It can be so hard! I am only very recently trying to adopt the "healthy weight loss life" but the fact is that I am still not at the mind set I should be. But I will admit it. Those pancakes sound tasty. I am an educated person. I have read dozens of health and diet books. I adore 3FC. I have really been doing well in the past month. But I still want those pancakes. I wonder if I will ever think "creamy, nutty, sweet pancakes eww gross"
I am going to add another angle here...I don't think Bob Evans is trying to kill us.
Yes, they have 1500 calorie stuffed pancakes...but they also offer a fresh fruit plate-which is 100% fresh fruit, all sliced up and arranged real pretty-with a side of low fat strawberry yogurt. It is low calorie, and not highly processed, etc.
They serve a vegetable beef soup which I have also had (because the kids like Bob Evans, and we take them there occasionally.) and it is also low calorie/fat, and very good. They offer Egg Beaters/egg substitute instead of regular eggs, and other options as well.
It is just like if you go there and get a cup of coffee...they have sugar packets, and they have artificial sweetener. They are both there in front of you-but ultimately, it is YOUR choice which you choose.
They have plenty of healthy items on their menu, and plenty of non-healthy items. It is our decision. I think a lot of restaurants are actually trying to please everyone-Applebee's has a lower calorie menu, and many other restaurants are offering healthier fare-but they also have to offer the rich desserts, the humong-O steaks, and everything else-because there is clientele that wants that, too.
It is just like going to the grocery store-you cannot expect them not to sell Ben & Jerry's ice cream or Twinkies just because you are trying to lose weight. They sell chicken breast, produce, and other items that you can choose-but they have customers who want the "crap" as well.
It is a business, and they are trying to give options for ALL of their customers.
Restaurants and supermarkets are fulfilling a demand. If people didn't want to eat that stuff, it wouldn't be available because it wouldn't be profitable.
And while it might be nice if restaurants posted the nutritional information on their menus, I really think anyone with an iota of nutritional knowledge should know that stacks of pancakes filled with cream cheese and caramel are not part of a healthy diet. Having the nutritional info about calories, exchanges, and grams of fat so that you can somehow try to fit it into the counting scheme of whatever diet plan you're on is not going to change that.
However, it would be a pretty boring world if the only thing we could find on restaurant menus was grilled chicken breast and salads. I like having choices--if I want to have an artery-clogging breakfast of pancakes smothered in gooey caramel and rich cream cheese once a year (which is about how often that sort of thing appeals to me), I don't want to be told that it's not available to me because other people aren't responsible enough to make healthy food choices.
Myself, I don't care who eats what, but I do ~seriously~ wish that restaurants were required to put the nutritional info on the menus--not just for the stuff that's obviously indulgent, but for everything. I hate going out to eat now that I'm more aware of nutrition, because I know that restaurants focus on making things taste good to the general public, so even the so-called "healthy" stuff is generally more fattening/has more sodium and fat than I personally want.
Unfortunately, sometimes things like business lunches or trips can't be avoided and we have to eat food prepared by others; I'd just like to know exactly what I'm putting into my body at those times.
It is shocking how many calories are in restaurant food. Unless I know otherwise, I just any entre, no matter how healthy it sounds, is 1000 to 1200 calories (which is close to my entire calorie budget for the day). Even salads are often times this high in calories. Given that most meals that I make are under 400 calories a serving, sometimes I wonder how they get the calories so high.
Trust me I dream of this too... I spent a few years working in a 'casual dining' establishment (comparable to applebees or chilies) and spent some time behind the line and I can tell you even if the nutrition information was posted there is really no way to ensure that its correct. Its true that there are recipes and portion sizes that the cooks should follow but don't think for a second that when they get busy back there that that doesn't all go out the window and a fist full (gloved of course) becomes the new measuring scoop for things. As for how the calories get so high....well the portion sizes are usually 3-4 times and actual serving size, things are fried in oil, covered in heaps of sauce, even the 'healthy items' can rapidly become unhealthy.
It is very much a business and yes they are there to wait on you but just like any other business they are there to sell you something....Often someone would come in and order a steak and the goal would be to 'upsell' to increase your sales/check average so you would push the 16oz steak, someone would get mashed potatoes (processed, garlic, butter, cream etc. nothing good to start with really) and there is another upsell there cause then they're pushing to load it up with cheese an bacon....oh and the steamed broccoli with that...did you know we can smother that in cheese too... hey its low carb did you know that. We were trained to upsell on EVERYTHING because with every little addition that increased the size of the plate was another $.30 added to the bill, it was required of us to push the upsell no matter what the situation .....before you know it you've ordered a 2500 calorie meal with enough food to feed 3 people really. It was a real learning experience working in that industry for a few years.... I suppose the good thing that came out of it is for the most part I know how things are prepared and how to order things so they can come out as healthy as possible. For now... I've really just stopped going out to eat!
