Copyright © 2008 Demand Media, Inc. Use of this web site constitutes acceptance of the LIVESTRONG.COM Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Updated. The material appearing on LIVESTRONG.COM is for educational use only. It should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. LIVESTRONG is a registered trademark of the Lance Armstrong Foundation. The Lance Armstrong Foundation and LIVESTRONG.COM do not endorse any of the products or services that are advertised on the web site. Moreover, we do not select every advertiser or advertisement that appears on the web site-many of the advertisements are served by third party advertising companies.
Member Comments
by mistressk on September 29, 2009 at 1:10 PM
every restaurant should be required to provide nutritional information in some form (most fast food chains publish it online; only some have it available in-store). that way more people would see that the "healthy salad" they're about to order has more calories and fat than the hamburger next to it on the menu!
i'd prefer to see better reporting on the menu shown above - not just calories, but a listing of grams per macro as well. something that only has 200cal may be comprised of 90% fat!
by kokopelmana on September 29, 2009 at 2:50 PM
I agree, Mistressk, really good point!
by jonkeelty on September 29, 2009 at 5:42 PM
Yes - that would be fantastic, but perhaps a little unrealistic. At least having the calories is a good start?
by cleardc on September 29, 2009 at 1:54 PM
I love the idea. Helps with making better choices when I want to and doesn't give me the excuse, "I just didn't know how fating or calorie laden that meal was..."
by ivan94708 on October 6, 2009 at 8:59 AM
I see that I prompted you to remove the brown lab and post your picture. I retract my comment of 9/29.
by sgislon on September 29, 2009 at 2:06 PM
I think it would be great if I knew what the caloric and carbohydrate counts for items on a menu were before I ate them, not after the fact when I got home and looked them up. My husband and I split meals when we go out and even then the calories in half the meal usually put us over our daily limit.
by kokopelmana on September 29, 2009 at 2:49 PM
Yes, it would effect my decision - but in the best of ways, I would think. It would be really nice to see the caloric content of restaurant food. If, at that meal, I want to stay in control of what I am eating, it would allow me to do so. If I do not, seeing the caloric value is just good info, regardless. I want to know what I am eating. More info is good.
by ivan94708 on September 29, 2009 at 3:02 PM
The wife has trained me to make healthy choices, so that I can do pretty well without a chart. But even so if the caloric breakdown were available, I might leave a few bites on the plate. Given the mobility of our society and the eating patterns, this information is essential. BTW cleardc, I've never known you to leave a scrap on your plate.
by Prissy100 on September 29, 2009 at 6:59 PM
My ignorance of calories was once blissful before I started dieting and counting them religiously the last 2 years. I always had a pretty good hunch of things like french fries & hamburgers, not a malt though, never knew exactly until the internet and this site. I sure used to like having dessert out before I knew, like at 'Olive Garden' that lists theirs online, that definitely ended the 'Blissfulness' of enjoying it like I did before. Even before I knew, I would cut way down the next day after I went out to eat, knowingly having an extra big and special meal.
For hamburger & taco joints, I like the idea. A more expensive restaurant? No not really, I liked being ignorant, going out to dinner is a once in a while treat for me.
by TheTwoMs on September 29, 2009 at 10:45 PM
If I do go out to eat (which is rare, special occasions only really), then I eat whatever I want to; but I do like to know the calorie contents, so that I can track what I've eaten and see the impact on my weight that week and know where it came from. I'll still choose whatever sounds good to me from the menu, and I won't worry about the calories when I'm making my choices, but it's still nice to have them available.
by sakrosangkt on September 29, 2009 at 11:09 PM
Yes, I would definitely use the nutritional information at a restaurant as that is one of the major challenges to my dieting! It would also be nice if all restaurants could offer this information but as someone who has worked in the mom & pop restaurant business, I can see it being tough for small restaurants to come up with info.
by lmlucarini on September 30, 2009 at 4:15 AM
I definately think it would be helpful. For those who don't care about the calories I don't think it will have a huge effect, and for those who do it won't make them less ignorant but it will save them a ton of time and doubt trying to look it up and find comprables after the fact.
by abberose on September 30, 2009 at 9:03 AM
I'd love to be able to see calorie counts at restaurants. I'd like to be able to make an educated decision on where I'm spending my calories.
