Restaurant Menus Not Telling the Whole Story: Which Nutrition Facts Are Being Kept from You

It is a loving thing for your loved one to take you out to a delicious restaurant meal. No cooking, no dishes, just relax and eat some really good food. Probably your favorites, since you did choose which restaurant you would go to. But is this all too familiar outing good for you?

If you are one of thousands of people that are dieting, trying to eat healthy or just trying to make better choices, you might be very surprised by just how unhealthy it is for you to be going to that lovely restaurant. But is that fair? Are we not allowed to have an evening of stress free dining?

The united states government is taking steps to ensure that you are at least informed by the choices you make in a restaurant. It is actually wise for you to be able to know nutritional value and food safety of your favorite restaurants. Two bills are before Congress now that will make getting this information much easier. Whether it be right on the menu or on a website that you could check before you leave your home. But anyway you look at it, this information should be made available to all diners. And no it shouldn't stop you from having a lovely dinner out, but should be given the choice to be informed.

There are actually a lot of secrets that restaurants would rather you not know. One secret is how many calories something has. I mean think about it, would you really order and eat one of the Outback Steakhouse's Bloomin' Onions if you knew it contained 2,130 calories!? (information obtained from WebMD.com) I know it made me shrink back a bit.

And did you realize that your food is not always prepared at the restaurant you are eating in. Some or all of the food choices are prepared or at least partially off site. This opens up a whole other issue. What about food only partially cooked and being transported? Is it properly temperature controlled. And if it is only partially cooked is it cooked to safe internal temperatures once it arrives and you receive it at your dinner table after you order. Salmonella poisoning is not something to be taken lightly. And with economic times as they are, restaurants are reducing portion sizes or using cheaper or more tough cuts of meats or ingredients. All of it is to cut corners for survival. But shouldn't you be allowed to know what it is you are ordering and what the nutritional value is?

Of course with the changes coming down the pike from Congress, one of those two bills would require this information to be available to you. Maybe the restaurant would have a calorie brochure or as mentioned a website, or even on the menu itself, but no matter it would be available. It does seem looking at a menu would be a bit less enjoyable though, what if you really wanted that Bloomin' Onion?

This has already come to fruition in some parts of the country. In New York City, it is now a requirement that restaurants with at least 15 outlets are now required to begin displaying calories on menus or menu boards. This has definitely affected the public. They were surprised by calorie counts of their foods, finding them to be higher than expected according to a survey by Technomic, a Chicago-based market research firm. (as reported by WebMD.com)

But still to add to the unrest, restaurants that have more than 15-20 outlets only makes up about 25% of the total restaurants so those chain restaurants are crying foul because it is not fair to them to have to jump through these hoops and others continue on their merry way. So they want additional legislature to be forthcoming.

Having this information available online and by brochure is already a fact for Fast food restaurants. You have long been able to go to TacoBell.com or McDonalds.com and check out the calories, fat, fiber, sodium and about anything else you might want to know before you ever go to the restaurant. Or when you order your food at the drive up window you can ask for a nutrition brochure and check for the next time you come.

So the next time you are sitting at the Outback and you are thinking about that Bloomin' Onion, just remember, you heard it here.

Sources:

WebMD.com Secrets of Restaurant Nutrition

Calorie Lab Big restaurant chains say menu calorie count law doesn't go far enough

msnbc New Yorkers Try to Swallow Calorie Sticker Shock

A Diner's Guide to Health and Nutrition Claims on Restaurant Menus