I do think Mass is going to follow suit as well banning the use of trans fats in restaurants... I'm not sure if there is a date that will take effect but maybe the next step will be available nutrition information on the menu. As for Bob Evans... I'm glad that I've never even heard of it!
Just today while out and about I passed our local Bob Evans and saw the sign out front, "New! Stacked and Stuffed Pancakes!" and the first thing that came to my mind was yeah, and no doubt they're a nutritional nightmare.
lol
I agree with some of the others, it's about choice. Same with fast food places; you can go ahead and get that double cheeseburger, or, you can get a salad.
Just about any restaurant you walk into there will be something 'bad' for you on the menu. But most places these days also offer lighter, healthier foods. It's your choice.
I too would love to see nutrition information on the menus. Some places do (like Red Lobster, for example, they have a "lighthouse" menu) but I want to see nutrition information for everything they offer, not just the lighter suggestions.
I do wish the nutritional info was required, not for stuff like the pancakes which is kin of a duh, but for the stuff that looks like it should be healthy but yet they manage to make it not be. I just want to know. I dont care even ifit is just an estimate
1 egg
1 cup ww pastry flour
1 cup buttermilk (1 T vinegar and milk to make one cup)
1 Tbls brown sugar (I use 5 or 6 Splenda instead... no cals and sweeter)
1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling, just pure pumpkin; you can use more if you want)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
I also add a pinch of pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, and ginger to taste.
I mix the dry ingredients together in one bowl and the wet in another. Then I whisk them together until there are no lumps. Let the batter sit for a minute or two. Cook on a griddle or as you do any pancakes. You may want to use a non-stick pan and/or cooking spray. I make small pancakes (about 3-4 inches in diameter) and one pancake is approximately 42 calories and 1.5 grams of fiber.
Also, if you put 2 tablespoons of oil in instead of the pumpkin, and omit the pumpkin pie spice, you'll have a really great buttermilk pancake (whole wheat) that is about 55 calories, 1 gram of fiber, and 2 grams of protein for the same size pancake. These are really yummy too, and a big hit around here!
I wish restaurants did add the calorie amts. on their foods. I am new to calorie counting ( only been doing it for 3 days now). It has been over 20 yrs. since I watched my calories. Hence, how I got to 234 lbs. For me, it's not a no-brainer. The only "diets" I've ever really done have been counting carbs (recently) or counting fat grams (13 yrs. ago) except a brief stint with WW over 25 yrs. ago. When I was in nursing school 25 yrs. ago, we got about 8 hrs. worth of nutritional teaching in class. After this many yrs. of sticking my head in the sand on what is nutritional, I could use the help.
My DD and I went to McDonald's today while shopping. I asked the clerk how many cal's was in their grilled chicken sandwich. She looked at me like it was a joke. Her and 2 other employees finally found their nutrition information. She said (I believe) 420 calories. I'm sure the people in line behind me weren't appreciating this scenario. I am literate, if it were posted on the wall or up on the menu, I could have read it for myself and not required a waste of their time. Anyway, the 420 is more than I wanted to spend on one meal, so I came home and had a PB and SF jelly sandwich with wheat bread for 210 cal's instead.
I don't at all have anything against food places putting whatever they want on the menu. I just want to be able to make an informed choice when I'm away from home. Obviously there are people that will love those pancakes. Heck, prior to losing wt. and trying to maintain it, I'd have eaten them and probably thought they were great. I am thankful that one of the maintainers has now told me that CalorieKing.com provides listing of nutritional info. for many Restaurants. I didn't know that and will try to use it in the future. Also, now without Fitday I'd be totally lost.
As mentioned by others -- There is a tiny (very tiny) glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. McDonalds now offers the choice of fries or a small side-salad as part of a "meal" and they even have a low-fat dressing for it.
I've noticed that quite a few fast food places are starting to offer more and more healthy choices.
Of course, the trick is to get people to make the better choice. But that is really not the responsibility of the vendor, is it?
But that is really not the responsibility of the vendor, is it?
