Karrey-
I read your comment last night after I finished in clinic but wanted to get my thoughts together before responding. I appreciate your comments. I will look at the best way to include a list of menu items that I think people should check out. With menus changing regularly I will put some thought into how to make that work.
Regarding "Eat this, Not that". Dietitians as a rule are cautious about labeling foods good and bad. I have selfish reasons because you may run into me eating a slab of ribs some day. What I like about the criteria for LiveWell EatWell is that smaller portions are one of the criteria. So if I have a taste for ribs the restaurant may offer a reasonable portion rather than one that could feed a family of 4. Also I am likely to have the option of a side dish with less fat and fruits or vegetables.
With LiveWell EatWell we look at the whole menu and what options are available to consumers. Some restaurants have the nutrient content of menu items but that is not required. The dilemma is that consumer surveys indicate that many people believe that an items labelled "healthy" will not taste good. My goal with my posts is to tempt people to try the healthier options because they do taste good.
Please keep your comments coming.
Comments
kbritt (Karrey Britt) says…
Here are my thoughts ... I think most people understand that fruits and veggies are better than fries, and that smaller portions are better than large ones. We know that whole grains are better for us. What we don't know is what they are using to make these dishes. Are the veggies slathered in butter? What are the cooking methods? Is there a cream sauce involved? Is it a whole wheat bun? I think when people see the calorie and fat content — they might think again before ordering. Also, most restaurants offer some "healthier" alternative, but it's not always clear how healthy it is. For example, they may offer a salad, but sometimes a salad can be loaded with more fat than a burger. That's why I like the chains that are now posting the nutrition content on their menus.
TrishUnruh (Trish Unruh) replies…
I also hope that it becomes common place for restaurants to list the calorie content in menu items. It is helpful to have that information and as chains with 20 or more restaurants are required to post calorie content in menu items, locally owned restaurants may follow.
I can identify better options from participating restaurants based on my conversations with restaurant managers and chefs because it can be tough to know exactly what is included in some dishes.
For myself I put eating out in the context of what am I eating over a few days or a week. If I am eating out 1-2 times a week I will lighten up on other meals and fill in fruits and vegetables I may have missed. I still look for the healthier options but realize I may be eating more fat, sodium or calories than I would be getting if I made it myself.
charliebryan (Charlie Bryan) says…
I'll confess that I ate ribs the other night. My wife and I took Bella and Luca to the new Famous Dave's BBQ on West Sixth Street. I ordered Dave's Naked Ribs from their 600 calorie meal menu. Of course, I was tempted to order something that I'm sure wouldn't be good for me at all. It helped a lot to have the 600 calorie meal options clearly identified on their menu. The more restaurants that do this, the more likely I am to keep my appetite in check. By the way, I also had water for my drink. I gave up soda pop for Lent. :)