Before I went out yesterday, I grabbed a bite to eat with a few friends. I never really pay much attention to calories in general. As I am what some call a health freak, but I like to think of myself as someone that cares what they in jest into the body. But at this restaurant just as any restaurant right beside what you are going to order it says the amount of calories the meal has.
I ordered a Margarita Pizza which is a pizza with fresh sliced tomatoes, fresh sliced Mozzarella, and fresh basil leaves which was 285 calories per piece. As I thought of it I thought to myself should people have to be subjected to the amount of calories? I believe our country has its dietary problems – Yes most definitely but will displaying the calories “help” or will it just make people go home with a guilty conscience that they ate too much when is reality they might not have.
Now personally in my opinon it would be more beneficial if instead of putting the amount of calories you ate in that specific meal next to it they put what is in it. Yeah I would like to know that they threw aspartame, canned meat, chicken broth, and artificial flavorings into my meal. I think it would be much more beneficial to put the context of the meal near it then to throw on a number of ”calories.” I would feel much better walking out of the restaurant knowing I ate “500 calories” of a meal with real chicken, real cheese, real sugar then walking out knowing I ate “320 calories with canned chicken, and sugar made in a science room (aspartame; Sweet N Low, Splenda ect.)
This is what is wrong, we are miss informing our population thinking it is “the numbers” that matter but not the substance. Keep eating that 100 calorie “Smart meal” with your mind at ease at mind but at the end of the day your eating a plate of chemical processed food.
Calories on meals are misinforming the population that the less they eat the better for them. Before you fear to eat a stuffed fetta chicken breast becuase it has so many “calories” ask what is in it because that is the real importance.
