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.

@inevitablytired

I have struggled previously with an eating disorder and though I have been in recovery for around 10 years, this has really brought back some disordered thinking for me. I think it will really affect many people badly.

Yep. So fucking triggering. I'm finding it tough too, especially as I do need to lose some weight. I've been trying so hard to do it in a sensible healthy way.

It's going to make it harder for all the eating disorders (anorexia, bulimia, binge eating, etc) I know I'm finding I'm swinging between not wanting to eat at all, and deciding everything has so many calories that I may as well just punish myself for being tempted eat everything.

Think I'm just going to have to avoid eating it.

I'd rather they offered smaller portion sizes as that's half the problem. We have very clear nutritional information on packaging already and that obviously hasn't helped.

Unfortunate autocorrect. Should have said "eating out" not "eating it". Apparently my phone favours the restriction path for me

"Eating disorders are just as serious as obesity "

I totally disagree from a public health point of view. Anorexia (presuming that's what you mean and not the kind of eating disorder an obese person may have) is a tiny problem compared to overweight and obesity.
I'm fed up of former anorexics telling us we can't talk about all sorts of things in public, intermittent fasting for example or even just dieting.
I sympathise with them, but their problems are not mainstream.

I don't understand people who are saying that it's 'dangerous' for people with EDs. You do realise that calories have been printed on shop-bought foods for many years now, right? And if a person is so concerned about calorie intake, they will either avoid meals out completely, or use an app to find the calories (which is available for most chain restaurants).

I think it's a GOOD thing.

Eating disorders work both ways. People only ever comment on undereating as a disorder, but overeating is very much a problem too, and indeed a much bigger problem for the population ergo the health service.

Knowing what you're eating is very important, and might make people think twice about having things like McDonald's several times a week.

Of course, an option would be to print two separate menus and then each person can choose which they want to look at.

@CounsellorTroi

I do wish portions were smaller. At present you have to go to swanky expensive nouvelle cuisine type places to get small portions! Pub and chain restaurant portions are ridiculous.

100% agree with this. Plus fish and chip shops, Chinese takeaways... DH and I always share an egg fried rice, but choose different main dishes and there's always too much in one portion!

I grew up thinking that half a pizza was a serving; we'd cook two pizzas for a family of four and have some garlic bread and salad with it. DH and I happily share a pizza (plus salady bits etc.) with our three year old. And yet... Pizza Express serve the same size pizza as a portion for one. Why not make the pizzas smaller?!

I find it helpful for my eating disorder. We are responsible for managing our own triggers. That's the reality of learning to live with mental health issues or eating disorders.

It helps me choose healthier choices

But does it really? Calories doesn't give any indication of salt/additive levels, balance of saturated/unsaturated fats, vitamin content etc

@SpilltheTea

I'd rather they offered smaller portion sizes as that's half the problem. We have very clear nutritional information on packaging already and that obviously hasn't helped.

Some people may want smaller portion sizes, others may be hungry and want quite a bit of food without as many calories.

I love eating out generally and I think it is exceptionally helpful to understand how many calories you are consuming. If you’d asked me to guess how many calories were in a pizza express pizza I’d maybe have guessed 750 calories. I’m shocked that it is significantly more….it wouldn’t stop me ordering but it would stop me going as frequently…maybe once every couple of months rather than every other week, and view it as a treat rather than normalised eating habits. Obesity is a much bigger problem (in terms of numbers not severity) that needs to be addressed and I think this helpful, even if it makes you feel uncomfortable…I guess that’s the point…

I quite like being able to make an informed decision but I do understand concerns people have.

I just wish restaurants offered lower calories foods anyway. Everything is so carb laden and unhealthy.

Wouldn't anyone with an eating disorder know the calories of things anyway?

@pictish

I like it as I keep an eye on what I eat even when I’m eating out. It helps me to make an informed choice.

Same here and I'm fortunate enough that eating out isn't a rare treat. At one point I was eating out every day when you include the work canteen.

I feel like there's an easy fix to this - restaurants would have two sets of menus, one with calories shown available on request, and one without calories shown used otherwise. Simples.

I was out at a weekend event last weekend and put 5 pounds on somehow - I'd have liked to have calories on the menu to at least try and see what some of the big food mistakes I made were!

@BigButtons

I just wish restaurants offered lower calories foods anyway. Everything is so carb laden and unhealthy.

