Feeding Frenzy

By Stan

September 8, 2008 12:06 PM | Link to this

I’d rather know. I have no problem with a splurge but I prefer to make an informed choice. Maybe cause I’m a guy I don’t have the guilt associated with the splurge meals. No offense is intended by that comment, I promise I am NOT a sexist pig :)

By Stacey

September 8, 2008 3:43 PM | Link to this

I’m torn regarding this issue. On the one hand, I have been shocked more than once to find out that a certain dish contained five times the fat and calories that I thought. In (some of) those instances I would have chosen a healthier alternative. On the other hand, a lot of fast food restaurants have had their nutrition information posted in the dining or available by request. I very rarely look at those charts when they are available.

By Adam

September 8, 2008 4:43 PM | Link to this

Why not include it? It can only help the individual make an informed decision. You can still order what you want but at least you know what the calorie count is and can quickly compare choices.

By FCM

September 8, 2008 7:12 PM | Link to this

When I worked at Chili’s we had the nutrition info for our Guiltless Grill entries (they were low fat/calorie so good options). I do know that if you knew the caloric content of most things you might feel your arteries clog looking at the menu.

I say put it on there. I generally ignore it anyway. Still, it would be there for those who wanted to know. I generally ignore the symbols that tell me healthy options too. When I go out I eat what I feel like ordering, not what scale dictates. Most of the time I feel like eating healthy so I eat grilled meat, steamed veggies or salad with little dressing. Plus there is the take half home, so therefore you eat less, method to the madness.

By Fat Tony

September 8, 2008 9:18 PM | Link to this

For all you “put it on the menu” supporters; just remember that this is going to add significant costs to these businesses. That will translate into lost jobs, higher prices, or both.

By stu

September 9, 2008 7:51 AM | Link to this

Consumers should bear the burden of knowledge in this case. Diners make poor choices because they don’t understand the basics of nutrition. The calorie heuristic is not the answer. For once, can’t we take responsibility for what we put in our own bodies? An informed individual can make good choices for him/herself and family.

By bobs

September 9, 2008 8:10 AM | Link to this

Actually, Fat Tony, most restaurants already know this information and so it will cost them little or nothing to share it. The question is why shouldn’t consumers have all the relevant information to make an informed decision. If all restaurants had to do it, none would be at a competitive disadvantage.

By Joyce

September 9, 2008 8:19 AM | Link to this

Absolutely, nutrition information should be posted. We can indulge all we want, its simply best to know what your eating. There is only good that will come from posting nutrition information. If you don’t care about it, you don’t care. No problem with that. If you feel guilty, maybe you do care? If you do care, it makes a huge difference because you might find that some of your choices will surprise you!

By Alan Hochbaum

September 9, 2008 9:19 AM | Link to this

As usual, there is a compromise available. Require restaurants to have the information available in paper form, but don’t require it on the menu. That way, those who are interested can access that information, and those who aren’t interested can indulge.

As a teacher, I am still amazed how often we take hard line positions on issues instead of trying to figure out ways to “make things work.”

By Dan

September 9, 2008 10:54 AM | Link to this

If people want the info its a great idea, restaurants, like any bus should try and give the cust what they want. What is completly inane is having a law to compel that. I guarantee, no two dishes in a rest, that is not an assembly line fast food place are the same. This is simply another way for irresponsible people to blame someone else for their bad decisions, and for pols to posture as if they are making a diff.

By Shaye

September 9, 2008 11:11 AM | Link to this

Yes and no… I agree with making it available in the restaurant but not necessarily on the menu. I try to look things up before I go out so that I can make an informed choice, but this kills spontaneity. It would be nice to go out anywhere and know I can find the information if I want it, rather than running through a list of restaurants in my head that I have some of their menu items memorized.

That said, I’d be willing to bet that including the information on the menu would encourage restaurants to start reducing those numbers for many of their items. Perhaps the (marginal, I’d guess) cost of adding the info to actual menus could be offset by reducing portion sizes of the worst “offenders,” thereby making even those healthier choices than they are now.

By Jack

September 9, 2008 11:46 AM | Link to this

Keep more Government regulations out of our lives. Take responsibility for your own actions. If a restaurant wants to list this information-fine, but that should be THEIR choice. YOU make the choice if you want to go there or not. Let the free market work.

