Calories Counts Coming Soon on Menu Near You
TRAVERSE CITY -- Most of us love to go out to eat, but if you are trying to be healthy, that can be tricky.
Did you know Chili's has a salad that has almost a whole day's calories?
has a salad that has almost a whole day's calories?
Or how about a seafood dish at Red Lobsterthat has more than two days worth of fat?
But recently, one of our viewers went out to eat and saw all of the nutritional information right on the menu.
Whether it's for a quick bite or a special treat, Americans love to go out to eat. But a viewer noticed one restaurant is now listing all of its calories right on the menu. The waitress told her it was the law. But if so why aren't more restaurants following suit? She had questions. See the answers we found for her in a Fact Finder Report.
Whether it's pork chops, pasta, lo mein or lobster, there are no shortage of choices for dinner. But when you give up the cooking and cleaning, you also give up control of what's in your food. That can lead to calorie sticker shock. Like a salad that contains almost a whole day's worth of calories!
But as part of the new healthcare reform some restaurants will be required to help you make an educated choice by listing nutritional information next to each item on the menu. While it is not required yet, some restaurants are already implementing the change. Like Olive Garden which is using its Traverse City location as a test market to gauge customers response.
Only restaurants chains with more than 20 locations will be required to make the change. Smaller chains and one of a kind restaurants will be off the hook.
But there are a few that are choosing to make the change. Like The Omelette Shoppe.
Owner/Operator Scott Parkhurst says, "We actually do that right now."
The Omelette Shoppe has two restaurants in Traverse City and two in Grand Rapids. They've already teamed up with Spectrum Health to design a healthy menu with a complete nutritional breakdown for each dish.
Parkhurst says, "It was about a six month process for the 11 item menu we did in Grand Rapids. Its well worth the time and effort. Our clientele really seem to appreciate it and our staff are proud of it."
At its Traverse City Locations the Omelette Shoppe teamed up with Fit For You gym to create a special menu. The dishes are available now and Parkhurst says by the end of the summer the menu will include specific calorie, fat and carb counts.
Parkhurst says, "A lot of our guests have questions now. People are more food aware. It's just another tool for us to provide for our guest. They know. They don't have to wonder and ask. Our staff knows. Everybody is educated. It makes us feel proud. We're happy to do it."
I checked with the Food and Drug Administration and while those chain restaurants will be required to list calories on their menus, when they'll need to do that is still up in the air. The FDA must issue its deadlines for the change by March 23rd. In the meantime, there are a lot of options for the calorie conscious, or calorie curious. Fast food places often have a pamphlet to hand out or a poster on the wall, there are plenty of smartphone apps to help and the restaurants webpages list nutritional information. I have links to most of the chains in the Traverse City area below.
Crystal Mountain Resort's Thistle restaurant is another that chooses to list nutritional information for dishes on its Peak Performance Menu. Here are links to the lunch and dinner menus.
While you're here let me know what you think about this. Should it be a law? Will it change the way you order? Should more local places follow the Omelette Shoppe's lead and list calories? Share your comments below.
Applebees
Bob Evans
Chilis
Cracker Barrel
Olive Garden
Outback Steakhouse
Ruby Tuesday
Red Lobster
