With all that’s going on in the world, it’s understandable that we may be in need of some comfort food. Depending on how much global news you are reading, you may turn to binge eating. No judgement here.
So it couldn’t come at a worse time that certain restaurants are now required to put calorie counts on the menu.
As part of the Province of Ontario’s Healthy Menu Choices Act, all food-service chains and cafeterias with 20 locations or more in Ontario must post on the menu the number of calories in the food and drink they serve.
This information comes as a real shock to the system, when there is no time to mentally prepare.
We were probably warned, sure. The new law must have made the news during the holiday season but, in a haze of carbs and Bailey’s, who can remember?
Perusing a menu, it’s hard to ignore those numbers in parenthesis – they are substantial. Around here, we are lucky to have a number of fine independent restaurants so we don’t see the tell-all menus unless we venture outside of the borders of our village.
Seeing the calorie count of most of the chain gang’s delicacies is rather unappetizing, and not very precise. A cheeseburger can range from 1,200 to 2,200 calories. That’s the difference between half a person’s daily caloric intake or the limit for the day.
As of Jan. 1, chain restaurants are required to put a statement on the menu that states the average adult requires approximately 2,000 to 2,400 calories per day, however, individual calorie needs may vary.
As of January 2018, that statement must be upgraded to read, “Adults and youth (ages 13 and older) need an average of 2,000 calories a day, and children (ages 4 to 12) need an average of 1,500 calories a day. However, individual needs vary.”
It is safe to say that all of the calorie counts are higher than expected, much higher.
Knowing the awful truth, how can one look a waiter in the eye and order fish-and-chips?
The rules apply to coffee shops and movie theatres so forget about justifying that muffin (they were right, it is just a cupcake without icing) and movie popcorn, that’s ruined too.
The hope is that restaurants and fast food joints will provide healthier options and that people, no longer able to hide from the truth, will make better choices or at least, be aware of what they are eating.
Deep down in our guts, we know that food made at independent eateries and chains with 19 locations in Ontario may have just as many calories but we can continue to fool ourselves into believing we are opting for the healthy option. (Caesar salad is healthy, it’s salad.)
It’s best to stick to eating out locally at independent restaurants where the food may not be lower in calories but you can eat in blissful ignorance. And, it is made lovingly by local community members.