Should Disney add calorie counts?

[Lynn5700]

With all the walking that we do at WDW, calories don't count. We actually lose weight when we're there.

That is true lol!!

I also plan to workout in the gym at our resort so I'm not worried too much. I eat well and exercise all the time so while I'm on vacation it's ok to treat myself.

 

[kaytieeldr]

And it IS other people's business when your (the general your, of course) diabetes or gastric bypass or heart transplant is covered by insurance or Medicare. That certainly can't help your risk pool. The collective's rates are going to rise. And is that fair to the guy who counts his calories, keeps his cholesterol and BP in check w/diet and exercise and isn't spending $$$$$ on health expenses?

Respectfully, the only situation of the three you mention that can 100% undoubtedly and solely be attributed to obesity is bariatric surgery (gastric bypass not being the only option in that area). Your guy who counts calories, keeps his cholesterol and BP in check with diet and exercise can STILL be prone to heart disease or diabetes, genetically or via some other means. Less likely, sure - but you can follow the healthiest regimen in the world and if your genes say "heart disease", and that results in needing a transplant...

 

[Uncleromulus]

What was the original question? Oh-calorie counts.
No. No need to add them.

 

[Colleen27]

So for those of you in favor of this, are you willing to accept the likely consequences of extensive homogenization and stagnation of menus and quite possibly higher prices as well? Is that an acceptable tradeoff, IYO, for hopefully guilting a few people out of ordering the schoolbread or the Tonga Toast?

 

[Leanne1977]

Last week at WDW, two items I ordered left me wondering "WOW how many calories are in this, must be LOTS?"
- Muffaletta Sandwich at POFQ Sassagoula Floatworks & Food Factory
- Banana-stuffed French Toast at POR Boatwright's (guess this one's a goner now that they're not serving breakfast)

In New York City (and other cities too), many restaurants are required to post calorie information on their menus, and California passed state legislation requiring the same. Today's cover of USAToday has poll results saying 82% of New Yorkers feel this posted calorie information has impacted what food they order.

I've always thought of Disney as being pretty nutritionally responsible - I feel this way because the WDW kid's menus serve up far more fruits/veggies and non-fried options then most restaurants I visit.

So I'm curious...
Do you think Disney should post calorie information on their menus?
If they did, do you think it would guide your choices while eating in the world?
Would this information be a positive, or would it interfere with your fun of indulging on vacation?

I definately don't want to know!!

I spend most of the year trying to be sensible with my diet and always check calories/fat content when I am buying food. My WDW holiday is exactly that, a holiday, a break from the normal routine.

I want to be able to eat what I want when I want. If the calorie content was shown it would automatically put me off ordering certain foods or not having a dessert. Thats no fun to me.

I know full well that the majority of foods will be loaded with calories and fat but for a couple of weeks out of the year I want to embrace the bad things!!

 

[Gixer]

I definately don't want to know!!

I spend most of the year trying to be sensible with my diet and always check calories/fat content when I am buying food. My WDW holiday is exactly that, a holiday, a break from the normal routine.

I want to be able to eat what I want when I want. If the calorie content was shown it would automatically put me off ordering certain foods or not having a dessert. Thats no fun to me.

I know full well that the majority of foods will be loaded with calories and fat but for a couple of weeks out of the year I want to embrace the bad things!!

Totally agree

 

[Jennifer815]

I am completely in favor of having information available on approximate nutritional information for regular menu items (I can see how specials would be difficult to manage)--maybe a brochure available at guest relations or something. Does it need to be on the menus? No. I believe I have a right to see the information if I choose, just as much as someone else has the right to believe there are no calories in WDW.

I am very overweight, and harbor no delusions about how I got this way, and the changes to my diet and increasing my exercise have helped me lose 45 pounds since September. Would knowing calorie counts at WDW stop me from eating everything I wanted to there? Nope--nothing would stop me from enjoying my traditional meal at Yachtsman Steakhouse. Would it help me make better choices when I want to? Yes, it would.

I like to consider myself fairly intelligent, and I do know that a lot of it is common sense. However, in a world where you have 1000 calorie turkey burgers and salads, it's not always easy to spot the best choice. The nation's health got this way through ignorance, basically, so what's the problem with people wanting to be smarter about their food and learn more?

I wanted to know how to speak French, so I learned how to speak French (I've since forgotten most of it, but that's not the point ). I want to be able to make better food choices, so I have to learn how to do that as well. I don't think having the information available for those who want it is a bad thing.

