Too Much Information
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Tara Gidus, MS, RD, CSSD, LD/N
You may have heard that New York City is requiring more than 2,000 chain restaurants to post the caloric content of foods. The regulation was supposed to take effect yesterday, but a judge has delayed the enforcement after the New York Restaurant Association protested. The only restaurants required to post calorie counts are chain restaurants with at least 15 outlets nationwide.
While the regulation has not been enforced, some chains have started posting anyway. New Yorkers were in for a surprise when stepping up to the counter at Starbucks and seeing a 480 calorie "calorie tag" next to their blueberry scone.
What do you think of restaurant chains being forced to post the calories for their foods? Do you want to see the calories or would you rather enjoy your meal without thinking about the caloric price tag?
In my line of work, I am happy to see more awareness around calories. While some people are shocked and choose not to order a food item based on calories, others simply ignore the numbers and order it anyway. For those people trying to either lose weight or prevent future weight gain, having calories posted makes it infinitely easier to keep track of what they are eating. You don't have to pay attention to the calorie tags if you don't want to. It is still all about choice.
Photo of blueberry scone courtesy of megan @ flickr
Labels: calories, restaurants, Tara Gidus
