I hate when I go out to eat and the menu has calorie information. Hate it, hate it, hate it, hate it. I’m not sure why I hate it, it doesn’t change my ordering behaviour. But it does make me feel bad for those it has a negative impact on. Last week, I was looking at an old recipe of mine, adapting it for something new I was working on and I was reminded that I used to put nutrition cards in my recipe posts. Then I stopped, and I’m not sure why. Truthfully, I think I just forgot a few times then got lazy when it came to making them. But I started to wonder if looking at a recipe with those numbers on was the same as a menu.
Here’s an example of one of the nutrition cards I made for an older post.
Suggested Recipe: Blueberry & Lemon Loaf
But food labels have it?
The whole calories on the menu thing was an initiative to help tackle obesity and make people more aware of what they’re eating. But what about those who are too aware? Whether that’s someone with an eating disorder, or someone on a diet looking to have ‘treat’, seeing that number can be triggering. I know all food labels in supermarkets have nutrition information on, but you can choose not to look at that part of the label. If you’re looking at a menu, the number is usually right there next to the dish name. And if a recipe has nutritional information in it, those numbers are also right there with no way to avoid them. See where I’m going here?
Why I don’t like the numbers
A major issue I have with the numbers being on show is that it can scare people away from seeing the nutritional benefit of something. Take nuts as an example, high fat, high calorie, but they’re healthy fats and loaded with vitamins and minerals. Fruit is full of sugar, as are some vegetables. I know that it’s common sense that fruits and vegetables are good, but I’m not sure if people always apply the same logic to things like nuts and seeds.
Is nutritional information ever good?
My more recent recipes have included nutritional information in a different kind of way. I give a brief overview of the vitamins and minerals a dish has and explain why I’ve included certain ingredients to make a dish richer in a certain vitamin. If I do say so myself, I think this is a good approach and it makes me feel like I’m actually offering useful information.
For restaurants, I think there should always be a full nutritional menu with an ingredient breakdown online. If you really want to know what’s in your food, you can look at that rather than printing it on the page.
But what about recipes?
This is my current dilemma, I used to include the nutrition cards. I know some people like to see exactly what’s in something, and that could be a good reason. You might want to know you’re getting enough of something rather than worrying about restricting something else. And one big difference between a recipe and a restaurant menu is that you know exactly what’s in it and how much. There are plenty of apps such as Cronometer or My Fitness Pal that you can use to find out the details you want. If you really need to know, you can always add the recipe information in yourself. I use Cronometer to track my vitamin intake every now and then and highly recommend that one.
I’ve seen a few food blogs before where you can click to see the nutritional label and it opens in a new tab. Previously, I’d never given that much thought, but maybe they’ve had similar debates with themselves as I’m having with you right now.
Your turn
So, this is the part where I ask you what you like to see. Do you find nutritional information on show helpful, or do you not care either way? I’m curious, if a menu has the nutritional information on, does it ever impact your choices? Let me know your thoughts on these issues down below.
Until next time,
Sophie
Great post! I do find nutritional information really interesting however I try not to let it dictate what I eat too much. If I really feel like eating something then I’ll tend to eat it no matter what. This was really well written, thanks for sharing!
This is such an interesting post. I have really mixed feelings because I look at the nutritional information in normal foods I eat at home but like you, I hate seeing it on menus. Sometimes it actually makes me order one of the lighter options and then I just regret it because I’ve ended up spending money on eating out for something I didn’t actually want, plus there’s nothing wrong with treats in moderation is there?
Soph – https://sophhearts.com x
Hi Sophie, it makes me feel “safer” if I know the calories. In fact, I count calories and have an app for that. Having said that if I go to a restaurant it’s because I want to treat myself to a nice meal and if I know the calories, I inevitably go to the dish with less. I’m also vegan.
I think it’s good to know what you’re eating, I don’t mind seeing the nutrition labels on products etc, just because I like to know what I’m eating. I think it can impact what I eat or drink sometimes, just for an example fizzy drinks I’ll always buy zero sugar ones just because I don’t want that much sugar although I don’t drink fizzy drinks very often anyway. I actually haven’t seen them on menus at restaurants though, maybe I just haven’t noticed them or looked for them before? So I guess that shows that when I do go out to eat I don’t take any notice of what’s in the food haha, which is kind of funny that I’ll take notice for food that I buy for home but not what I eat at restaurants!