And especially things like sandwiches, pasta, etc. The calories can vary so much depending on what ingredients they use, what type of bread, etc, that it's very hard to get an accurate estimate. I think the info would be very useful.
by keithyw on September 30, 2009 at 10:17 AM
For the most part, I think having the caloric information helps a lot for myself. The other thing is that perhaps restaurants will start gearing their menus to be more health conscious. For instance, I've noticed that Denny's started doing some half portions. So even though their food is horribly greasy on average, they at least have been cutting down on the size (which is a nice start).
Of course, that doesn't stop you from craving something. I know that Carl's Jr has a Double Western Bacon Cheeseburger that has something around 900 calories. But once in a blue moon, I will order it because it is a guilty pleasure.
(It's all about balance :)
by slacktide on September 30, 2009 at 10:23 AM
First off... If I'm going out for a "nice dinner" its not going to be at a "restaurant with 15 or more outlets nationwide".
But if I am going out for a convenience dinner, I am far MORE likely to choose a restaurant which publishes it's nutritional information, so at least I can balance my total daily intake around a more extravagant than usual dinner.
by johnnyBbad on September 30, 2009 at 11:18 AM
two thumbs up!! (um, hold the butter on that popcorn...). Definitely a good move. The only reason companies won't do this is because they're afraid it will hurt sales.
I would vote for requiring calories on menus and full nutrition information available on site in some form (that is, could be in a supplemental pamphlet or on the menu or online -- simply would need to be available).
by lesliemoniot on September 30, 2009 at 11:51 AM
I wish it was required of all restaurants to tell you the truth. It would be an incredible first step towards educating Americans about what we're really eating. I don't think most of us have the first clue, and it seems like we have to work extra hard to learn what's healthy and what isn't. While lots of people still don't know the difference between organic or conventionally grown, they do tend to know that less calories is better than more calories, and it's an association that could eventually teach people that vegetables have less calories than say, pizza.
by schmiedman on September 30, 2009 at 1:26 PM
It would be GREAT to have at least SOME nutritional information at restaurants (like calories, fat, carbs and sodium) because it certainly helps ME make better choices - and makes using LIVESTRONG'S Daily Plate a LOT easier to use!
by ringwal on September 30, 2009 at 1:43 PM
There are so many restaurants that DO publish their nutritional information, online at least, that I think it's unethical for a restaurant to NOT make that information available. And it's not much better when a restaurant only publishes nutriional info for "selected" menu items - which just happen to be the 5% of the items on the menu denoted as "healthy".
Another sneaky trick I recently discovered: I had some gift certificates for Macaroni Grill to use so I thought I'd check online to see if there was anything safe to eat. I at first thought the fat count was surprisingly low for many menu items, but at a closer look I realized that they only report SATURATED fat; they don't even provide the total fat grams information!
As a previous poster mentioned, I'm sure restaurants are afraid to post nutritional information out of worries that it would hurt sales, but perhaps having to post the information would encourage them to add healthier selections to their menus. For my own part, even if I feel like splurging a little calorie-wise, I'm still more likely to go somewhere that provides me information on exactly how MUCH I'm splurging. I think at some point it has to be considered part of a restaurant's customer service.
by betsygh on September 30, 2009 at 3:14 PM
I think it's a great idea. I often find that things I thought would be good choices in a restaurant weren't so great after all. I actually choose restaurants by whether or not I have access to their nutritional breakdown quite often. I've often been shocked by just how bad some things really were. I looked up my husband's meal from Taco Bueno one day and almost passed out when I found out he'd eaten about three thousand calories at one meal. I don't even want to think about the amount of fat he ate. I think if people had to look at those exorbitant calorie counts at least they would think twice about it.
by danikamaia on September 30, 2009 at 4:35 PM
it does absolutely affect what i order at a restaurant. the elephant bar for example provides nutritional information and you could spend all night debating what to get based on taste vs. nutritional info. The best thing to do when eating out is ORDER AN APPETIZER AS AN ENTREE!! the portions are far more reasonable and you'll find that you ARE full. **** THAT DOESN'T MEAN ORDERING THE "ASSORTED APPETIZER SAMPLER PLATTER" AT MOST RESTAURANTS IT IS FULL OF FRIED FOOD AND CAN PACK UP TO 3000 CALORIES!!