 

[Beauty & the Best]

I totally agree with your Jennifer.

...the changes to my diet and increasing my exercise have helped me lose 45 pounds since September...

Congratulations!

 

[FireDancer]

I agree with the posts that think the calorie counts should be made available but not printed on all the menus. I am very strict with myself when I eat and try to eat as healthy on vacation as at home. Well, other than the Boma dessert table of course.

Adding calories doesn't have to lead to menu homogenization. When I make a dish at home I look up the calories in the ingredients and come up with a calorie count and serving size. If I can do that I'm quite sure a company Disney's size could.

I won't get into the diet vs. health debate because it isn't my business how anyone else eats. I'll eat what I want and you eat what you want. I just would like the information available to make more informed decisions.

 

[LUVMICKEY]

I think the information would be nice to know if you wanted to really know. Not necessarily on the menus, but on a seperate information paper. There are times that I would like to know what all that information is, but not for everything. I do feel guilty already about what we eat on vacation, but it is vacation and eating all the food we enjoy is a big part of it. I would probably look at the information and maybe still not make better choices, but feel even worse about eating what I'm eating.

 

[Tink_Kel]

I already know.....0

My DF says vacation food dosen't have any calories!

 

[PaulaSB12]

Carb count would be nice to know so I can limit the number of carbs I eat in a day.

 

[Jennifer815]

I totally agree with your Jennifer.



Congratulations!

Thanks!

 

[zurgswife]

There are a few corporate giant restaurant chains who can afford to have lab analysis done on their menu items and give this to you in printed form.

As for mom & pop and chef-driven, Disney Signature restaurants-

1. Are you willing to give up information on the catch of the day or the special? (Are you willing to give up these choices, as daily lab analysis is almost impossible?)

2. Are you willing, as a consumer to pay extra for your meal to offset the price of recipe analysis?

3. Are you willing to sacrifice the taste of your dinner because the cook does not have the freedom to adjust the recipe or seasoning on your dish in order to adhere to the nutritional information?

Just some food for thought.

Yes, the food analyzing program is at Disney it works just fine for special needs if they were allowed to use it. It's a computer program at Disney not some special lab they send the food too.

I'm the parent of 2 type 1 kids. I need carb counts so that they can properly dispense their required insulin. Before the big bad Disney Legal team found out there was a Chef at the Boardwalk bakery that would give us the carb counts of what ever pastry they wanted. He plugged the ingredients and and presto the carb counts. Legal found out he did this and order him to stop. They said that there carb estimates were too dangerous to give us and we should guess. A load of bull in my opinon.

I understand that those on vacation wish not too know. If I had my choice I would also choose not to know but I'm not given that luxury but, I'm also not give the choice to get carb counts for even the mass produced items.

 

[MickeyNicki]

Good lord no, whadda ya want to do give me a heart attack????

 

[Colleen27]

Yes, the food analyzing program is at Disney it works just fine for special needs if they were allowed to use it. It's a computer program at Disney not some special lab they send the food too.

I'm the parent of 2 type 1 kids. I need carb counts so that they can properly dispense their required insulin. Before the big bad Disney Legal team found out there was a Chef at the Boardwalk bakery that would give us the carb counts of what ever pastry they wanted. He plugged the ingredients and and presto the carb counts. Legal found out he did this and order him to stop. They said that there carb estimates were too dangerous to give us and we should guess. A load of bull in my opinon.

I understand that those on vacation wish not too know. If I had my choice I would also choose not to know but I'm not given that luxury but, I'm also not give the choice to get carb counts for even the mass produced items.

That illustrates the problem with the non-lab method, though. It gives an estimate, not precise information, and as such Disney is not going to want to publish the results of such informal evaluation lest the information be incorrect and negatively effect a guest. It is too great a risk. If the chef gave out incorrect information because of a typo or mismeasurement or whatever and a guest was harmed, Disney would be left open to a lawsuit. That's why major restaurant chains rely upon lab testing rather than standardized calorie/nutrition calculators when compling information for publication. It would be nice if Disney had the information readily available upon request, but that isn't as simple an endeavor as it might seem at first glance.

