Menu Education And Labeling Act Essay

512 Words3 Pages

In 2009, The Menu Education and Labeling Act (MEAL) was first was introduced to Congress. The Menu Education and Labeling Act requires all restaurant chains to present nutritional information on their menu’s. Nearly 92% of popular American chain restaurants have meals with more calories than what the recommended amount is for an average person. Most consumers going into restaurants do not know what they are essentially eating. As a country, restaurants seem to be in an open arms race to create singular menu items that push people into disgusting health. Therefore, maintaining nutritional balance is not an easy thing achieve when going into a restaurant. A typical meal at a restaurant is an average of 1,400 calories or more A good example is the Cheesecake Factory, many of their breakfast items such as the Bruleed French Toast, contain over 2,500 calories and 120 grams of sugar. Many people don’t realize that they are consuming over the maximum daily amount of sugar because they are not given important nutritional information. Another instance of this are foods that are considered healthy such as salads, however, healthy eating at fast food restaurants are nearly impossible because salads can be as …show more content…

A great example of this is IHOP’s Chorizo Fiesta Omelet; which also comes with a side of three buttermilk pancakes. The omelet and pancakes are equivalent to sharing with three other people. The Chorizo Fiesta Omelet is nearly 2,000 calories and 121 grams of fat. Majority of restaurant chains offer products in a variety of sizes, which are often presented as good value making people more likely to consume the whole thing. Even though some restaurants menus provide the number of calories for each meal, there are still many that do not. But with nutritional labeling in restaurant menus, owners can help aid people make well informed and healthful