Calories on the menu - just why?

[Figmentofmyimagination]

Visited pizza express last night to catch up with a girlfriend - first visit since pre pandemic. Ordered my favourite fiorentina pizza with spinach and egg but my enjoyment was somewhat diminished by reading the 950 calorie count on the menu. I understand that this is the law now. Who decided that this is a good idea? Absolutely crazy.

I wholeheartedly agree with this and contributed to the consultation for these reasons:
• it is a step towards more accurate nutritional information being mandated on all food
• most people* are clueless about nutrition, its role in our overall health both short and long term
• *including most medics unless they specialise and keep up with latest research
• many people overeat and eat the ‘wrong’ foods i.e. foods that are nutritionally lacking or even compromising to health
• eating these foods leads to inflammation and physical damage
• most people need to learn more about food & ‘unlearn’ fallacies, e.g. salt is bad for you, fat is bad for you etc. it is much more complex than that, and one diet does not suit everyone (I do not mean diet in the sense of weight loss).
• the real evils are processed, nutritionally devoid frankenfood, seed oils and sugar.

We eat out very rarely and it’s a nice treat to go out for a meal. This would take the edge of the treat for me and I wouldn’t enjoy my food as much. Given what little joy there is in the world at the minute, it just makes treating yourself seem entirely pointless. There should be the option to have a it shoved it your face or not

@puddleduckmummy

We eat out very rarely and it’s a nice treat to go out for a meal. This would take the edge of the treat for me and I wouldn’t enjoy my food as much. Given what little joy there is in the world at the minute, it just makes treating yourself seem entirely pointless. There should be the option to have a it shoved it your face or not

You're being dramatic.

You're being dramatic

I think this too. If you are going out for a treat, it's a treat so you must know you are maybe going to have more calories than normal.

For people who eat out more, it is helpful.

If you normally eat a lasagne with garlic bread then it is just advising you how calorific this meal is anyway.

@puddleduckmummy

We eat out very rarely and it’s a nice treat to go out for a meal. This would take the edge of the treat for me and I wouldn’t enjoy my food as much. Given what little joy there is in the world at the minute, it just makes treating yourself seem entirely pointless. There should be the option to have a it shoved it your face or not

I agree this seems extreme. Places like Starbucks have been putting calories on their food for ages. And all the food you buy in the supermarket is clearly labelled.

Most of us understand a meal in a restaurant will be at least 1,000 calories.

I have just looked at the pizza express menu and was able to pick a main course and desert for around 700 calories. I am really trying to lose some weight - but in a healthy way. The calories means I still get to go out.

I also think it will make restaurants give people healthier options.

It’s probably not that accurate in any case unless it’s a chain with tightly measured out portions.

@Figmentofmyimagination

I disagree. Unless I am a complete outlier, a visit to a restaurant is an unusual treat. Anyone who needs to know how many calories are in their pizza can look it up on one of the many apps that are available. Everyone else should be allowed to enjoy their pizza in peace.

But you can enjoy it in peace! It’s not as though the pizza is screaming out to you with every bite. It’s a bit of print on the menu. I find it really useful, I was about to have a Pret salad recently and checked the calories - it was over 700! I was a really shocked as I hadn’t expected that for a salad. I was able to make a more sensible choice - I probably wouldn’t have checked online as it was just a salad and I expected 4- 450 cals. I do need to watch my calorie intake and it’s super useful. If you don’t need it, just ignore, and be happy it’s helping those of us who do need this info.

Everyone knows a treat is more calories than usual. Why is having that confirmed a problem?

Instead of going to the big chain restaurants to go an nice independent one the new law only applies to places that have over 250 employees. You can eat guilt free. 😂

@Girliefriendlikespuppies

This is a disaster for my 16yo dd, she is trying to recover from an ED and having the calorie information everywhere is triggering and damaging for her.

At the very least I think restaurants should have calorie free menus that you can ask for if you want to.

We were in Frankie and Bennys Wednesday night and I asked for a calorie free menu for dd and they looked at me like I was crazy. It completely spoilt the meal and dd was plagued by guilt afterwards.

I'm so angry about it, as if caring for a child with anorexia isn't hard enough.

Sadly the majority of responses, which probably reflect the population don't keep in mind things like this. They don't see a problem with it, so it's fine.

It's a good idea!

On a personal level I’m not keen. I have a tendency towards disordered thinking around food, or believing I’m fat when realistically I’m not. I don’t go out to eat often, and psychologically I give myself time off from thinking about calories or fat grams. Obviously I know they’re there, but having them on the menu brings them to the forefront, and would taint my enjoyment. I think I’d definitely find myself pulled to the lower calorie choice, even if it wouldn’t have originally been my first choice. Which is fair enough - and what I do - with every day food, but I’d like a treat to be just that.