 

[nowimscrappin]

That illustrates the problem with the non-lab method, though. It gives an estimate, not precise information, and as such Disney is not going to want to publish the results of such informal evaluation lest the information be incorrect and negatively effect a guest. It is too great a risk. If the chef gave out incorrect information because of a typo or mismeasurement or whatever and a guest was harmed, Disney would be left open to a lawsuit. That's why major restaurant chains rely upon lab testing rather than standardized calorie/nutrition calculators when compling information for publication. It would be nice if Disney had the information readily available upon request, but that isn't as simple an endeavor as it might seem at first glance.

But you understand that many, many national chains give this information out so its not like its without precedent. And, at a minimum, there are many items that come from a package with nutritional information already on it. For example, a cheesburger is on a bun and the bun has a carbohydrate total on the package. Buns vary significantly and even if Disney was able to provide that, it would go a long way. And that is just one example.

 

[chinchiller]

Yes, the food analyzing program is at Disney it works just fine for special needs if they were allowed to use it. It's a computer program at Disney not some special lab they send the food too.

I'm the parent of 2 type 1 kids. I need carb counts so that they can properly dispense their required insulin. Before the big bad Disney Legal team found out there was a Chef at the Boardwalk bakery that would give us the carb counts of what ever pastry they wanted. He plugged the ingredients and and presto the carb counts. Legal found out he did this and order him to stop. They said that there carb estimates were too dangerous to give us and we should guess. A load of bull in my opinon.

I understand that those on vacation wish not too know. If I had my choice I would also choose not to know but I'm not given that luxury but, I'm also not give the choice to get carb counts for even the mass produced items.

Err, I'm sure what he was doing was illegal at worst, bad advice at best. You can plug in the ingredients all you want, but there can be many factors not taken into account on a computer program. Some things include variations in measurements between batches or different chefs on different days, substitutions if they ran out of an ingredient and he didn't realize it, cooking messing with the composition. What if he input 22 tsp of something into the program instead of 2? What if he didn't account for something and your child had a reaction to it or, Lord forbid, died from it? That was extremely stupid of him to be giving that advice out and it puts tons of liabilities on Disney if he screwed up. I'm glad they stopped him and, honestly, I wouldn't blame them if they outright fired him over it. They'd be completely justified in doing so.

The only way they can get accurate results is to send it off to a lab, where they test the actual dish, cooked, and with the ingredients used then. It's the only way to get a safe, reliable result. There are just too many variables and "what-ifs?" with computer analysis. It's a big reason the NYC law made it for restaurants with something like 10 or more establishments in the city. That forces the big boys (chain restaurants) to put out the money to do it, but gives mom and pop restaurants that couldn't afford it an out.

 

[Taja]

I'm pretty aware of how many calories are in which foods and appropriate serving size. I really don't need anyone to tell me! I also walk far more at WDW than in daily life (not good, but I'm working on it!), so I usually end up losing about 10 lbs each holiday at WDW.

I also watch my sodium intake. My diet isn't restricted, but I'm accustomed to a low sodium diet, so most processed foods taste very salty to me. I just try to watch the quantity of processed foods I eat throughout the holiday with the knowledge that they contain more sodium than I need.

 

[ChefMickey123]

Err, I'm sure what he was doing was illegal at worst, bad advice at best. You can plug in the ingredients all you want, but there can be many factors not taken into account on a computer program. Some things include variations in measurements between batches or different chefs on different days, substitutions if they ran out of an ingredient and he didn't realize it, cooking messing with the composition. What if he input 22 tsp of something into the program instead of 2? What if he didn't account for something and your child had a reaction to it or, Lord forbid, died from it? That was extremely stupid of him to be giving that advice out and it puts tons of liabilities on Disney if he screwed up. I'm glad they stopped him and, honestly, I wouldn't blame them if they outright fired him over it. They'd be completely justified in doing so.

The only way they can get accurate results is to send it off to a lab, where they test the actual dish, cooked, and with the ingredients used then. It's the only way to get a safe, reliable result. There are just too many variables and "what-ifs?" with computer analysis. It's the biggest reason the NYC law made it for restaurants with something like 10 or more establishments in the city. That forces the big boys (chain restaurants) to put out the money to do it, but gives mom and pop restaurants that couldn't afford it an out.

I have to agree with this post, and again, my concern for this is for the Chef-Driven, Disney Signature Restaurants. Fast food that is prepacked is an entirely different story. I am more for consumer education by professional doctors and nutritionists, especially of those who have medical issues like diabetes. I empathize with the DISer with 2 type 1 kids. Restaurants are not hospitals or nursing homes, we try to do our best, but it is not safely within our realm to do on site reliable nutrient analysis.