Calorie counts surprise restaurant customers

Published online on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2009
By Joan Obra / The Fresno Bee
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You can still order a Bloomin' Onion at Outback Steakhouse, a slice of 30th anniversary chocolate cake cheesecake at The Cheesecake Factory, and a Pizookie at BJ's Restaurant Brewhouse.
But you'll have a harder time enjoying them in blissful ignorance. Since July 1, chains with at least 20 restaurants statewide have been required to provide diners with the gory nutritional details -- including calories.
The law -- similar to others in New York, Washington state and elsewhere -- already is beginning to change how restaurants sell food. And customers, startled to see how many calories they have ordered, are changing their habits as well.
"Most people know eating out is bad," said Jennifer Massingham of Fresno. "But they assume it's just a couple extra calories, not hundreds or thousands."
During a recent visit to BJ's at Fashion Fair shopping center, Massingham and her husband had planned to order an appetizer, entrées and a Pizookie (a large deep-dish cookie topped with two scoops of vanilla ice cream).
But the Pizookie alone can contain as much as 1,166 calories, the couple learned by reading the back section of their menus. So they changed their plans, ordering only entrées instead.
Sally Noxon had a similar experience at Outback at Shaw and Marks avenues in northwest Fresno last week.
"It was so depressing," said Noxon, who was celebrating her friend's birthday. "I couldn't believe the calories in the food."
During past visits, her typical meal started by splitting a Bloomin' Onion, the battered, fried onion served with dipping sauce. Then she'd have a steak and salad and share a dessert.
After reading the nutritional information in a brochure at the table, she chose a soup and a salad -- and didn't even finish the soup.
The information "does change what you end up wanting to eat," said Massingham, who was surprised by the Bloomin' Onion's 1,560 calories.
But her friend, Jordan Zack, had a different take. "You don't want to know the calories on any day, especially not on your birthday," he said.
"I just want to enjoy my food."
Changing eating habits
There's evidence that providing nutritional details does change the way diners eat. A February survey of 755 New York residents found that 82% of customers switched their orders after seeing the information, says Technomic, a Chicago food-industry consultancy that's studying the effects of the New York City law. Of these diners, 71% choose dishes with fewer calories.
Seeing the nutritional information also caused 60% of those surveyed to change where they eat. Of these folks, 38% don't eat out as often as before. And 32% say they've stopped visiting certain restaurants altogether.
For the first phase of the law in California, restaurants provide brochures detailing calories, saturated fat, carbohydrates and sodium. They can print just the calorie counts directly on menus or indoor menu boards, said Lara Dunbar, senior vice president of government affairs for the California Restaurant Association.
The Cheesecake Factory, for example, shows calorie counts next to cheesecakes in the dessert display case. Hooters prints calorie counts directly on its menus. McDonald's has a nutritional poster and brochures -- and even prints some information on Happy Meal bags.
Next phase is Jan. 1
The second phase of the law starts January 1, 2011. California restaurants must print calories on menus or indoor menu boards, Dunbar said.
Health-conscious chains see the laws as an opportunity to court customers. Take Romano's Macaroni Grill, which launched an "Italian Mediterranean" menu in California restaurants on July 1. This lighter menu features seven new dishes, as well as 13 revamped ones.
The most dramatic change was the scallops and spinach salad, which dropped from 1,270calories to 390 calories -- all without altering the entrée's portion size, says Larry Nedwed, a senior brand manager for Macaroni Grill.
The chain simplified the dressing to a blend of extra-virgin olive oil and lemon juice, Nedwed said. It also added whole jumbo sea scallops for better flavor.
As a result, the salad's saturated fat fell from 27 grams to 4 grams.
"Our guests prefer the new recipe," Nedwed said. "They're ordering it five times more than they did before."
Come Labor Day, Macaroni Grill's restaurants will feature the new menu nationwide. The chain slowly is shifting its entire menu to the lighter Italian Mediterranean theme.
Healthy is trendy
There isn't any research to show whether Macaroni Grill's results are typical, said Mike Donohue, a spokesman for the National Restaurant Association.
But adding healthful food to menus has been trendy for a long time. "And I think that will continue," he said.
That's one result supporters of the California law like. Even fast-food restaurants have been adding healthier fare, said Kumar Chandran of California Food Policy Advocates, a nonprofit that tries to help low-income families gain access to nutritious food.
Consider the context
More lower-calorie choices on menus is good, but diners still need to consider the nutritional information in context, said Judy Osterloh, the director of food and clinical nutrition services for Kaiser Permanente Fresno Medical Center.
She advises following the American Heart Association's daily recommended amounts of calories, sodium and saturated fat.
For example, saturated fat should be less than 7% of total daily calories. To make the comparison, multiply the grams of fat by 9, Osterloh says.
As for sodium, the American Heart Association recommends eating less than 2,300 milligrams per day. Blacks, middle-aged and older adults, and those with high blood pressure need less than 1,500 milligrams per day.
"You can't tell how much sodium is in a food just by the way it tastes," Osterloh says.
Outback's baby-back ribs with Aussie fries have 21,052 milligrams of sodium -- about nine days of the recommended daily amount.
And for those counting calories, the American Heart Association recommends eating 1,600-3,000 per day, depending on a person's gender, age, physical activity and health.
A chart called "Know How Many Calories You Should Eat" is available at www.americanheart.org online.
Limiting a restaurant meal to about one-third of the day's calories is reasonable, Osterloh says. "One way to keep the calories down is to share your meal."
The reporter can be reached at jobra@fresnobee.com or (559) 441-6365. Read her blog at fresnobeehive.com/ author/joan_obra.

