Transparency in Food: Calories on the Menu
May 12th, 2010 | 
Author: First things first, lets take a quick quiz. Which meal is healthier? (answer at the end of this post)
Calorie counting is not a new diet trend. Nutritionist agree that keeping track of what you eat and how many calories you take in is the best way to control weight and create success when dieting. However, this can be difficult to do when you are unaware of how many calories are in your food when you eat out. Some restaurants do offer nutritional information on their website or by request but now the government is getting involved and will soon require restaurant chains with 20 or more restaurants to post calorie content for each menu item right on the menu, overhead menu, and drive through menu, and the numbers may surprise you! Some salads at California Pizza Kitchen have more than 1,400 calories, a shocker that could easily send a dieter scurrying to IHOP, where chocolate chip pancakes have fewer than 700. (Source LA Times Blog) Many menu items will bring shock to consumers when we start to see the numbers on the menu and some consumers do not like that one bit:
“I prefer not to see the calories listed on the menu, I feel that it’s yet another ‘big brother’ watching what I do. I enjoy restaurants and don’t need or want this guidance.”
“I know this is a bad attitude, but living causes death,” she said. “If I’m gonna go, I’m gonna go with a smile on my face and something dripping down my chins.”
Although many people seem to be happy living in ignorant bliss about their foods, there are many more people who see this movement as a fantastic idea:
“It could help a lot for some of the big calorie items. There are some burgers out there that are literally 1300 or 1400 calories,” explained Diane Johnson, a clinical dietician at Marshfield Clinic in Minocqua. (Source)
“Right now, when coffee drinks can range from 20 calories to 800 calories and even hamburgers can range from 250 calories to over 1,000, people have no idea what they’re eating,” said Mary Story, a nutritionist and obesity expert at the University of Minnesota. “I try not to eat out. It’s just too easy to gain weight.” (Source)
“I think having all this information for public perusal is excellent, but I can’t imagine that the eating establishments are very happy about it.”
Surprisingly enough many restaurants are actually backing this regulation and many are already taking steps to list calorie content on the menu, even before it becomes law.
“We are pleased to be the first national concept to provide this level of transparency to customers,” said Scott Davis, chief concept officer for Richmond Heights-based Panera. “It comes from our commitment to providing nutrition information and wholesome foods our customers can trust.” (Source)
Yum! Brands Inc., parent of KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut, made a similar pledge in 2008, promising to post calorie counts on the menu boards of all company-owned restaurants by 2011. (Source)
This law might not be such a bad thing. It never hurts to be more informed so you can make a good (or bad) choice but furthermore restaurants will be more likely to provide healthier alternatives on their menu to counter balance the high calorie items. They may even go as far to re-think their current menu items and recreate them to be healthier without skimping out on the taste. This law could also be very helpful for those of us who currently think we are ordering healthy foods when in fact we are not.
What a great time to give you the answer to the quiz from above…So what is healthier? Turns out the McDonald’s Big Mac is far healthier then the Blimpie Veggie Supreme:
Big Mac Calories: 540
Veggie Supreme Calories: 1,106
Surprised? I was. As someone who keeps a food journal I am actually kind of excited to see calorie content next to my food prices. In fact, I might be more likely to go out to eat when this takes effect because after learning that a veggie sandwich is worst then a Big Mac I am not so keen on eating out right now…
Like it or not, chances are the President Obama will be signing this into law soon so be ready to see what is really in your food.
Is it really the government trying to get too involved in the health of the American citizens or is it about time we know more about the food we eat so we can make informed decisions? You decide. Tell us what you think in the comment section below.
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Posted in First Post | 
Tags: calorie counting, calories on menus, eat this not that, Food, health reform
I am happy to see this happening because it’s hard, especially when on the go, to take the time to know exactly what you’re eating. You would have to research it as it stands which could include looking online or even asking the establishment for the nutrition facts. They’re supposed to have those readily available, but at a few leading chains I have asked and they have been unable to supply the nutrition facts.
A lot of people are naive to how many calories certain foods have for many different reasons and this law would force people to become educated and hopefully make the change for better choices. I can see food establishments getting upset over this, but we really need to up the anty on what we’re putting in our bodies, so perhaps a much-needed change will start in motion.
From Facebook: I love this idea
From Facebook: I dont know if i am really for it or not. i think by far people can eat healthier at home and if they choose to splurge a little then by all means go out to eat. i think people would still get what they want. i dont know just my opinion.
Thanks for posting this. It’s a very interesting idea; I personally am in favor of this because there are definitely some surprises in terms of calories in menus. I don’t think that it would prevent me from ordering something if I was REALLY in the mood for it, but it certainly would make me more conscious of my food choices and probably eat better when dining out overall.
I was curious what the nutritional value/calorie intake was for Carl’s Jr. because as with any food, if it’s absolutely delicious it’s usually bad for you. I went to their website and it was pretty scary! Figures they built 2 brand new ones within a few miles from where I live! Damn you Junior!
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