MoneySaving Poll: Should restaurant menus tell you the calories?

wobbleybobs

I have only ever been to a restaurant once that showed the calories against every meal (It took a while to actually realise what the numbers meant) I can honestly say it totally ruined the meal, we ended up eating considerably less which in turn is not good for a restaurants business. The result...I will never go to that restaurant again.
I want to eat guilt free. I do not have a weight problem so at least a menu with or without calories shown should be offered but again this is extra costs for a restaurant to produce.
It also raised a couple of points. It could encourage chefs to adjust meals to reduce calories. Not everyone has a weight problem so why should their choices be compromised if flavour is affected and finally how do you know or prove the calorie count is accurate.
I think the weight watchers are the reason the vote is high in favour of this idea.

Gordon_the_Moron

I'd personally rather have the info.

If I go out to enjoy a meal at a restaurant I don't expect (or want!) it to be calorie free, I want tasty food prepared for me. I don't expect the serving sizes to be perfect to X amount either. That said if one dish has 400 calories and another has 1000 it might sway my decision which to choose.

a4turbos

Who pays for this calorie information? US, the consumer.

Who tests and gives a calorie count of a certain dish? A specified laboratory who will charge in excess of £200 per dish to test and provide certification.

Now who does this favour? It favours the big chains who have the same menu distributed throughout their 100+ restaurants serving exactly the same pre made food.

If you go to your local restaurant or cafe, where the menus change on a daily/weekly basis using local produce and cooked by a real person, then is it feasible for such an establishment to pay for such certification? of course it isnt. It would put a huge burden both administrative and financial on small local restaurants.

The spirit of producing calorie counts is fair, but a line needs to be drawn in how this number is obtained.

Hoipolloi

Hell no. I'd never eat out again!

brightonman123

I would rather the menus were in larger, plain type. Or at least have some decent lighting, so we can read it!


As for calories, its a restaurant- not weight watchers! enjoy!

mapk

That'll take the fun out of the cake trolley then!