Calories on menus!

  • So the other day I was talking with my bf and I said I wished restaurants had to list the calories in the foods they served. I know mcdonalds and other fast food places either put them on the boxes or they have the chart hanging up which appreciate. But Ive never seen a real sit down restaurant offer this. Well we went to a place called Ted's Montana Grill last night for dinner and to my surprise..there were calories on the menu! I was so excited! Only problem was a lot were listed like (1084-1305) So that kind of through me but atleast I could get within a range. All the sides had their own individual calorie listings as well. So I had bison meatloaf with mashed potatoes and green beans and cut everything in half. I hope this becomes a new trend and all restaurants do this. I was surprised at some of the numbers I seen because I wasnt expecting the grilled chicken to have so many calories but I guess the bbq sauce, cheese and bacon will add it u quickly! Has anyone else found restaurants that list the calories on their menu?
  • Many restaurants are being forced by laws to do it. In my county, a law was passed recently that any chain with more than 20 establishments (anywhere, not just the county) will have to list calories on the menu. New York City had a similar law pass a couple years ago.
  • I've noticed it a lot more lately. And if its not written directly on the menu there is a small pamphlet or book on the table somewhere.

    I've seen this done at chili's, applebees (it's a seperate nutrition menu on your table- LOVE IT!), Denny's has one also, and so on.

    I think it's AWESOME! For me I look for low carb options and last time I went to applebees got the california shrimp salad- it was perfect, 860 calories but only 26 grams of carbs. That might be a little high for some low carbers but it was good enough for me
  • applebees, chili's, i thought olive garden was doing for a while, pf changs. mimi's, cheesecake factory, panera. more and more places are doing this. when im really being hardcore on mydiet, i often will only go to places that list the calories. =0) sometimes, they only do it for their "light and fit" options but that's fine with me i just dont even look at the rest of the menu.
  • oh! sbux has pamphelets in store with the calories on them too now!
  • I have a "calorie king" book that I keep in my purse. And if I know I'm going somewhere, I try to pick ahead of time.

    I know that Washington State, some counties have that law too. (I used to be a truck driver, and I know that I loved going to a state that had those laws.)
  • I would love to see calorie counts on menus! We (hubs and I) tend to frequent smaller non-chain joints, and I bet it'll be a while until they catch up with this trend. I know one of the things that spurred me to my initial weight loss was seeing how many calories there were in a DD blueberry muffin.
  • I actually rarely eat at chains myself, usually only if it is work related and I'm not the person picking where we are going OR if we are visited my inlaws who live int he boonies. I think though that I've learned enough tips/tricks to avoid the high calorie stuff and lessen the calories of dishes when eating out.
  • Hmm I havent noticed that at applebees or chilis...Ill have to look next time now that Im more aware of what Im eating! Bye bye buffalo bites haha
  • I go on their website to see the calories in meals and they are surprising. Some salads are unreal. They are higher than I could ever have imagined. But they are very good about making the adjustments that you request. We had to do that last week.
  • I wish every establishment had to do this. Nothing wrong with eating out, but I want to make sure I can always watch my health. Every time I go out to eat I have to guestimate what ingredients the restaurant used and how much. Sometimes with all the oil, hidden ingredients and size adds up you really can't tell.