Should we have calories on all chain restaurant menus?

I suppose? But no one would eat it then. I wouldn’t anyway… *But I don’t eat fast food so. You kinda don’t need to know quite how bad it is… I didn’t need numbers to know there’s enough grease in it to end the oil crisis.

@GabrielsLamb Not just fast food, all chains.

I’d like that very much—and frankly, with the potential downside to the business owners, it might present an opportunity to make the choices healthier. We rather live in a “what you can’t see won’t hurt you” world sometimes, and making our bad choices blatantly bad might be a good thing ;-) That said, I hate to stinkin’ legislate everything. I’d really support those restaurants that did such a thing voluntarily.

Why just chains? Why not have calorie information on all restaurant menus?

@marinelife I would like it on all, but I think the laws were for chains because maybe it costs some money to accurately determine calories in a meal? And, chains probably have extremely consistent portions. Just a guess.

@JLeslie I was thinking the same thing on the costs. Chains are pretty consistent with their food, but a single establishment would have to have everything tested to be accurate with the calorie count.

I don’t care, either way. It’s hard for me to understand watching my weight with that much discipline because I don’t have to at this time in my life. I guess if I really cared, it would be good to know.

I think it would be a good idea or at least wouldn’t be a bad one.

As has been said the cost to implement and enforce can be prohibitive but there are ways around that.

From what I’ve seen it hasn’t had the impact many had hoped – which isn’t that big a surprise after all McDonalds (just to pick on them) has had salads on their menu for a good long time now yet they are hardly what’s keeping them in business. I don’t think the majority of people who order a big mac care if it has 600 calories if that’s what they’re hungry for and seeing that isn’t like to dissuade them. After all the biggest fast food hit in the country last year (or was that ‘09?) was the KFC double down – you don’t have to be a nutritionist to know that’s probably not the best thing for you to be eating day after day. (Oh, and don’t forget the Hardee’s Monster Burger!)

However I’m of the mind that information is a good thing, if people chose to ignore it so be it, but at least it’s at hand when most useful should they opt to take advantage of it.

@wonderingwhy Some salads at restaurants are just as many calories as their burgers. I think that is what I would want people to know. And, the hidden fat in dishes. People pretty much figure a Big Mac has a lot of calories and fat, but what about the pasta dish at Friday’s (totally random, I am not picking on them). The last time I took a cooking class the chef put butter on the pasta for dish that had a red sauce. Outback has a big lump of butter on it’s steamed green beans; melted of course by the time it is served, you may not realize it is there. The huge plates help the portions seem normal when they are gigantic.

I don’t think so. I think maybe a nutrition sheet at the front might be available, and a page on the website so you can preplan, but on the menu itself? I don’t like that idea. I think it would be distracting, and might affect people’s choices out of fear of being judged by others at the table. Eating out is, for most of us, supposed to be a pleasure. If one has an issue with the nutrition information one should, as I mentioned, get it from the website or other source ahead of time. “Are you sure you should have that?” can really kill any joy in a meal ordered out.

In Philadelphia, we have calorie counts in all chain restaurants, and maybe in other restaurants as well. I don’t think a single person looks at the numbers. I know I don’t. But they are there just in case anyone cares.

1. I like having more information freely available.
2. I oppose laws making that mandatory.

@JLeslie “Some salads at restaurants are just as many calories as their burgers.” absolutely true, all the cheese, dressing, croutons, ect. add up significantly! It would go a good way in exposing some of the calories people gloss over when ordering. Sort of like extra cheese on a burger, 1 slice 80–120 calories, and the added butter (100 per TB) to pasta and veggies.

In that case, of the person ordering what they think is healthy or, more to the point, low calorie, having the numbers right in front of them could make a clear difference. I suspect many people in that boat probably know enough before-hand to make “better” choices but still, it makes it easier.

When I was in America last month I noticed that the vast majority of restaurants we went to had the calories next to each meal on the menu. I don’t see that here in the UK. It’s a good way of helping people take responsibility for themselves and what they choose to put in their bodies.

I did find myself making my decisions based on how many calories I would be putting into my body.

I’d like to see that
I’d also like to see the nutrition facts lable changed to show what is in the whole container.

If you buy a pie, for example, it says in bold print: “Contains 200 cal per serving , 12 servings per container”. It should also say in bold print “2400 calories per box.”

The calories should be posted as prominently as the price.

Oh, @worriedguy , then pie sales would drop dramatically. I really like to believe that a large slab of Dutch apple pie a la mode is exactly like eating an apple with a glass of milk. Don’t spoil my fun!!!

Would be great but restaurants/pubs/fast food/etc owners should not be “forced” to put them.

Yes please!

Yes, I like the idea. To me, it’s just the same (or almost) as having ingredients and calorie content on the label of food packaging. It’s just one more way for consumers to be able to know what they’re really getting.

Plenty of people don’t give a darn what they’re putting into their bodies, but the people that do care (vegetarians, people with allergies to certain foods, people with certain diseases like celiac disease, diabetes and heart disease, cancer) would not only like to know the actual ingredients but the calories and sodium contents and carbohydrates contents and fiber contents etc. It’s better to have as much information as possible. Those that want to dismiss/ignore the information are always free to do so.

Calories? YES.

Ingredients? Definitely!

@JilltheTooth I see your point, but having to check ahead of time seems like a lot of work. Having to ask for the nutrition sheet or walk up to the front to check the calories on a dish, seems more disruptive to the meal, and more obvious someone is watching calories. If it is just there on the menu it can be looked at or ignored, and no one is the wiser. My concern about regulating this is another equirement and expense for the restaurant, but if they already have the work done, I’d prefer it right on the menu, that seems less conspicuous to me.

I tend to check menus online before I go somewhere anyway, so I don’t find it would be that much different.

Yes, I think the calories should be included in a menu in hard copy as well as on restaurant’s website. It doesn’t matter for those who don’t care about daily calorie dosage, but it can be useful for those who are on special diet, have some health issues or want to monitor their calories consumption. It’s a great way of helping people take responsibility for themselves and what they choose to put in their bodies. Thus, I am in favor of requiring it by law. At least maybe I would be able to stop myself before consuming another huge portion of chocolate cake:)

I agree with @JilltheTooth – I’d rather not know the information by default, for aesthetic purposes. It doesn’t take a whole lot of work to ask for a nutrition sheet. Getting up to ask for it might even burn a couple of calories!

I don’t know if I would go as far as to require it by law – I don’t like the idea of making a law for things left and right at every opportunity – but it would be nice to see nutrition information on more things. I don’t go out to eat that often, but I’d like to see some health stats, not just for calories. I’m trying to eat more protein (I’m a vegetarian) and less carbs, so it would be ideal to have that in front of me for things that I wouldn’t already be able to guess.

I like to see the calories on the menus! So far I’ve only seen them in Panera, Subway, Chipotle and McDonald’s if I’m not mistaken. I’m all for it! I don’t know if it should be a law, but I would definitely view it favorably as a customer.