Chloe xx
http://www.chloechats.com
I do like having nutritional information on the packaging as it implies transparency, although to be honest, i don’t have a clue what the majority of it means so probably don’t take all that much from it.
If it’s something handmade then I don’t necessarily mind not having it!
http://www.chloexlizabeth.com
Honestly I really do find it helpful! I completely understand why other people could take it the wrong way as like you said, nuts are high in fat and calories but are still a good thing for your body to consume. I will admit, I do like the nutritional information mainly for the calorie content as I do like to watch my weight (in both ways). I’ve lost quite a bit since surgery and it wouldn’t be in my bodies best interest to lose any more but I also don’t want to put a load back on as I’m really happy with how I look currently. Saying that, I will never not eat something if it doesn’t have the calorie content haha, I just love food too much! I do prefer seeing it, though!
Alice Xx
I guess I do prefer t have the nutritional information and definitely an ingredients list. I like the nutrition info so I know protein and fiber contact and maybe what kind of fats. I don’t concern myself with the calories. When I am comparing things to buy I do look at the nutritional information. Thanks for sharing!
I hate reading how many calories each slice of bread has, it stresses me out. I’m currently on a weightloss journey and counting calories is literaly killing me. Loosing weight is in principle rather simple; eat well and small ammounts, train and you will loose weight. That I can work with (and have been working with loosing nearly 20 pounds since January), but counting calories? It seems like such a bother, almost like punishment.
Thank you for this post, it was an interesting read.
Dorota
http://www.journalofdorota.com
I don’t really know if I find the nutritional information helpful or not because I don’t always understand it. I find the labels on some foods to be really confusing with all the different grams on them. I do still look as I like to know what I’m eating but if it was simpler I would probably like it more! X
I found this post really insightful and interesting as it’s made me reconsider the ways that I look at nutritional information when buying food. I fully admit there have been times where I have selected something different off a menu as the calorie count is lower, but it’s not necessarily the healthiest option as you’ve mentioned when taking natural fats like nuts into account. A really great post and I’ve subscribed so can’t wait to read more!
Hannah xx
Food for thought here! I didn’t intend the pun, but hey 🙂 :). I personally like nutrition labels. I’m the gal in the supermarket reading through all the labels – especially ingredients listings. I like real food; I like to grow my own food too; but I’m also “food curious.” If I want to try something knew, I’d like to know how much Calories are in it, or salt, or long chemicals I can’t pronounce. In the end, we are what we eat; and I like to be informed 🙂
Interesting topic. I find the nutrional information useful on food packaging but I wouldn’t look at the calories in a menu. When I’m eating out I usually have something in mind (often a chicken dish) beforehand due allergies. I always check menus before I go. For recipes I don’t think I’d look at the nutrional information because, if I needed it, I could pop the ingredients in an app (as you mentioned).
I hate looking at the nutrition labels too! It discourages me when I see a plate being 1,000 calories or something. Though, it is good to know the truth so we can rethink our options depending on our priorities. I find the nutritional information helpful if you want to track your macros. I mostly pay attention at the carbs, fat, and sodium content in these labels. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Nancy ♥ exquisitely.me
I really do like having nutritional values of food to hand, but I can understand why its not always the best option for others. I think it’s really handy of the option of having them available in another tab though, it’s not there shouting you in the face but if you want to see them – they’re there.
Kayla x
Great post! I think I agree with you. When I go out, seeing the card and info feels very jarring. It feels more natural online and on a post, and even more so at the grocery store. I’m not entirely sure why, but it’s not always comfortable to see the label in places where it isn’t expected. Thank you for sharing and opening up a topic I hadn’t consciously thought of before. 🙂
Personally, having the nutritional info on a menu does not usually change what I’ll order, but I can see where problems lie for some people. I don’t agree with having caloric numbers printed on a menu but I think that they should be accessible either online or a separate menu that can be requested. Just my thoughts, I really enjoyed reading your take on it!
nutritional information are very helpful and i like to read them! it’s a great idea to include them!
https://www.clairetalksbeauty.com/
This was such an interesting post to read, Sophie. I hate reading labels because I feel like they lie to you but then I also see how important they are. Usually, whenever I do read labels, it’s the sugar content I focus as diabetes does run in my family so I make sure to try to control that.