by kalico812 on September 30, 2009 at 5:27 PM
i have basically been eating whatever i want when i go out, very rarely it is at a chain restaurant, they tend to be high in fat and sodium. i prefer the mom & pop/diner type places. i can track using what i believe to be close to what i have eaten. i have become a very good judge of sizes and weights of food over this last year.
by pepin909 on September 30, 2009 at 6:23 PM
To be completely honest- Yes and No. It would force me to make the best choice, which in the long run would help me accomplish my goals and make me happy. On the other hand, sometimes I want to just not think about calories when I'm just out with my friends and giving myself a night off the vigilance.
by ohliz on September 30, 2009 at 6:50 PM
It would affect my meal choices and i would like to have the info.
When I have to eat fast food, which is maybe 3x a year, I appreciate access to the pamphlet behind the counter with nutrition info so I can choose wisely.
I fell much better knowing I ate there AND stayed on my plan.
If I'm going to cheat I want to know it and enjoy it properly :)
by darthhellokitty on September 30, 2009 at 7:43 PM
I'm glad the MyPlate database has lots of restaurant foods on it. Knowing that a certain food item is 500 calories means I can decide whether it's "worth" that much to me. Now that I'm on a fixed number of calories per day, I'd rather eat something I *love* for 500 calories rather than something I'm just "eh" about.
by deee2 on September 30, 2009 at 8:33 PM
I DO want to know the calories of my 'eating out' experiences. I think all restaurants should supply the nutritional information. The smart ones would start now, before it's mandatory. I for one, choose restaurants where I KNOW how many calories I'll be getting. I'd like more restaurant choices!!
by AshleySloper on October 1, 2009 at 6:39 AM
I think that if i saw the calories on the menu it would definatly put things into persepective and I would eat healthier. I think its a great idea, and every resturant should do it. You would shocked about how bad the calorie count is on your favorite meals.
by luxe115 on October 1, 2009 at 8:10 AM
I am amazed as I use this site, just how many calories I have been eating. After cutting down on the fat and sugar SLIGHTLY in the last 3 days, it is apparent just how actually addicted to fatty, sugary, foods I am. I didn't realize that I CRAVED them. All that aside, I would like to see the nutritional information available somewhere for restaurants. I can forgive the smaller places, though with the availability of the internet, they should be able to get that information as well. At least post the ingredients, so those of us who care can research. I find it unforgivable when I go to a major chain website and I either can't find the nutritional information, or it is buried so deep on the site that it takes all my creative power to locate it.
by megbanville on October 1, 2009 at 8:45 AM
I wouln't be as afraid to eat out if the calorie counts were on the menu. Unknowns for me is one of the biggest obstacles I have to making good food decisions. I can guess what's in things, I dont need fat or carb breakouts. Right now, when I plan on eating out I look up something similar on livestrong to what I want to eat and plan the rest of my day around those calories and stick to my plan, if the counts were available, there would potentially be so many more options. It's just the right thing to do.
by eturner1128 on October 1, 2009 at 11:00 AM
I have a friend who is an Executive Manager for Frisch's and their company refuses to put out nutritional information on their food until it is required by law. My friend said that everything that isn't deep fried, is grilled with butter. The only safe bet is the salad bar - if you forgo the homemade dressings.
I think ignorance is bliss... it tastes oh-so-good-until you go to weigh in or button your new jeans then it is a kick in the pants.
by staysafetonight on October 1, 2009 at 2:00 PM
Ignorance is not bliss. It is good to know the amount of calories and sodium and fat among others. The nutritional guides helped my awareness in choosing alternatives to the 1012 plus calorie meals along with the 2300 mg of sodium. Yikes!
by FaithWatson on October 1, 2009 at 3:41 PM
I'd vote for a middle way. Make the information easily available for those who seek it. Like a wine list. You don't have to look, but if you want to, they should have the info. on hand.
Most people who are health conscious and/or trying to manage their weight have a good idea about how much of what sorts of foods they should be choosing. I find that lots of times, people know but don't want to admit it or face it. Everyone knows raw veggies are a better choice than deep fried foods, and if you skip the cheese and mayo on your burger you're dumping a bunch of fat. Fast food chains probably shouldn't be on their list of frequented places for most people who are trying to eat well, for nourishment's sake.
