Comments on: You Gonna Eat That? New York Chains Post Calorie Counts http://jcarrot.org/you-gonna-eat-that-new-york-chains-post-calorie-counts/ Jews, Food, and Contemporary Issues Sat, 05 Jul 2008 12:10:04 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.2 By: Debs http://jcarrot.org/you-gonna-eat-that-new-york-chains-post-calorie-counts/#comment-5914 Debs Fri, 02 May 2008 05:14:38 +0000 http://jcarrot.org/you-gonna-eat-that-new-york-chains-post-calorie-counts/#comment-5914 Oy. Most of the science these days, despite what mainstream folks are saying, shows that it's not the calories that matter anyway. A low-calorie food made out of, say, white flour, sugar, and soybean oil is not better for you than a high-calorie food made of, say, organic butter and eggs. Still, I suppose a lot of the food that's bad for health reasons happens also to have high calories (fast food, baked goods, etc). So, maybe in a roundabout way it will help. I think it would be much more useful to require restaurants to post a list of ingredients. If some item has, say, cottonseed oil in it (scary stuff) I want to know. However, that would never happen, since people don't want to reveal recipes (sometimes because their food is so good they don't want you to copy it, but sometimes because their food is so bad they don't want you to know). <a href="http://food.gofrolic.org" rel="nofollow">Food Is Love</a> Oy. Most of the science these days, despite what mainstream folks are saying, shows that it’s not the calories that matter anyway. A low-calorie food made out of, say, white flour, sugar, and soybean oil is not better for you than a high-calorie food made of, say, organic butter and eggs. Still, I suppose a lot of the food that’s bad for health reasons happens also to have high calories (fast food, baked goods, etc). So, maybe in a roundabout way it will help.

I think it would be much more useful to require restaurants to post a list of ingredients. If some item has, say, cottonseed oil in it (scary stuff) I want to know. However, that would never happen, since people don’t want to reveal recipes (sometimes because their food is so good they don’t want you to copy it, but sometimes because their food is so bad they don’t want you to know).

Food Is Love

]]> By: Leah Koenig http://jcarrot.org/you-gonna-eat-that-new-york-chains-post-calorie-counts/#comment-5848 Leah Koenig Wed, 30 Apr 2008 23:36:09 +0000 http://jcarrot.org/you-gonna-eat-that-new-york-chains-post-calorie-counts/#comment-5848 I felt like you do valereee until I was actually face to face with the calorie counts. I generally eat a healthy diet based on whole foods, but occasionally I go out to splurge a little. Knowing exactly how much I'm splurging takes the fun out of it! That said, if the ruling ends up being a helpful step towards curbing obesity in NYC (I'm rather doubtful that it will), then I ultimately think it's a good thing. You're right Chanie - it's frustrating that they just tell you about calories (in the 80s it would have been fat grams). It seems like a superficial way of looking at your food choices. I felt like you do valereee until I was actually face to face with the calorie counts. I generally eat a healthy diet based on whole foods, but occasionally I go out to splurge a little. Knowing exactly how much I’m splurging takes the fun out of it! That said, if the ruling ends up being a helpful step towards curbing obesity in NYC (I’m rather doubtful that it will), then I ultimately think it’s a good thing.

You’re right Chanie - it’s frustrating that they just tell you about calories (in the 80s it would have been fat grams). It seems like a superficial way of looking at your food choices.

]]> By: chanie http://jcarrot.org/you-gonna-eat-that-new-york-chains-post-calorie-counts/#comment-5843 chanie Wed, 30 Apr 2008 20:45:39 +0000 http://jcarrot.org/you-gonna-eat-that-new-york-chains-post-calorie-counts/#comment-5843 i'm also torn about this. on the one hand, it is good to know what is going into the food that you are eating and be able to make smart choices. on the other, not all calories are created equal, and i'm not sure just knowing calorie amounts helps much - besides guilting you into not eating that cookie - i mean, did anyone think it was a healthy choice? are they giving you other nutritional information as well? also - the nutritionism point is well taken. i’m also torn about this. on the one hand, it is good to know what is going into the food that you are eating and be able to make smart choices. on the other, not all calories are created equal, and i’m not sure just knowing calorie amounts helps much - besides guilting you into not eating that cookie - i mean, did anyone think it was a healthy choice? are they giving you other nutritional information as well? also - the nutritionism point is well taken.

]]> By: valereee http://jcarrot.org/you-gonna-eat-that-new-york-chains-post-calorie-counts/#comment-5841 valereee Wed, 30 Apr 2008 18:28:02 +0000 http://jcarrot.org/you-gonna-eat-that-new-york-chains-post-calorie-counts/#comment-5841 I wish more restaurants would do this! I like to know what I'm eating. I hate that it takes a law to get it done, but I guess having restaurants do it voluntarily makes it unlikely to happen at all. The restaurants who volunteer to do it lose customers to those who don't, even if the no-info restaurant's foods are actually a worse choice. I wish more restaurants would do this! I like to know what I’m eating. I hate that it takes a law to get it done, but I guess having restaurants do it voluntarily makes it unlikely to happen at all. The restaurants who volunteer to do it lose customers to those who don’t, even if the no-info restaurant’s foods are actually a worse choice.

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