Comments on: Today’s special: Calories in menu

By: mystery poster

mystery poster — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 19:56:02 +0000

Oh, Please!!!
Your comment is exactly why this information needs to be made publicly available:

…”it doesn’t require a doctoral degree to figure out that a cheeseburger has way more calories than a salad.”

McDonald’s Southwest Salad: 400 calories
McDonald’s Cheeseburger: 310 calories

By: Caroline

Caroline — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 20:20:02 +0000

Yes please! This would be so helpful (although I realize cumbersome for the restaurant owner)to ensure that the healthy meal you think you are consuming is actually healthy. Perhaps they could have nutriton facts for the regular printed menu but waive the requirement for the “daily special” as this would be incredibly difficult.

By: JimBob

JimBob — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 20:14:00 +0000

Yes, that and the amount of Carbs.

By: Janie

Janie — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 20:04:59 +0000

I don’t need the government to tell me what’s bad for me. I already know. I also know that if I eat a fast food burger, I’m going to have to work extra hard on the walk that evening. I will have to walk 4 miles, instead of the usual 3. My poor doggies.

This is why I grow my own veggies, and do my own cooking. I don’t like to go out to eat. Ok, maybe once every third blue moon. I do love a good mexican meal, even if it is not as healthy as eating at home. And once in a while I like to treat myself and be waited on and have someone else clean the dishes. Not often, but once in a while…….

By: reservoirDAWG

reservoirDAWG — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 19:53:36 +0000

Here is an idea for all the fat people. Stop eating bacon cheeseburgers and fries everyday. Try a salad and going on a walk, maybe even a brisk one. I think the states are having enough budget crises without you worry worts trying to cram more expensive regulation down everyone’s throats. As the baker stated earlier, this would knock a whole lot of independant restaurants out of business.

By: Lynette

Lynette — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 19:47:02 +0000

I left Atlanta last Spring and moved to NYC (but thankfully am moving back in 16 days!)
Every coffee shop and restaurant has the calories posted and it’s definitely made me change my way of eating. However, what Jason said about how it’s only for chains is correct. I’ve only seen this at places like Starbucks, Applebees, McDonalds etc.
When you see that one entree is 1600 calories and one is 900, It really makes you think. The South is the fattest section of the country. We drive everywhere even if it’s down the street and we eat like crap. Maybe if the calories were posted, it would make people think twice about what they eat. I know people who eat out every single meal and maybe if they saw that they were eating double the calories they should, they would think twice about what they are eating.

By: thaDeetz

thaDeetz — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 19:20:55 +0000

Let me interject a little bit of fact into this debate so as to dispense with faulty, lofty intent. As a wholesale baker, I must maintain up to date nutritional information on all of my products. Any change in formulation requires the accompanying label change which requires intense scientific analysis to acquire that difficult to obtain information. There is quite a bit of science involved. This laboratory process is lengthy and on average $7000 to $10000 PER item analyzed. As a wholesaler, this price is figured as CODB. In my operation, there is volume so as to easier absorb this premium cost. In one or two location restaurants, there is not the same volume and business patterns can fluctuate wildly. Many of your favorite spots will not find it worthwhile to deal with such onerous regulation. For those remaining brave few, this will kill the ability to regularly rotate the menu and keep their customer base happy. It will be the unmitigated death of the creative chef culture. If you want to see the individual restaurant business dry up with the remaining few being prohibitively expensive for the middle class, go ahead and support this subdued socialism. This is just more nanny-statism run amock, all disguised for ‘the common good.’

By: Ykcir

Ykcir — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 19:14:27 +0000

How rediculous. Once you start forcing them to print the nutritional stats then what’s next? Forcing the restaurants to have “healthy” options or a more healthly menu altogether. Going out to eat is a treat. If you don’t know ahead of time that it may not be low in calories you have your head in the sand. It is supposed to be an endulgence. Yikes, less government is always better.

By: Jason

Jason — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 18:40:02 +0000

This is another example of over-legislation by our government. The law in NY applies to chains only (5 or more locations or something like that), so mom and pop’s and independant restaurants are not included.

The crazy thing is that is that chains are already required to have the nutritional information available in the restaurant. They have leaflets available with all the info. Requiring restaurents to post calorie info on their menu boards and menus is redundant – and costs the restaurants tons of money to do so. Who ultimately pays, we do!

It’s about personal resposibility. People know that a Whopper is not too good for them, but they eat them anyway. If you eat one every day, then your health will suffer. Every now and then though, it’s no big deal. Let’s think and make decisions for ourselves and keep the government out of it.

By: James

James — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 18:22:20 +0000

PLEASE HELP ME Government.The restaurants are making me fat! Make them quit ! Help me Barrack and Nancy ! Help !
Don’t let the free market decide to post calories if they want to. Protect me and make them do it. Do it for the children.