Going to Extremes

The NY Times posed this question: Should restaurants be forced to post calorie counts alongside their prices?

At first glance I thought, yeah, why not. It would probably help the public to make more informed and, hopefully, healthier choices when going out to eat. But, after I'd meditated on it for a minute, I decided that, no, I would not like that. If I were going out for "date night" to a restaurant, I don't really want to know exactly how much crap I'm eating. I want to order something that I couldn't make at home, eat it until satiated and then bring the rest home to eat for lunch the next day. I do not want to feel guilty for ordering my lamb shank with oven-roasted garlic potatoes and sauteed spinach. I do not want to be left the option of only the grilled salmon with a side salad, no dressing. I could eat that at home. I do eat that at home.

What people really need is a good education in nutrition. Once you understand what, exactly, calories mean and which types of food contain what types vitamins, minerals, proteins, fats and sugars, you can go just about anywhere and make a wise choice (and should you overindulge one night a month, as long as you have a dedicated and changing workout routine you should be fine. Yes, everyone should have a workout routine and avoid lame excuses for not doing it. Recent research shows that the main cause of physical decline with age is a lack of dedicated training [Men's Health, May 2008, pg. 77; pulled from Journal of Physiology]. But that's another issue). Knowing what constitutes a lean meat is a good place to start. But better yet, we should really focus on portion sizes. It would be prudent for those who are watching what they're eating (I am swiftly becoming a member of this category) to request an extra plate and immediately take half of their serving and put it aside to be wrapped up ASAP.

Having nutrition information listed on menus would likely burden people more than it would help them. Dining out should be a treat; it should be fun. It should not be an experience that leaves the patrons feeling guilty, no matter what they choose to indulge in. Posting such information would also, possibly, force chefs to alter many of their offerings and techniques. For example, French food uses lots of butter. Get over it. That's French cooking for you. And we like French cooking for the fact that it is extremely rich and indulgent. But, then, how is it, again, that the French are not overweight? Portion size. Thus, once again, supporting my argument that it would be more beneficial to just halve your portion of whatever you order before consuming.

Therefore, I whole-heartedly disagree with the NY courts that are attempting to force restaurants to put nutrition information on menus. There are intermediate steps (such as simply having said information available upon request) that are being skipped completely. As far as I can tell, there is also no evidence that putting nutrition information on the menu alongside the dish changes the customer's ordering habits in a beneficial manner. It could also create problems for certain chefs/restaurants. It would be wise to investigate the myriad other options available to the food industry before passing a ruling that require such an extreme measure.