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

snugglepet20

MacMickster wrote: »

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.

I see your point but a guideline within say 50 calories shouldn't be too hard even for individual dishes. Any decent chef should know the calorific value of standard ingredients such as butter, sugar, meat, etc and approximately how much they use. 30 seconds with a calculator and job done!

hellyboo_2

Well hope you found SOME way of working those calories off Martin hee hee!

I can see both points of view - We don't eat out very much so it is a treat and I know full well that my New York cheesecake will have a couple more calories in than a bunch of grapes but it is a treat.

I wonder who would be financing it? Would it be us as the consumer with hiked prices?

Some restaurants do already show calories on their lighter bite menus which is very useful for those who are calorie counting or for occasions which aren't a treat which you can't avoid eg a work lunch.

I think it would empower people to make more choices and as GP I know how difficult some people find it to lose weight and this may help especially for those hidden calories in the supposed healthy option as seen above ie a salad.

VeniVidiVisafree

:j I think there are just as many health conscious foodies as fatties out there...
All my friends and I would love this information in our favourite eateries! Why shouldnt chefs put out a healthy option it should be second nature to them with their skill, precision and ingenious recipe ideas...

The Brewers Fayre chain used to do Weight Watchers healthy options with information... not a lover of chains but would go if a friend wanted a healthy calorie counted couple of courses...chocolate/orange ice-cream is no more:(

... did I hear right and the new government are undoing Jamie Olivers hard work and bring TURKEY TWIZZLERS back???... but thats another forum... :eek:

Zyyb

Something that might be helpful to a few of you, would be to take a look at mynetdiary. It's free on the PC, i paid for the iPad app and update it then.

It has a lot of information about calories and nutritional information on things, a lot are user contributed, ie found online or by asking and then submitting the data. If i type in nandos it comes with a whole list of menu items.

The program also figures out your specific calorifc intake based on height and weight and goal targets, not just the bog standard averages. It's helped me, i definitely know what i'm eating more and somethings do shock you!

hayleythedaisy

I think there should be a choice of menus - so if you choose to you can look at the menu without seeing calories. As someone who hasn't always had the best relationship with food it would spoil my occassional evenings out knowing what the calorific content. If people eat in moderation normally and don't excessively eat out they should be able to enjoy it as a guilt free pleasure.

Errata

I prefer to dine at restaurants that give the lady the menu without the prices, so I most certainly don't want to see the calorie count

daaave

MacMickster wrote: »

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.

Well said that man.

yalisrib

I love the idea. I am underweight and due to the fact I burn zillions of callories just by coughing, I am always on the lookout for high calorie food. The only problem is taht these types of foods are usually really unhealthy. These types of salads will mean that not only I can get the calories I need, I can also get my greens in one meal.

pmduk

Flickering_Ember wrote: »

I don't bother about calories. Besides which, if I am treating myself/being treated to a meal out, I will have whatever I want because it's a TREAT. If I want a bowl of gruel and a glass of water, I'll stay home!!

just check the salt content in that gruel!

pmduk

I must say I want to know which items contain hydrogenated fats. After all, their only existence is to increase profits whilst adding no additional nutrition whatsoever.