Eat to Live

And Other Dieting Tips

 By: Linda Jones

 
 
 
  


SEPTEMBER 2005
Eat to live, don’t live to eat.  We all know what this means but we generally don’t consider this when we are having a craving for salt, sugar, or fat.  Before you give in to a craving think about how this food will affect your health.  Educate yourself and try to make good nutritional choices.  Check labels before you buy. Keep trigger foods (those you can not control yourself with i.e. Ice cream, Cookies, Chips ) out of your home.

Drink eight-8 oz glasses of water a day. Water is zero calories.  Zero Caffeine, Zero chemical and it is the ideal way to curb your appetite.  Drinking water helps flush out the fat you will be losing and helps your kidneys function.  Diet drinks are useful but try to limit them.  Caffeine and artificial sweeteners can lead to other cravings that can sabotage your diet strategy.

Plan ahead.  Nothing is more detrimental to a successful diet than finding yourself on the go and hungry.  Fast Food companies bank on your need to eat on the run.  If you must stop at a fast food chain be sure to plan ahead and know what foods fit into your diet plan.  Check on line for calorie and nutrition facts and keep a list of acceptable food choices in your glove compartment. This way you will be ready to order guilt free on the spot.
 

Eat negative Calorie foods.  Stock your refrigerator with vegetable choices.  Carrot sticks, celery and other fresh vegetables are considered negative foods. Many dieters swear by the low cal vegetable soup recipe suggested by Weight Watchers Inc. Soup is a warm and satisfying food.  It takes time to eat and it fills you up but not out.

Eat slowly.  If you eat fast your body doesn’t have time to send you the message that you are full.  You end up eating everything on your plate plus seconds.  At least wait ten to fifteen minutes before you go for a second helping or dessert.

Don’t eat while watching T.V.  Television promotes unconscious eating.  Enough said!

Chew gun while cooking. You can add hundreds of calories to your day if you pick at food while you’re cooking.  If you keep your mouth busy chewing gum you are less likely to grab a spoon of this or piece of that saving you hundreds of calories a week.

Exercise:  Diet and exercise go hand in hand.  One doesn’t work well without the other.  Exercise makes you feel better, gives you more energy, burns calories and helps keep your blood pressure and blood sugar down.  When you exercise it makes you more aware of your body and helps keep you focused on your diet plan.  Simply put, you will feel better.

