might cause an allergic reaction. Please consider this when ordering." We paid for our drinks and left.

 

[Andy M.]

...Recently we met some friends at our local (insert Big Chain here) and the waitress couldn't answer Mrs D's question on whether a particular dish contained egg yoke. She simply pointed to a disclaimer at the bottom of the menu that stated "To our guests with food sensitivities or allergies: (big chain) cannot ensure that menu items do not contain ingredients that might cause an allergic reaction. Please consider this when ordering." We paid for our drinks and left.

Wow! That borders on criminal irresponsibility. I'd report them.

 

[GotGarlic]

First, it's not all that easy to accurately determine the caloric content of your foods. Not all restaurants/deli/pizza places have the knowledge or ability to do it accurately. If they have to pay someone to do it, that's an extra expense.

Actually, it's not that hard I've mentioned before that I have software called "Living Cookbook" that, among many other things, calculates the amount of calories and other nutrients in a recipe.

http://www.livingcookbook.com