Yes, but this will eventually bring that about. If people start choosing the lower calorie options they may provide more of them. If chefs learn to cook without adding so much salt and butter etc. that can only be a good thing.

@ThisIsNotARealAvo

I'm really hoping it will make restaurants consider ways to offer lower calorie options. Personally I like knowing the calories I'm eating and I feel more in control that way. I am trying to lose weight and like tracking what I'm eating on apps.

Restaurant food is really unhealthy so I'm hoping it will make the people designing the menus more considerate of people who prefer to eat less.

Providing they don't do it at the expense of what's already on the menu, e.g. by replacing sugar with sweeteners, which is the usual favourite.

Low calorie often means low taste and full of crap.

@CoalCraft

I feel like there's an easy fix to this - restaurants would have two sets of menus, one with calories shown available on request, and one without calories shown used otherwise. Simples.

Or the other way around. You can request the one without calories. Plenty of places already have the calories on them.

@Figmentofmyimagination

I totally am with you

That's not because I don't want to see what I'm eating. I'm a grown adult and I watch what I eat however I have a tween who is body conscious and an older teen who dropped to a scary weight before but luckily is now on the mend.

Me and teen had this discussion just yesterday and she was horrified on what effect it could have on younger children especially knowing how she felt about it and she was especially concerned about it creating more issues for children growing up.

A good healthy balanced diet seems to have gone out the window completely in this country now and when the school canteens are serving loads of processed crap it doesn't help.

Instead of calorie content it should have the good content on it like how many different types of veg or fruit or whole wheat or sourdough etc etc.

This country baffles me it really does.

There's a minimum of 8 months wait for children to be seen by eating disorder clinics yet they're going to create even more of a problem now.

And you don't have to equate high calorie food with bad and low cal with good. I am overweight and losing weight and practice intermittent fasting. Based on my height weight activity level and meal planning, I regularly have around 1100 calories to eat at dinner time. I'd love to be able to go out and plan meals within that limit.

If people are concerned about their disordered eating and relationship with food (like I am), they should seek counselling, not seek to remove the factual, neutral information around food such as calorie content and macronutrient composition. Seeing it as anything else but that is for those people to find support in dealing with, rather than hoping it's kept brushed under the carpet.

If you have to not know/lie to yourself by omission by "not knowing" how much you're consuming, that sounds like a less healthy relationship to food than being aware of your calorie consumption in my opinion. I'm aware some people disagree with that.

@Poppins2016 I agree too. Fish and chip portion sizes are disgusting in some places. DH can take a portion down easily but I just get a fish and peas and sometimes that's too much! A Chinese takeaway will do me for 2 meals.

It seems to have shifted over from the US, especially in pubs, a competition to create the biggest meal ever!

@CounsellorTroi

Eating out is or should be a very occasional treat. If you need to know the calories of an occasional restaurant meal perhaps you are eating out too often. It isn’t going to ruin your diet especially if you eat less on the day in preparation.

Why should it be? If I want eat out frequently, that’s my business 🤷🏻‍♀️

@WiddlinDiddling

Id prefer to be able to ask for it .. so no calorie listing as standard, ask for the one with the calorie listing if you want it.

Any idea how mortifying it is to ask for the no calories version as an obese person with an ED? Or anyone with an ED for that matter, just that if you are obese, everyone can see that... and immediately assumes its entirely your own fault.

Better than cal. though, I'd like to easily see the carb listing per portion, but im happy to ask for that, thats far less of a cringe moment - I need it to accurately calculate insulin.

That ^^ I might be overweight but things tip me very easily back into disordered eating Someone commented once on my stomach and I just refused to eat for days. When I did eat I was punishing myself for eating by self harming I'm funny enough about eating in front of people without the calories there (because they'll be thinking that's why she's a size 16, look at her shoving food in, she must eat loads etc etc)

@Figmentofmyimagination

Put it on supermarket ready meals - great idea - I get that - people need to see how many calories, sugar, salt etc are packed into their M&S spaghetti carbonara etc and other everyday food, and hopefully it will encourage more people to cook from scratch, but when you go to a restaurant, surely you are there as an adult, to have a relaxed time, not to be policed like a child. If you really want to know the calorie count of your pizza, you can just look it up on your phone.

I absolutely agree with you. I feel the same way about being forced to have diet drinks loaded with sweeteners. On the rare occasions I might want a fizzy drink, I'd like to make an informed, adult decision. Not have it made for me.