The Gift of More Food Labels
Click for Photo Credits
When is the last time you ate at a chain restaurant? There are some that are better than others. I have been pretty impressed with the efforts of fast food joints such as Chipotle that uses meat never given antibiotics or added hormones, local/organic produce, and dairy not treated with rBGH and Baja Fresh that uses no freezers, can openers or microwaves. A similar kind of progressive thinking is what’s behind the new laws for menu labeling in some states.
Menu labeling is hot right now. Starting in New York, and spreading to cities in PA, WA, OR, and the state of California, there’s a move to educate diners who, until now, have been ‘forced’ to eat foods they knew nothing about. The final act will close when the newly-passed health care bill will ‘force’ all restaurant chains with more than 20 locations to post food calorie counts on their menus.
What’s really going on here? Who’s forcing whom? Do chain restaurants other than Chipotle or Baja Fresh even care about the health of our country at all? Do American restaurant-goers even want to be educated? Take a look at what some diners said in a New York Times interview inside a McDonalds that had already posted calorie counts on their big menu boards.
“It’s just cheap, so I buy it. I’m looking for the cheapest meal I can.”
“I don’t really care too much, I know I shouldn’t, ’cause I’m too big already (though).”
“Life is short,” (I used to be a light eater.) “I started eating everything now that I’m pregnant.”
I can’t really speak for restaurants; some of them are opposed to the financial and logistical burden to come in the 3-4 years it’ll take for the FDA to enforce the law. However, since my mission is to ‘put holistic health in America’s hands,’ I can say:
- Being food-smart is DIFFICULT!
- Some people truly don’t want to be educated on these matters.
- Some people do want to learn more and do better, but even when the information is available, it is too confusing.
Fox news writer, Radley Balko points out, “We’ve been labeling packaged foods for decades now, and we’re still getting fatter.”
- Yes, it is true that labels are of no use if we can’t first interpret them, then have enough energy to change old habits.
- But, being food-smart is DIFFICULT! Sometimes it’s like a full-time job!
Where do you see yourself in these issues? Consider these questions:
- Shouldn’t everyone be in favor of more progressive approaches to food like meat without antibiotics or added hormones, local/organic produce, dairy not treated with rBGH, and no freezers, can openers or microwaves? (actually, I like to put my leftovers in my freezer sometimes, but you get the idea)
- Has your city or state already made menu label changes?
- Do labels on packaged goods and/or fast food menu boards make sense and help you make choices?
Holistic Health In Your Own Hands. Take these steps:
Those of us who don’t have the time to devote to making sense of tiny, confusing labels and piles of conflicting health claims should:
- Start small and only seek out health advice that makes sense to you.
- Beware of health advice offered in conjunction with the advertisement of any product.
- Find someone you know that is already living the kind of healthy life you desire.
- Post a comment. Tell us where you see yourself in these issues now and where you’d like to be in the near future. Tell us what you plan to do to get there so that we can all get some good ideas.