Don’t give up. We all break our diets now and then.  We may go from one diet to another looking for the answers.  It’s not always easy to find our way.  Don’t give up striving for good health.  If you feel like you can’t do it alone look for a support group or professional to help.

Good Nutrition and Exercise is the Fountain of Youth!
 
 

Two sizes smaller by Christmas

By: Linda Jones

 AUGUST 2005 THE YELP
    It's August and just 21 weeks until Christmas. You might be the kind that thinks ahead about the holidays. Some of you have already shopped for presents and decorations. Most of us don't take the time time to plan this far in advance because we are busy with work and other obligations. My point is when we do plan ahead we have a much better chance of reaching our goals and we have much more fun with the process.
    Vision is the most important aspect to reach any objective. We need to see the challenge, visualize the goal and then plan our strategy. When we plan ahead for events it seems we are much more successful and remarkably less stressed. Spreading the work out over time is much more effective than waiting until the last minute. If we don't look ahead and plan, we are caught off balance and we have to race to catch up.
    I have had many women join the gym in an attempt to get in shape for a special occasion. Weddings, reunions, and the holidays are among the most popular events that trigger a need for weight loss. The problem is that the time frame we typically give ourselves is much too narrow.
    A good goal for weight loss is between 1 and 2 pounds per week. Losing weight slowly helps maintain your new weight once you reach your goal. If you're really heavy you may lose more weight than this in the beginning, but you should aim low and give yourself enough time to reach your target successfully.
    Decide how many pounds you need to loose and figure a way to lose two pounds a week at most. Determine the weeks needed to reach your goal weight and get started. The diet you choose is personal. You can always ask your doctor for a good nutritional plan. Be careful with fad diets, they can be dangerous.
    How many weight loss resolutions  will we make before we achieve our goal weight? It all sounds so easy, but in truth it takes determination and a good solid plan. This is the reason for setting up a serious strategy. Don't ever give up until you reach your goal no matter how long it takes.
    Think again about the holidays. Twenty one weeks at one pound per week gives you a twenty one pound weight loss. Ten pounds usually accounts for one dress size.  At that  rate you should be  two sizes smaller by New Years Eve. One pound a week seems feasible and, wouldn't it be nice to make a resolution other than weight loss next year?

Stop Drinking Your Calories

By: Linda Jones

 JULY 2005 THE YELP
    Summer is a great time to drop some weight. Fresh fruit is readily available and our appetites seem suppressed by the heat, but when we're sweltering we crave ice cold liquid refreshments. If you want to take advantage of the summer life-style to loose weight you must stop drinking your calories. There is an assortment of new age high calorie liquid concoctions available. You could easily drink hundreds or even thousands of calories a day without realizing it.
    There are also many zero calorie drinks today. Great flavored waters, iced tea, iced coffee, and any number of diet sodas. If you are serious about taking off a few pounds this season be sure to order one of these. If you just can't stand the diet flavor and absolutely won't give up on sugary drinks be cautious and limit the number of drinks you consume. Don't forget that refills count. Just two full sugar soda refills can add more than 500 calories to your meal.
    Coffee bars have become extremely popular. I often notice teenagers stopping for a latte'. If they order a Vente iced white chocolate mocha they will be gulping down an amazing 650 calories. My guess is that drinks could be a major cause of childhood obesity. Another favorite is the ever popular smoothie bar. Order a peanut butter smoothie at a well known juice bar and it will cost you 1290 calories. This doesn't mean you shouldn't enjoy these products, but if you're interested in keeping your weight down you need to pay attention and make reasonable choices. The same smoothie in a small size is a better choice at 540 calories. Order a creamy berry smoothie and make it a large for only 540 calories. Check to see if the establishment offers a low calorie menu. A tropical large smoothie is only 380 calories made the low cal way.
    Most places have a nutritional guide available. It might be a good idea to check out your favorites ahead of time. You can find most chain restaurants online. Checking calories before you go out could be a helpful strategy in more ways than one. First, you know how many calories you are ordering, and if you plan your meal ahead of time you will be less tempted to order the high calorie choice on the spot.
    Don't forget to count your adult beverages. An ice cold margarita 12 oz is about 250 calories. Not too bad as long as you don't order too many. Beer isn't too high in calories, but a 6-pack should be considered a meal replacement. Remember portion size matters in food as well as drink.
    Parents, make sure to educate yourself and your children about the pitfalls of consuming high calorie drinks. In checking out the web sites below, I noticed one smoothie that had 75 mg of caffeine added. If you don't want your kids wired or you can't tolerate the effects of caffeine be particularly cautious.
    Listed below are a few web sites of local watering holes. Check them out and start eating not drinking your calories. If you can take the time to check out your options before you order you should be able to make acceptable choices anywhere you go. Stay Healthy and Have a great summer.