But if it's not a regular meal choice, than not to fret over the occasional splurge on sour cream and bacon bits or whatever. Go for a jog and get back with your healthier choices for the next meal.
by mistressk on October 2, 2009 at 6:00 AM
with obesity an increasing problem in north america, wouldn't it be beneficial for even those who are not trying to eat healthy to gain some perspective on what they're cramming in their mouths?
even the least health-conscious person has heard about the 2,000cal/day average on which nutritional labels are based, and might think twice before ingesting a meal with several times that amount if the information was directly in front of them.
by slimkim59 on October 1, 2009 at 7:23 PM
Yes, I do think that seeing the caloric content does effect decisions. But eating out should be the exception and not the rule. Often times I make choices on what I feel like eating. Knowing how many calories are being consumed is much better than guessing and easier to track
by doctoruv on October 1, 2009 at 8:20 PM
Info good Fat Bad
More Info Less Fat
Why Not Give Facts
by ikkiichiyuu on October 2, 2009 at 1:54 AM
I JUST WISH I COULD HAVE THAT HERE TOO. *Gets ready to pack up and migrate to NY*
by joannastar on October 2, 2009 at 2:25 AM
I think it's a great idea, I wish they'd bring in something like that over here. I spend ages trawling through websites searching for nutrition information, cos it really isn't obvious on a menu what might be healthier.
Personally I try to avoid eating out at places where I can't find nutrition information; I'm only going to succeed in losing weight if I know what I'm eating all the time so I can keep control.
by boord on October 2, 2009 at 10:59 AM
ignorace maybe bliss, but obesity is not. (fat & happy is a lie)I know there are recent studies publish that just traking food intake people eat less and most people underestimate the amount of calories in the food they eat.
Califoria recently past a similar law and I love knowing instead of guessing. For me there are now places I go that I would not before becuase they refused to provide any nutrtional infomation, like Friday's, and Coco's.
by AdamLind on October 2, 2009 at 11:32 AM
My wife and I went to California Pizza Kitchen a few months ago and I saw the data on the menu and it absolutely biased my decision on what to order. I was completely floored by how my calories many of the choices had. I believe we ended up sharing something, so we even saved money! I'm not a fan of requiring businesses to do stuff like this, but they should absolutely do it voluntarily, for the greater good.
by nancedance on October 3, 2009 at 7:02 AM
I think it would help reduce our obesity epidemic if all restaurants included calorie counts. The same meal that I make low cal at home can be very high cal when prepared in a restaurant.
by JohanM on October 9, 2009 at 4:02 PM
I went to the Cheesecake Factory after that law was passed and saw how many calories were in one of their special cheesecakes...1,800+!! For one slice! No way I'm going to eat that, I don't care how great it might taste.
by chasingjoy on October 18, 2009 at 11:18 AM
It would definitely affect my decision. I hope they require it everywhere. I might even drive off after the "snap out of it" that the huge numbers give me. Nothing tastes that dang good. We can all look it up online but who's going to do that when they crave something yummy. When we're forced to see what we're doing to ourselves it will be a different story.
by TerrieRolwes on October 19, 2009 at 9:02 AM
I don't think it should be a "law", it should be a courtesy of the restaurant. They should have this information easily availalbe upon request. I always think about the calories before I order something. People know if they are making a bad or good choice. There is enough information available via the media for ANYONE to be aware of what is in a huge plate of any food, unless it is fish, chicken and a lot of steamed veggies, and what that the calories are above what you need or should have. If people want to be ignorant, it should be the legal systems responsibility to force it. You can not mandate personal responsibility!
by dchell on October 19, 2009 at 9:50 AM
It does affect my decision. I'm in between the law and the courtesy. While law is pretty harsh - putting in preservatives and unnecessary added butter is pretty harsh too. I don't think there are all the answers out there on the web. I have no idea if that meal had extra salt, how many tablespoons of oil, was is 3oz of chopped chicken or 6oz. I say that if the meal itself is over 1000 calories, then don't put the nutritional things on there - one can figure out if they want to spend that much in a meal. If it's under 1000 calories, I'd like to know what's in it and how's it prepared.
by ivan94708 on October 19, 2009 at 12:58 PM
Home alone last night. Tempted to go out for In-n-Out double-double and fries. Yum. But 1000+ calories (I knew thanks to Joe & The Daily Plate). I passed. Yeah, knowing the caloric content is useful and does affect my food choices.