☼ cabin twenty-four
Very interesting! I had never stopped to think that having the nutritional information/calories on menus could impact someone very conscious about what they consume but now you’ve brought it up it seems obvious!
I have to say when it comes to nutrition labels if it’s not the traffic light system then I completely ignore it, a black and white label with text doesn’t mean much to me from a quick glance.
If you’re sharing a recipe it should be quite obvious by what goes into it whether it’s a treat, an indulgence or a healthy meal so I don’t think it’s worth labeling.
Very interesting topic!
Rachel |
I’ve stopped worrying about the numbers and just eat what I really want now as eating out is really a treat for myself.
xx
I must admit that I am neutral on the topic. Personally I don’t need the nutrition info but I can see why it would be useful for others. So if it’s not a lot of bother for you, I’d probably add one.
I have to admit this isn’t something I’ve ever really thought about before but now I’m reading this, it’s making me wonder. I like your idea of having it online – sometimes when you go out, it’s to treat yourself and seeing the number could stop you from doing that and easily get obsessive even if you’re normally quite relaxed about that sort of thing. I think for recipes etc it can work though because you’re in control of what you’re making and if you want something healthier, you know you’ve got the information there to make that call. Tricky one – great post!
Hmmm, this is an interesting topic. I can understand why some people would like to see the nutritional information if they’re on a controlled diet, for example. Personally, I don’t mind either way but it’s not something that would influence my meal choices, especially in a restaurant. If you started including them in your recipe posts I would just scroll past that particular section, I think, but it certainly wouldn’t put me off reading how you put together your delicious concoctions! Lisa x
I never find them helpful because calorie info can be so misleading. It is not so much about what you eat but about how many calories each find contain. And also sometimes, the calorie intake changes depending on whether the food is raw or cooked
Really interesting topic Sophie, I’ve never really thought about this in much detail. I can see both sides. I think it’s important to have the nutritional value of food readily available to see whether that’s on a printed menu or online BUT if you’re in a restaurant, it’s probably not an everyday thing and everyone needs a treat every now and again so I think it’s a bit pointless having calories on the dishes.
Jenny
http://www.jennyinneverland.com
I find the nutritional labels really helpful but I can definitely understand how it would be triggering for a lot of people.
I’m a huge fan of nutritional information!! I personally like to be aware of caloric intake, macros, and such. That might change when I’m finally in peak shape and have the fit body that I want. However, I think that though I might not track so much, I’ll still want to know if I’ve had enough protein or healthy carbs/fats that day. I totally get where you’re coming from though, and I really like your take on this!
I agree with what you are saying… for example the nuts – they are good fats! <3
Ana C, http://www.adreamersland.com
http://www.facebook.com/adreamersland
I hate when calories are on menus too, it really makes me question what I should order when I should just be able to get what I want and not let it affect the meal. Things like that can be so triggering for people but saying that, it probably wouldn’t affect me if you shared the nutritional info in a recipe xx
Tiffany x http://www.foodandotherloves.co.uk
Hi Sophie,
My husband likes to see the nutritional information. It definitely changes his ordering habit when he sees the nutritional information. But to tell you the truth, it doesn’t affect me either way. I think it would occupy a lot of space if it is printed on the restaurant’s menu. It won’t change my ordering habit because I will still get what I am in the mood for. Thank you for your post. Raheela
You’ve shared so many awesome facts that I’d never even thought about really, thank you so much for sharing and actually learning me some things.
With love, Alisha Valerie x | http://www.alishavalerie.com
I find the nutrition information so useful as I keep track of calories/fat etc every day x
http://www.ofbeautyandnothingness.co.uk
I think that nutrition labels are important on products, I always look at them to make sure there are no hidden ingredients in it. For online recipes, it’s nice to know the calories but I can live without it. I think that is sucks because you can’t control what people do with that information.
I’m another chronometer lover!
I do nutrition labels in my recipes, I was on the fence when I started because with a history of disordered eating I was concerned for other people; but I was getting feedback from my fitness app and knowing that I only ever considered making recipes from blogs that shared nutrition overviews I decided to do it.
Personally I wish I could customise it to do away with the calories – I’m only interested in the macros and sugars if I’m honest and that is why restaurant menus frustrate me so much. I don’t give a fig how many calories are in a dish but I need to know how much sugar is in it!
It def impacts my choices. I feel guilty ordering something if it looks high in calories.