                                            Starbucks    Jamba Juice     Taco Bell     Carls Jr.      Jack in the Box

At Starbucks click on nutrition then beverages then choose size. In Jamba Juice click on menu guide then your favorite drink. At Carls Jr. you can actually build your meal then check the total calories. Jack in the Box also has great information.


 

The USDA Weight Solution

By: Linda Jones

June 2005 THE YELP


 Americans are obsessed with diet strategies and weight loss solutions. Everyday the news brings us new information about what we should or should not consume. You would think that with all the information available we would all be thin, strong and healthy. The problem with obesity in this country isn't lack of information or lack of interest or desire. It's something else.  We are so involved with everything else in our fast paced lives we don't take the time necessary for good health. Somehow we need to get as serious about the upkeep of our bodies as we are about other less important possessions.
When you buy a new automobile the dealer suggests the grade of gas that is appropriate for your new auto. They give you a simple guideline on care and upkeep. If you use a low-grade gas in the tank and the car runs sluggish you probably try the higher octane the next fill up. The last thing we would do is ignore a performance problem with our car. If we couldn't fix the problem we would see a professional and follow the advice given. Not so with our bodies. Eating is probably the number one decision we make daily. Unfortunately only about three percent of Americans follow the USDA's guidelines concerning the amount of vegetables, fresh fruit, whole grain and dairy we need to consume daily for optimum performance.
We have been given guidelines by the USDA identifying the calorie levels, and percent valued of food we need. Yet, we continue to go against the recommendations and continue to complain about our physical condition. Doctors tell us to loose weight, exercise, eat more vegetables, eat less sugar, and lower our cholesterol. When we don't follow the guidelines physicians prescribe pills to help mask the overall problem.
What is a "Healthy Diet"? The USDA Dietary Guidelines describe a healthy diet as one that;

If you're interested in finding out more detailed information on the New and Improved USDA food pyramid and recommendations for health check out the  mypyramid  web site. If you follow this link it will lead you to a detailed and personal recommendation for healthy living. I think you will be seriously surprised. According to the USDA's latest publication you are considered sedentary if you exercise less than 30 minutes every day in addition to your normal daily activities. To be considered active you would have to exercise 60 minutes a day in addition to your daily activities. Most of us consider 30 minutes added exercise 3 days a week exceptional. When I entered my personal information on the USDA web site I found that my daily diet should consist of 5 oz of whole grains, 2 cups of fresh veggies, 1 1/2 cups of fresh fruit, 3 cups of milk and 5 oz of lean meat or beans. I must also exercise 60 minutes daily for optimum health. Well, that's what my bodies owners manual recommended. It's straightforward, uncomplicated, and inexpensive. If I'm truly looking for high performance in my life I better start taking my owners manual seriously. I want my body to last a long time.
For more information contact;
    National Agricultural Library Food and Nutrition Information Center
     Nutrition.gov  Staff
    10301 Baltimore Avenue
    Beltsville, MD 20705-2351