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Page 2 of 2 In a new report by Isaac Wolf of the Scripps Howard News Service, some restaurants may not be delivering what they say they are on their menus. From March to May this year, Scripps stations tested food in eight cities from chains that offer health-conscious menus.
Unfortunately, their findings leave this restaurant eater a bit frustrated. As one who reads menus and often gravitates toward items boasting they are low in calories and fat, it underscores the old adage, “Caveat Emptor” or “Let the buyer beware.”
According to the report on Seattlepi.com, “To test the food, Scripps ordered dishes from restaurants in Phoenix, Kansas City, Mo., Tampa, Fla., Detroit, West Palm Beach, Fla., Cleveland, Baltimore and Tulsa, Okla. Items were packed in coolers and sent to Analytical Labs in Boise, Idaho. Technicians performed nutritional tests, determining the items' caloric and fat contents.” Some of the differences identified included The Macaroni Grill’s “pollo Margo skinny chicken,” which claimed to have 6 grams of fat, but the test revealed had 49 grams of fat. Chili’s “guiltless grill” salmon was listed to provide 14 grams of fat, but the test found it contained 35 grams of fat and Taco Bell’s grilled steak soft taco claimed to have 4.5 gram of fat but was found to have 20 grams of fat. To me, these are big differences! Perhaps, additional tests should be performed to make sure the testing lab didn’t make mistakes. In any case, some of the restaurants apologized for the variations, stating that most likely portions served were larger than they should have been. Hopefully, tests like this will make restaurants more aware of the importance of following recipes and portion sizes. But for the best control over your food intake, I recommend eating the majority of your meals at home and always let your fullness be your guide as to when to stop eating. Share restaurant portions, which tend to be large anyway and ask for take-home containers after you’re satisfied or full.
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