When ordering French fries, would you like to see a menu board at the counter stating a small s
ize has 350 calories and 23 grams of fat?
Well, that’s exactly what could have happened under a California Senate bill that would have required restaurants with 14 or more locations in the state to post nutritional information on menu boards. But, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed the bill over the weekend, causing fast food chains to breathe a sigh of relief.
The Center for Science in the Public Interest called the governor’s veto a “greasy stain” on his health record. To read the watchdog group’s full viewpoint, CLICK HERE.
I have mixed feelings about the menu labeling issue. I like to fish around for nutritional information when I buy groceries. But when I’m craving an El Pollo Loco crunchy chicken taco at lunch, I don’t need to see a sign stating how much fat (8 grams, by the way) I’m about to ingest.
Not surprising, Orange County chains Del Taco and El Pollo Loco applauded the veto, stating that their Websites provide detailed nutritional information for consumers who seek healthy choices.
“Del Taco has been providing this information via our web site for some time, and customers call us when they need more information,” stated Shirlene Lopez, president of Lake Forest-based Del Taco.
The folks at Costa Mesa-based El Pollo Loco also pointed out that its Website offers something menu boards can’t: ingredient customization. The site allows diners to “delete” or “add” ingredients such as cheese. It then calculates the nutritional value for a menu item based on the information specified by the consumer.
Pretty nifty, I thought. So, I decided to try out the online tool. For my crunchy taco, it allowed me to “delete” (insert sad face, here) cheese. The re-calculated taco went from 8 grams of fat to 6.
“This provides far more personalized nutrition information than what (the Senate bill) would have mandated,” El Pollo Loco told me.
I’d have to agree. Because armed with this new information, I’ll stick with the cheese.
Does anyone who eats at a fast food restaurant expect to get healthy food? Fast Food restaurants actually share more nutritional information than most sit down chains. Good job Arnold on the veto.