Hasta La Vista To Not Knowing How Many Calories Are in Your Meal

Almost three years ago, the California Governator signed a small piece of legislation that packs a huge punch. California Senate Bill 1420, more commonly referred to as the “menu labeling bill” made it mandatory for chain restaurants having 20 or more outlets in California, with standardized menu items to list nutrition information on the menu and on menu boards via drive thru. The bill went into full effect in 2011, although proprietors’ have been using the three year threshold to make brochures with nutrition information available in their restaurants. The bill preempts cities and counties from enacting competing menu labeling provisions, as San Francisco and Santa Clara County have, though the bill’s advocates consider that a price worth paying given how many more people will now have access to calorie information.

Research is showing that more and more people are eating more meals outside of the home. More food portions are way larger than they used to be, more calorie laden and cheaper. For the price of a bag of organic apples you can have a McNuggets combo meal with a medium fry and Coke. But whereas an apple which is nutritious, filling and still has the title of “Keeping the Doctor Away” has only 95 calories and the combo meal has well over 700 calories. Not to mention, that if the calories aren’t posted on the menu patrons typically underestimate how many calories they consume per day.

A fairly recent study conducted by the University of California Berkeley suggests that if 80% of adult consumers in California saw the calorie information on the menu board they would reduce their purchases by 52 calories per visit; thusly would lose 2 lbs per year. Living in a city that doesn’t menu label I never thought that actually seeing the calories next to the price would make a difference. On a recent trip to Los Angeles I stood in line at the In and Out Burge ready to binge on a burger and fries and a large shake. After blatantly seeing that the shake was more calories than the burger and fries I could not consumer it with a clear conscious. I could not knowingly eat 1000 calories knowing I only had about 2,000 to spare per day. In my mind it was analogous to spending my rent money on designer luxury shoes. I simply couldn’t “afford” those calories so I left the shake, but I still enjoyed the meal with no regrets.

If you lived in a city that menu labels how would that affect you eating habits? If you live in a city that doesn’t menu label does that help or hinder your health.

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