Calories, Nutrition and the Restaurant Menu

Here’s a forecast that I would bet real money on:  The wording of your menus will change to include more health, calorie and nutrition information.

It’s time to accept this inevitability and make the investment in gathering and printing this information sooner, rather than later.

Here’s why:

On Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2007, the Associated Press reported that U.S. District Court Judge Richard J. Howell struck down a New York City rule that had required a certain class of quick service restaurants to post calorie counts on their menus.

This rule, which is similar to others involving nutrition or health being considered or implemented in other cities and states, was judged to be in contradiction with federal law. But, if the rule had included all restaurants, not just a single class, it probably would not have been overruled.

That same morning, Sept. 11, NBC’s “Today Show” offered a segment about the Los Angeles City Council proposing a moratorium on fast food restaurants in an area of South Los Angeles. This story was first reported by the LA Times the previous day, with the lead-in story line, “As America gets fatter, policymakers are seeking creative approaches to legislating health. They may have entered the school cafeteria–and now they’re eyeing your neighborhood.”

What can we learn from these news stories, and the underlying issues which brought them about?   Here are a few key points for you to consider.

1. Your restaurant customers eat too much, and they know it.

2. They want to blame someone, but not themselves.

3. Americans eat more than 50% of their weekly meals outside of their homes.

4. Therefore restaurants, especially popular national “fast food” chains, are perfect targets for this blame.

5. The discussion connecting restaurants and health will not go away any time soon, in fact it is only beginning.

6. Legislators, elected leaders, and health professionals look for opportunities to join popular trends as they emerge by passing laws, issuing rules, and expanding regulations.

7. Your city/county/state/federal government will soon require you to show detailed nutritional facts on your menu, wrappers, and packaging because voters will demand them.

If you doubt this, remember the changes you’ve seen in smoking rules and alcoholic-beverage regulations over the past 20 years. Restaurants are next.

Finally, it is good to recall that companies who lead when popular changes start win market share, those who resist, die.

I was taught to never bet against the house—they hold the chips. Anyone ready to make a wager?