'Would a 1,600 calorie salad put you off?' blog discussion

x3ja

thrifty_student wrote: »

I would be in favour of introducing a compulsory nutritional information pack that ensures restaurants give vital statistics about their food within a certain error range (if requested).

I think the if requested part is really important. This info should be available at all restaurants, but it shouldn't be printed right next to the items on the menu. Maybe a table at the back of the menu with all the info, maybe a leaflet on request... but please don't shove it in my face!

That's pretty much the way it works in a supermarket too anyway - if you don't want to look at the nutritional info, you don't have to (it's on the back), but if you want to, it's there. I guess this has changed a bit now with the "wheel of death" or whatever those mostly-red wheels are on all the food I buy

Eric_Pisch

It's extremely difficult in the real world for anyone who wants to control there food intake unless there preparing what they eat themselves.

Having the nutritional information on every meal would be very helpful even if it was only a typical value it would still allow you to avoid those "hidden" extras.

Why should you have to request it? Just print it and those on a morale crusade can just ignore it.

JimmyTheWig

snugglepet20 wrote: »

Did anyone else see that GMTV thing where they said there is a glass of lard in every chinese takeaway meal? It's put me off anyway!

Put you off??
It's made me want one even more!

beer_tins

I rarely eat out more than once a week. So I don't see it is a problem and eat what I fancy. It's what you eat the rest of the time that will really have an impact.

When I was in the US for 2 weeks on business last year, I did have to watch what I ate. With buffet breakfasts, huge portions and grilled cheese on everything, I could have easily piled it on in that time!

Phyre_Faerie

Do people not worry that it will just standardise everything so we end up with the same manufactured dross wherever we go? Some of the stuff on pizza's for example that passes for steak or chicken. We know its nutritional value though so that's ok... You can usually find the nutrition info online for any chain. I'm a big nando's fan and it shocked me my starter was higher in cals than my main. BUT I go out as a treat and as such want to enjoy my night out not scrutinise the menu.

irrelevant

I have a relative who is a chef - yes, many dishes that are cooked to order are often slightly different each time. Ingredients are bought on the day, and can very slightly. And the cooking process changes things too..

At the other end of the scale, I have to applaud McDonalds! Next time you inadvertently find yourself in one of their establishments, turn over the tray liner - there you will find nutritional information, allergy information, etc, for each of their products.

Welshwoofs

I can't see how this would be possible in local independent restaurants, especially ones who pride themselves on 'blackboard menus' which change daily according to what's fresh and in season.

I tend to stick to general principles when I eat out - for instance a red wine sauce will have less fat than a hollandaise. Fish will have less fat than red meat. Green veg as a side rather than potatoes or chips is a healthy option. Skip the bread rolls and skip the pud.

Beta_Block_Party

It seems many don't want to know how many calories are in their food.

But in the interests of helping out dieters and weight-conscious types, is it really such a big deal if your menu has a small addition to it?

When presented with the calorific truth of how much food is going to cost your body, it's so much easier to convince yourself to say no.

minerva_windsong

It would put me off eating the salad, in that I'd go, "Oh the heck with it" and order the burger, because I'd probably view the salad as the healthy option and then decide to have what I wanted anyway if the salad was worse than I thought.

I wouldn't mind having nutritional information on menus when eating - it's just being more specific about what you already know, ie that a lot of restaurant/fast food is high in things like fat, salt, sugar and calories. As others have said if you view it as a treat and make sensible choices the rest of the time (and indeed when you're in the restaurant, no one's making you get dessert for instance) then I don't see what's wrong with the occasional blow-out.

MacMickster

Beta_Block_Party wrote: »

It seems many don't want to know how many calories are in their food.

But in the interests of helping out dieters and weight-conscious types, is it really such a big deal if your menu has a small addition to it?

When presented with the calorific truth of how much food is going to cost your body, it's so much easier to convince yourself to say no.

As has already been mentioned, this is fine for chains with standard menus - but I wouldn't eat at any of them. I take great delight in visiting a couple of very good local restaurants and choosing from the blackboard specials, put together by the chef using seasonal ingredients, locally caught fish etc, combined with their imagination and culinary skill.

I suspect that if chefs were legally required to work out and provide full nutritional information for these one-off dishes (with the prospect of fines for incorrect information), that these specials would disappear from menus across the country and we would be left with the plastic food that the chains dish up.

I have no problem with restaurants voluntarily including nutritional information on their menus, and those who feel a need for this information can eat at the restaurants that do, but please don't add another bit of bureacracy requiring restaurants to do this.