Should Restaurants post Nutritional Information about their Food?

[Lisa Newton]

It's an interesting question? Would you look at the nutritional information on the menu? Would it influence you as to what you would order? Would it hurt restaurant owners to have the information posted?

What say you?

[HomeFitnessbody.com]

Absolutely agree and this is a great topic. New York City recently passed a law for all restaurants that have more than 15 establishments (mainly fast food joints) that had to post their nutritional information in easy to read type. I dropped a post on my blog about it: http://homefitnessbody.com/blog/fast-food-calorie-counting/

[Metroknow]

In thinking more about this, I actually think that the 15 establishments concept (Thanks Tom!) is a critical distinction.

One of the side effects of the current economic situation is immensely increased pressure on smaller restaurants that have to absorb skyrocketing food costs (for example, here in Portland the price of flour has risen by nearly 87% according to an Oregonian article today).

This is resulting in two things: Mom and Pop restaurants going out of business because of increased pressures and cost increases (which lead to less business for many), and 2) Fast food and big box chains are reaping the benefits because they can spread that cost increase across multiple restaurants, not to mention that their smaller local competition is reduced.

The net result? The quality of food we eat on whole is decreasing as more and more people seek out cheap alternatives via fast food. Truth be told, most folks will buy junk food if it's cheaper, essentially putting off health concerns in favor of budget, regardless of the availability of health information. McDonalds is the prime example: Nutritional information at McDonalds has been available since the late '80s (that I know of, first hand), and has it resulted in better consumer choices? I doubt it, on whole.

So, I think it's not as simple as a "yes" or "no" -- I would hate to add even more burden to small restaurants who would have to pay for things like printing costs (repeatedly, as Lisa rightly pointed out the resources shift over time), as well as evaluation costs from 3rd party companies who test those foods.

There has to be a better way. There has to be a way, not unlike the "15 establishment" rule, to give people the information they need without excessively burdening small business.

Thoughts?

[Lisa Newton]

From my original blog post, "In addition, the proposed California bill--which would affect restaurants with 15 or more locations in the state--was conceived to avoid burdening small eateries and solo proprietorships."

Yes, I think the 15 rule is a good one. Most restaurant chains have nutritional information on their website, but how many times do you actually look at the site before you go to eat.

An other blog post I did, How a “Virtual Burrito” can help you Lose Weight, featured a calculator from Chipotle. Not only is it useful to figure out fat and calories, but the sodium content was pretty amazing.

I do agree that with the increase in food prices, you might see more people going the fast food route, but they will also have to follow suit and increase their prices, if they want to stay profitable.

Ultimately I think nutritional information will be made more freely available, and it will be up to the individual consumer to make their choices.

If you didn't read my blog post on this topic, here's a short story featured in it:

"A friend of mine works as a cashier for a large restaurant chain, and she told me, that when given the option for low-fat cream cheese or regular cream cheese, most of her customers choose the regular fat cream cheese."

If given the choice, which would you choose?

[Lisa Newton]

Today's blog post yields new information, What Foods would you eat in New York City?

What do you think?

[Andy Stanton]

As a person with Type I diabetes using an insulin pump, counting carbs is part of my food/insulin intake program. It is so helpful if they have it either posted on the wall or in a brochure.

CalorieKing.com is my friend!!!!!!

[Starbuck]

While I think it's an interesting question, I have to think people should take responsibility for themselves. I don't have to read the nutritional synapses to know that a Big Mac, Large Fries and Large coke is bad for me. What's more important, I think is have the correct information listed in the grocery stores. For expample simply stating "Whole grains" is bs, yes it's whole grains, but then it's stomped on to make it no better than white bread. it has to state 100% whole grains...

[Susana]

California Restaurants sue over nutrition posting law...

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/07/08/BA5P11L...

[Susana]

I don't think this should be a legal issue. Are they trying to hide all the calories, sodium, trans fat, and sugar they add to the meals? I believe consumers have the right to know what they are putting in their mouth... even if they don't care.

I do care so I don't enjoy eating out as I used to do. Also, being vegetarian, I struggle to get something interesting that is not a salad sometimes! I enjoy some Indian food because they have more options. Their food is spicy -and fattening probably-. So I leave this as a treat once in a while. I'm happy at home making something healthy for my family.

Well... that's my opinion :=)

[SpinDiva]

My favorite cooking magazine is Cooking Light from the Taste of Home Collection. The one thing that Love most about this magazine is that each recipe has, in fine print, the nutritional value and the diabetic exchange so that people can make educated decisions about what they put on the table.

The same would be for restaurants with nutritional value and diabetic exchange. People would easily be able to decide on a well balanced, healthy meal, if that's what they want to do; likewise, those with diabetes would be able to choose what's best for them, etc.

It may not work for those who don't care, it may force some people to care, but it will definitely work well for those of us who want to be in charge of our nutrition.

[Chuck Bartok]

If an Owner wished to provide that information it would be interesting to some. In no way should it ever become "mandatory", and also there could be a liability situation, in today's ridiculous litigious Society, reagarding the Validity of the information.

I feel it is an individual responsibility to know the "value" of what is presented as fare.

[The Fight for Fitness | Blake Hagen]

They absolutely should post nutritional info. Even if people choose to not eat healthy at least they would know. It would definitely affect where/what I eat when I go out.

[Scott Stawarz]

What a great question!

I wrote about this briefly in my post: Great list of Fast Food Restaurants with Nutrition posted

I totally feel that Restaurants should post their nutrition information. Specifically, I think on the menu one needs to put at a minimum the calorie information. How can we as a public know what we're eating. What if a restaurant is using all trans fat and cholesterol oils? Where another restaurant uses more nutritious mono unsaturated fats?

I think it hurts restaurant owners in the short-term, but the entrepreneurs and the capitalistic market would adjust. For example, someone would probably devise a service for nutritional analysis out-sourcing for small business. I think there would be some physical devices invented to help streamline it.

In the short-term, restaurant owners might have to buy newly designed menus and be creative in their recipes which might be costly.

Why does grocery store foods require food labels but Restaurants don't?