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This posting is long and possibly boring which might result in sleepiness or dizziness do not read this and operate heavy machinery or dangerous appliances or weapons. It may also contain possible math requirements on your part. However the violence, nudity, cursing and all around ranting and raving has been cut to a minimum. The opinions expressed here are those of the individual poster and does not represent the views of Spark people or any of its subsidiary’s.
(I was thinking I might have to rerate it PG as I didn't use the customary one F word were allowed in a PG-13 rating, hmm what to do what to do, a f*** it I’ll let it stand)
***WARNING******WARNING******WARNING******WARNING***
www.pressherald.com/news/Fast-food-eateries-to-offer-more-healthful-kids-options-.html
Well it’s a start. I would like to see a law that REQUIRED all restaurants big and small to post ALL calories for everything on their menu.
I know it’s on alot of websites and blah blah blah but it should be there right below the meal listing, break it down simple Calories: Carbs: Fat: Sodium:
You can put those in pretty small letters so it doesn’t take up alot of room. The last time I was in an Arbys, which was years ago but I was in there with someone and all the calories were listed right on the menu board I thought this was FANTASTIC!!
I think should happen everywhere food is sold, the numbers should be right on the menu. I am not talking about fast food places either I am talking about EVERYWHERE. I know most of these places have a wall poster somewhere, ok I give them points for that and I further know you can research this stuff on the internet before we go but let’s be honest most of us wont. Will having said calories on the menu help? Maybe, maybe not. It sure as hell will make people stop and think for a minute and if they choose to power on ahead and plow through 2000-4000 calories in a meal so be it
Let’s take Chili's for instance. I LOVE CHILIS!!!! This place is great, the one I go to here in Maine is downstate (thankfully) but when I used to go the service was top notch and the food was excellent I will post a link to the nutrition menu so you can poke around and look at that and I even post some meals and calorie totals.
www.chilis.com/EN/Nutritional%20Information/Chilis_Nutrition_Menu_Generic.pdf
Let’s say you ate the
Texas Cheese Fries w/ Chili & Ranch As Served
Calories Fat Sat Fat Calories Protein Fiber Sodium
2120 144 69 117 97 14 5920
Classic Bacon Burger As Served
Calories Fat sat Fat Carbs Protein Fiber Sodium
1570 91 28 125 61 9 3690
===============================================================
= 3690 calories
And lets further assume you split the appetizer with someone so subtract 1060 calories
you are still at 2690 for one meal, not taking into account soda and or dessert or alcohol ===============================================================
Triple Dipper™ Chicken Crispers® No Dressing As Served
Calories Fat Sat Fat Carbs Protein Fiber Sodium
340 15 4 21 30 1 1130
Southern Smokehouse Burger w/ Ancho Chile BBQ As Served
calorie Fat Sat Far Carbs Protein Fiber Sodium
2290 139 46 163 93 11 6500
===============================================================
=2630 calories and we will subtract for splitting the chicken crispers =2460
Now I am not even taking into account the amount of carbs which is quite a bit plus the amount of sodium which is off the friggin charts on most of this stuff.
Now let’s say you are a healthier eater and plan to eat smarter, below is my salad chart and as you can see None of those salads are below 500 c alories save the house salad with no dressing . Now those calorie amounts don't even take into account you putting dressing on, so let’s add another 100 calories for dressing. Now most of the salads are 700+ calories and in 1 case over 1000 calories and in another case 1500 calories, for a salad.
Boneless Buffalo Chicken Salad As Served
Cal Fat SF Carbs Prot Fiber Sod
990 68 14 48 46 8 4310
Caribbean Salad w/ Grilled Chicken As Served
Cal Fat SF Carbs Prot Fiber Sod
610 25 4 65 33 6 800
Caribbean Salad w/ Grilled Shrimp As Served
Cal Fat SF Carbs Prot Fiber Sod
620 31 6 66 19 6 1060
Chicken Caesar Salad As Served
Cal Fat SF Carbs Prot Fiber Sod
650 44 8 26 40 5 1130
Cobb Salad As Served
Cal Fat SF Carbs Prot Fiber Sod
710 52 15 22 46 11 1050
House Salad No Dressing As Served
Cal Fat SF Carbs Prot Fiber Sod
180 11 6 15 10 2 290
Quesadilla Explosion Salad As Served
Cal Fat SF Carbs Prot Fiber Sod
1400 89 28 90 65 9 236
Hungry for dessert?
Brownie Sundae As Served
Cal Fat SF Carbs Prot Fiber Sod
1290 61 30 195 14 8 930
Now let’s move on the kids menu.
The kid’s meals pretty everyone one of them 500 calories or less except one
There are 23 kids’ meal choices
2 of those choices are grilled chicken
they have 3 fruit choices and they have 4 veggie choices although 2 of them were corn and kind of high in calories 150 or better
Everything else was fried or things that were just not the healthiest choices for kids and they didn't come with side orders so you have to figure most of the "meals" or main dish's for kids average 200-500 calories, plus if they want French fries that’s another 190 and if they want any sort of dessert which they do have fruit options. So let’s break it down like this and granted it’s not typical and parents make choices and I really don't want to get into a debate about splitting hairs and who doesn't allow their kids to do this, I don't really care I'm simply illustrating a point I don't need or require anything to say "well I don't allow my kids to eat this stuff" Good we will pass out gold stars later
Average Kids meal
Grill Cheese sandwich: 530 calories
French Fries: 190 calories
Soda: 200 calories (give or take)
Side of pineapple for dessert 35 calories
----------------------------------------------
=955 calories
Now this is assuming they order off the kids menu and not the adult menu 955 calories is alot for anyone but especially a child under say 12.
There is a place here in northern Maine called Grammys Country Inn. They are known for good food, and GIANT portion sizes.
Ill post links below off their Facebook page
This is some sort of cream filled dessert next to a coke can. Might be cookies on the outside
www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=319652247096&set=a.319650617096.156668.318021972096&type=1&theater
This my friends is called a WHOOPIE PIE
www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1732308274079&set=o.318021972096&type=1&theater
For those of you who really don't know what this is here you go:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whoopie_pie
This would be a seafood platter and the seafood is sitting on top of a mountain of French fries
www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=345931796382&set=o.318021972096&type=1&theater
These are just some examples of the size of the food they put out there.
I usually have a cheeseburger club with fries and something to drink. I SHUDDER to think of how many calories are in the meal. It’s not your average club sandwich, it’s an evil twin brother that is on steroids and its huge.
I don't really go there anymore and when I do its usually for breakfast but having calories on the menu is almost needed there because the amount of food they put out its almost impossible to figure out how much you’re eating calories wise.
Yes its going to cost money to do this, who gives a sh*t? I mean really it NEEDS to be done. Raise the prices a little bit to recoup the cost, suck it up and accept it as a cost of doing business. Be a friggin responsible business owner and care about your community and the health and well-being of your patrons, is this too much to as? I think not. Outside of my own personal views do you think it’s too much to ask? HELL YES. I bet it would be a battle of epic proportions to get this passed and restaurants would fight tooth and nail to avoid it because it’s going to cut into the bottom line. Well one way or another it’s going to cut into the bottom line when people can no longer fit in the booths and stop coming or they die of obesity related illness and no longer come.
With the countries obesity level at over 50% (somewhere around 60% I think) how can can we afford NOT to do something like this?
Talk to your local restaurants; see if they will do it. I bet a few will, should be interesting to see what the others have to say. See how much they really value your business. I shall start a campaign in my small town to see how many restaurants will adopt this, I want to say I don't think many will but I am trying not to be negative. It should prove and interesting experiment.
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