Must menus in California count calories, carbs, fats?

A bill is on the governor's desk, and 4 of 5 state residents back it. But restaurant chains say mandatory measures are lawsuits waiting to happen.

By Daniel B. Wood | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor
and Alison Tully | Contributor of The Christian Science Monitor

Sherman Oaks, Calif. - As he finishes a plate of chips and salsa at El Torito, a Mexican restaurant here, Norman Oberstein says a menu that listed the calorie counts of his favorite choices would be a great idea.

"When I go to the grocery, I know what I'm getting and how fat it might make me, but here there isn't any information at all so I just order what I want and forget worrying about it," he says.

Twenty feet away, Michelle Ward disagrees. "I might be heartbroken if I knew how many calories were in some of my favorite foods," she says.

Whether to require detailed nutritional information on restaurant menus or brochures is under scrutiny as never before. Some see it as a way to help curb high obesity rates by encouraging healthier eating, while restaurant representatives claim that mandatory measures would be burdensome and wouldn't stem obesity. To other lawmakers, labeling is the latest example of excessive government interference. [Complete Article}

Receipt System Offers More Nutritional Info

BY JULIE VALLONE - FOR INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY
Posted 8/23/2007

Imagine ordering lunch and getting a receipt that not only shows your meal's impact on your wallet, but also on your waistline.

For diners at several Southern California fast-food restaurants, it's a reality. After buying their meals, they get receipts that also include a custom nutritional breakdown of what they ordered. The receipts display the calories, fat, carbohydrates, protein and nutritional daily value for everything they ordered.

Moreover, the receipt shows the impact of customized orders. If you say "Hold the mayo," your receipt will indicate how many calories and fat grams you saved by that decision and how it affected other nutritional categories. If you ask for extra cheese, you'll see how many calories and fat grams were added to your meal, as well as changes in protein and other nutrients.
Complete Article

Nutrition information could be added to TheGrubClub.com menu system. Then restaurants could give interested patrons that menu rather than on every receipt. Nutrition is a major issue but how many people want to see it every time they have a nice meal out. Please let us know if you are interested in this feature. Contact Info.