I remember queuing up in Costa when this came in and being really surprised at how high the calories for a muffin were rather than a cheese toastie or sandwich when the latter would be lunch but a muffin just a snack.

Years ago I reached for a muffin. Friend - a slender calorie counter - 'do you know how many calories are in that'? No, as it happens, I dont. Read the calorie count. Blimey. Haven't touched one since. For me, it's useful to have the info in front of me as a reminder.

Everyone's obviously going to feel different about it, some people will hate it some people will love it. This usually happens when change takes place

Sadly the majority of responses, which probably reflect the population don't keep in mind things like this. They don't see a problem with it, so it'sfine

Except most people in the thread are against it .

Carpedimum

*I wholeheartedly agree with this and contributed to the consultation for these reasons:
• it is a step towards more accurate nutritional information being mandated on all food
• most people are clueless about nutrition, its role in our overall health both short and long term
• including most medics unless they specialise and keep up with latest research
• many people overeat and eat the ‘wrong’ foods i.e. foods that are nutritionally lacking or even compromising to health
• eating these foods leads to inflammation and physical damage
• most people need to learn more about food & ‘unlearn’ fallacies, e.g. salt is bad for you, fat is bad for you etc. it is much more complex than that, and one diet does not suit everyone (I do not mean diet in the sense of weight loss).
• the real evils are processed, nutritionally devoid frankenfood, seed oils and sugar.**

**

THIS! Great post. Really clear.

I went out to my favourite restaurant just last night and saw that my favourite meal was over 1000 calories. I’d already eaten loads of crap so I changed my order to a meal with half the calories. It clearly works.

Putting the calories on menus and being transparent about the food we eat is so important and gives us the power back a bit. We have been manipulated, using extremely clever tactics based, on highly complex research, to consume more and more and more (not just food either). We don’t even know it’s happening half the time. This is one step closer to giving us our control and (proper) choice back.

But I’d have no problem with eating a meal of 1000 calories as part of a balanced day. None at all. I’d rather have a good quality, well cooked nutritious 1000 meal that I wanted than a 500 meal I didn’t that was filled with crap. That’s the whole point. Counting calories doesn’t work long term. It gives the brain a feeling of restriction which it reacts to by wanting food. A balanced day filled with nutritious food is what I want my kids aiming for. They will eat far more regulated.

It's helpful to some with EDs.
DD says it gives her some control rather than completely swerving eating out. Without guidance she just won't go out to eat at all, and this leads to real isolation

Then surely a menu on request is the answer so the many that are in treatment with calorie content strictly kept out of view and those recovering who need to continue this can also eat out.

I know Cote Brasserie do a menu without calories on request. I would like all restaurants to provide this option. As someone who struggles with an ED on and off it would put me off going to a restaurant

I think it works as went out to Wagamama on the day I decided to start eating healthier (and exercising more) so read with interest the difference between what Id normally order and what I decided to order this time as it had fewer calories.

It was helpful. Not sure it will solve obesity though.

I have found it really helpful over the last few days as I have eaten out a couple of times. I am actively trying to restrict my calories to lose weight as well as eating low carb. I went to Cote and the calorie count helped me decide between two dishes I liked the look of. I think it is a positive thing.

@Alm0nd1 I totally get you. Even after I recovered physically from my Anorexia a huge amount of my thoughts were taken up with calculating calories I had or would be going to eat in a day. I didn't eat out very much so I had still a lot of control. My true recovery came when I had to work away for a month - living in a hotel. I got really stressed beforehand about having to eat out at every meal and not having control but I couldn't turn down the opportunity for that reason. But actually after a few days I realised I couldn't guess what was in everything and I was too busy to look everything up. And it was so liberating! I didn't put on weight (my fear) and actually really enjoyed not knowing! Now I don't think about calories ever and I eat out about once a week. I don't want to go back to the endless calorie calculations .

I look at calories (and other things) on most foods I buy. It's not the be all and end all but I do tend to err towards lower calories options. You can't always know what this is when eating out so I will find this useful.

@Alm0nd1

But I’d have no problem with eating a meal of 1000 calories as part of a balanced day. None at all. I’d rather have a good quality, well cooked nutritious 1000 meal that I wanted than a 500 meal I didn’t that was filled with crap. That’s the whole point. Counting calories doesn’t work long term. It gives the brain a feeling of restriction which it reacts to by wanting food. A balanced day filled with nutritious food is what I want my kids aiming for. They will eat far more regulated.

Good for you? Counting calories absolutely does work long term, but who says the 1000 calorie meal is more nutritionally balanced than the 500 calorie one? I don't really get the trail of thought that suggests it's a bad thing for someone to make an informed decision on what to eat partly influenced by calorie intake.