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Do you think restaurant menus should list the calorie content for each item?

23 Comments
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They should but I don't know whether it needs to be the law.

-2 ( +7 / -9 )

You can use a phone app to check calories.

6 ( +10 / -4 )

It would be more useful if restaurant menus listed possible allergens for each item

11 ( +15 / -4 )

Listing calories is unnecessary. Listing allergens may save lives.

11 ( +14 / -3 )

Calories are the least of my concerns. As a parent with a child with lethal peanut allergies, I would much rather every restaurant have information about ingredients that can cause allergic reactions. Most places have a guide you can request to see but this information should be on the menus. I have walked out of places staffed with indifferent employees who just say - I don't know. People will ignore the calorie figures when they are hungry anyway. If calories are so important they shouldn't be eating out.

9 ( +12 / -3 )

Of course not, when I go to a restaurant I want to eat a delicious meal and not being indoctrinated, advised or educated like at a nutrition seminar or such. BTW it's even impossible, because they would beforehand have to burn it all and measure to determine the exact calories values. Does anyone here like to eat ash or coal-like remainders? lol

4 ( +8 / -4 )

Calories? No.

Allergens, yes for restaurants of a certain size or larger. Single owner type places have enough of a job staying in business without additional burdens. There are usually plenty of other places for people with allergies to eat.

6 ( +8 / -2 )

Should they be required legally? Absolutely not.

It's fine if they do it voluntarily, and some may even do it as a "selling point" for customers, especially health-conscious customers.

But it should be their choice whether to do it or not.

7 ( +9 / -2 )

So much effort for what gain? I think most people have a reasonable idea of what is a good thing to eat in a given situation? If you're dieting to lose weight, don't eat chocolate cake and burgers. If you're trying to gain weight for sports or something, then get the approriate information from a nutritionalist.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

No. And could you trust them if they did? At my restaurant, I'd list all the most expensive items as super-low in calories and the cheap ones as super high.

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-3 ( +1 / -4 )

Is this an actual topic in Japan?

I remember the elderly couple who used to run a great little eatery, and imagining them having to not only price their array of menu items but come up with a calorie number for each too - well that’d be ridiculous.

Bigger family restaurant type places might have this info on their printed menus already? I personally never read it, I just burn calories rather than waste effort trying to count them.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

They should as well as detailed ingredient information for those with allergies, and not using vague words such as “it may” …

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

You can only ever offer an estimation really of calories or possible allergens as a kitchen contains the components to make any number of things, and employees may come in with personal lunches or after having touched things.

I think they should offer a likely caloric range and if you can't do that because you have no idea what's in your food, nobody else should be eating it either. I can tell you the calories of something I make personally fairly easily, why can't you figure out the calories of something you make 20-50 times a day? Surely you use a standard amount of ingredients to control costs already? And if you're afraid to post them, it's because you're poisoning your customers or making them fat.

Don't want to see calories? Don't look. Or maybe you're in need of that information subconsciously.

Have a toxic food-borne allergy? I'm sorry but you should probably just make your own food. Putting your personal safety on the backs of wage slaves and small business owners catering to a majority is your own risk.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Calories have been listed on foods in grocery stores for decades and people are still getting fatter and fatter. No real point.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

No to eateries, but at convenience store and supermarket yes on microwave meals and prepared meals for those who really need such information. I am a salt, butter and sugar person and would never never substitute Gods miracle foods for margarine sweeteners and pretend sodium.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

Care about calories? Cook your own food it's that simple.

2 ( +6 / -4 )

They should also think about adding a sodium measure for people with high blood pressure and kidney issues.

0 ( +5 / -5 )

MocheakeFeb. 4 12:59 pm JST

Calories have been listed on foods in grocery stores for decades and people are still getting fatter and fatter. No real point.

I mean, stupid people. But the rest of us care.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

I still don't understand why Japanese food products don't list saturated fat, transfat and a breakdown of carbs into sugars

-12 ( +3 / -15 )

Don't care about the calories but would much rather have: sugar, salt, phosphorus, potassium and protein amounts listed. Carbohydrates too.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Also, list whether they contain any toxic and carcinogenic seed/vegetable oils (liquid cancer). Yes, they are all toxic.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

It would be useful and would also promote healthier options but some people would feel attacked by "too much information" even if they could simply ignored if they wanted.

Maybe a good compromise would be to add a QR code to the menu so the caloric content could be checked by those interested.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

I still don't understand why Japanese food products don't list saturated fat, transfat and a breakdown of carbs into sugars

For that comment, I got 13 downvotes from 13 people who are either hooked on junk food or are the usual petty suspects.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

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