Nutritional values: Are they valuable or valueless?

In July of 2008, a labeling law went into effect requiring restaurants to provide nutritional information about their meals. Recently, a study was conducted tracking customers at four fast-food chains to see if posting calorie counts actually influenced them to make healthier food choices.  In the end, research showed that although people said they noticed the information and claimed they made healthier choices, that wasn’t the case.

Why? Was it because they already knew what they wanted to eat so the calorie counts didn’t deter them? Or by knowing exactly how many calories – or fat, or carbs, or sugar – each meal had, did they simply rationalize their choices by saying, “What the heck… I might as well super size my meal. It’s only another 100 calories”? Or in the end, did they base their meal decisions on dollar-for-dollar value? In other words, even though they knew they were going to consume more calories, they ordered the double burger over a single burger because it was a better value for only 50¢ more.

Who knows… the study really had too many variables to tell. But those nutritional postings can – and should – be put to good use. When you’re out to eat, use the information to help you make wise choices. Look the menu over carefully. You might be surprised to find that a sirloin steak and some steamed vegetables weigh in better than a turkey burger that’s topped with cheese and served on an oversized bun. The numbers can also help you decide where to make substitutions in your meal to get the best nutritional value… and may even leave you a little room left over for some dessert!

Comments for "Nutritional values: Are they valuable or valueless?"

1. Hi Chris!
   In my opinion, people who spend their time reading the nutritional information on the sides of boxes are those who are concerned with their appearance and overall health.  As an example, if you take some pre-processed tomato sauce, it will have quite a bit of sodium (very nice if you want to retain water), but the plain tomato puree has almost no sodium at all.
   Of course this is a silly example, but it shows that reading can help you make a healthier choice!
   I really admire your work – keep it up!

   Posted by Sergio from Brazil on 12/30 at 12:22 PM

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