The Exponent - opinions


09-07-2004	Previous edition: 09-03-2004

Printer-friendly version

Nutritional data reminds consumers to eat healthy

Americans get a third of their calories outside the home, and one in four Indiana adults are obese. We don't eat as well outside the home as we do inside when we control what ingredients we use in our cooking. Restaurants should be required to post the nutritional information on their menus.

The Nutrition Labeling Act of 1994 exempted restaurants from printing nutrition labeling. However, Congress and several state legislatures are looking into requiring restaurants to print the nutritional data (the amount of carbs, fats and calories) of their dishes and drinks on menus.

Scotty's Brew House isn't waiting to hear from Congress, it has already hired a private company to place its nutritional information on its menus to try to stay ahead of the curve. Tyler Thompson, the General Manager of Scotty's, said most things on Scotty's menu aren't low fat or low carb, but people come for the taste.

"Most people know if you like cheese and bacon and sour cream on something it's not a diet food," Thompson said. "I get a lot of guests asking about it; we wouldn't do it if we thought it was going hurt our business."

Ruby Tuesday became the first national restaurant chain to post nutritional information for every one of its menu items in April, but they announced Aug. 31 they were going to stop using those menus. They are opting for a 9-inch by 6-inch card at each table with the same data instead.

Annie Mahon, a nutrition educator at the Student Wellness Center, said Ruby Tuesday deserves a lot of credit for even attempting to have nutrition information on its menus because it's something the restaurant industry has lobbied against. She thinks it's portion size and quantity plus a lack of exercise that is increasing the number of Americans who are "overfed and over-fat."

"You can still have a dish with 50 grams of fat, but you may split it if you know what's in it," Mahon said. "It may help someone get going in the right direction; we need to take some steps here to help consumers understand what is in what they're eating."

Although the restaurant industry is crying out that it will be an enormous expense to have to update their menus, printing new menus when items are subtracted or added is a fairly common occurrence. The added expense comes when the restaurants have to invest in nutritional analyses, which cost about $650 per menu item for Ruby Tuesday. Even with the added expense, it is something McDonald's and Burger King have had to incur.

Nutritional information on menus will help consumers, whether they are dieting or otherwise, count the amount of fat, carbs and calories they consume per day. This mandate would be a tremendous step forward toward building a healthier America.
Printer-friendly version