By ron

September 9, 2008 11:52 AM | Link to this

Anyone that is calorie conscious knows that most restaurant meals are over the top,calorie wise.Requiring a restaurant to post calorie counts on a menu is useless information.All portions and ingredients have to be the same all the time or the calories contained vary wildly.Accurate calorie counting requires that each portion be weighed before serving.Restaurants that are busy don’t have the time for this.Are they going to be in trouble with the law if their calorie count is off?Is this the ultimate goal of these laws?Fining restaurants?

Overweight people need to find out what they can consume in a day’s time to control weight.It’s surprisingly little,by the way.The correct portions make a plate look very bare.

I don’t go out to eat so I have no problems with restaurants,but for those of you who do,leave the restaurant owners alone.They have enough problems without having to worry about how many extra calories they are serving because the oil in the deep fryer is 10 degrees cooler than it should be,thereby greatly increasing the amount of oil absorbed ,and raising the calorie count above accepted levels.

By Jason

September 9, 2008 4:42 PM | Link to this

Knowing the amount of calories would help you make a more informed choice about what you ordered off the menu. Clearly posted upfront information can’t hurt. However, it’s up the individual to have portion restraint. It’s up to the individual to have balance. Just posting the information won’t keep you from becoming fat if you make bad decisions.

By Jessalyn

September 9, 2008 11:23 PM | Link to this

Absolutely! I like to make the healthier choices and I can’t do that if I’m not informed. I already elect not to eat food from places where I can’t access the nutrition information easily.

By Jennifer

September 10, 2008 8:35 AM | Link to this

I would like all restaurants, not just fast food, to include the nutritional information, so I am able to make the healthiest choice.

By Jennifer

September 10, 2008 8:43 AM | Link to this

I would like all restaurants, not just fast food, to include the nutritional information, so I am able to make the healthiest choice.

By Nom de Plume

September 10, 2008 9:08 AM | Link to this

• By Jack

Keep more Government regulations out of our lives. Take responsibility for your own actions. If a restaurant wants to list this information-fine, but that should be THEIR choice. YOU make the choice if you want to go there or not. Let the free market work.*

Hmmm…do you really think we live in a free market society? I assume we should abolish the health code rules and inspections, since we consumers should be able to make proper restaurant choices supported by that giant invisible hand, right? Same for food inspection, I assume. How dare there be unilateral standards for describing what we eat and what the minimum standards of care and safety should be. I’m all for Libertarian thought, but I’d rather not play Russian Dressing Roulette every time I need to eat away from home…

By Ben

September 10, 2008 11:17 AM | Link to this

RE:”For all you “put it on the menu” supporters; just remember that this is going to add significant costs to these businesses. That will translate into lost jobs, higher prices, or both.”

Please site your reference and study that there will be “lost jobs” and “higher prices” because that is a typical knee jerk reaction without any facts to back it up.

By J.D.

September 10, 2008 11:22 AM | Link to this

So do you really think it’s some big secret that the ice cream fudge brownie swimming in a pool of chocolate and whipped cream has a half a zillion calories? And do you think by displaying that number it’s going to divert a serious chocoholic? If they really want it, they’re gonna eat it. They already know this.

Before long every item on the menu is going to require some dissertation telling all of the ingredient’s origins and blah, blah, blah. The majority of us don’t need that because we’re just interested in the price and getting it quickly.

Besides, ingredients, preparation, and cooking methods, lots of things can impact the caloric values. It would be a nightmare for restaurants to keep their menus accurate. And we’d ultimately be the ones footing that expense too.

If you’ve got to have that much info about your food then go back to Mama’s house and eat or stay at home and fix it yourself.

By jc_atl

September 10, 2008 11:37 AM | Link to this

Yes. You should be able to know that the Applebee’s salad you slathered with 8oz of ranch dressing actually has as many calories as a hamburger.

By Nicole

September 10, 2008 3:24 PM | Link to this

i dont think it should be mandatory, but I would appreciate it. In the end it is still my choice what I eat.

By james

October 5, 2008 12:11 PM | Link to this

“Let the free market work”, “keep government regulations out”? You’ve got to be kidding me! Humans are, by nature, ignorant of external influences. As proof, I need only point to the fact that the person reading this—you—has a 70% chance of dying of a chronic disease which is exacerbated by diet. Did you “choose” to die that way? Cost-benefit studies have shown that hundreds of thousands of lives will be saved because of these legislations. “You should make the choice”? Yeah that’s worked wonders for the crack addicts, sub-prime borrowers, and the morbidly obese.

By student

March 25, 2009 11:59 AM | Link to this

all restaurants are inspected and given a grade, but my question is, how often? i also read that in the state of Georgia, their are 60 inspectors per 16,000 facilities. what can be done?