DC needs menu labeling!

I agree, this is very useful! It doesn't help as much when nutrition information isn't presented at the point of purchase, so I'm glad you guys are making progress in addressing that problem

I agree! This group is so essential to addressing the needs of the community. Residents and tourists have the right to be informed about what they are eating. Some may fear that letting people know theh caloric content of food may slow business, but I think it will just allow people to make better food choices and not over indulge on foods when eating out.

I firmly believe in empowering consumers to be responsible for their own choices. We need nutritional information to be easily accessible at the point of sale in order to be able to make informed choices for ourselves and our families.
When I purchase foods to bring into my home I read nutritional labels carefully. When I go out to eat I seldom have the opportunity to do the same.
I can't always cook for my family but I still want to be able to ensure that we eat healthy foods when we purchase restaurant food. I would be more inclined to eat in a place that is putting the same care into their cooking as I would do at home. I would trust them more to be looking out for my health if they let us know the nutritional information about their foods.

I think having the info on the menu would be awesome. I just ate out in dc at cosi and i couldnt decide what to order because i was trying to eat the soup with the least amount of sodium. keep trying dc!!

This is a very smart idea that has a real potential to improve the public health of DC by simply providing with relevant details to make an informed decision. What is particularly clever about this proposal is that it provides crucial information to consumers without limiting or infringing upon anyone's rights.

In the future, the Council should also strongly consider requiring restaurants to provide ingredients on their menus as well. With so many food allergies - from peanuts to gluten - this is another major issue in public health and public safety.

I think this is the smartest idea and should happen all over the place-not just DC! I think people should know what they are putting in their bodies, and not just by hunting for the information. Having it right at their fingertips is the right way to do it and you are brilliant for coming up with this! Kudos to you and I truly hope that DC starts what the rest of the country should then follow!!

I agree completely. There are so many food allergies today, that this issue need to be addressed in every way possible. We hope DC does the right thing and others will follow. Keep up the great work!!!

My doctor tells me I should eat less meat because it can lead to heart attacks. So, I make sure I eat more chicken. Unfortunately, I go to a restaurant that gets their chicken from a particular major brand. This extremely large chicken provider likes to create a uniform product, so every chicken breast is three pounds. But, you ask, “How do they do that? You can’t force an animal to grow to a certain size, each animal is an individual.” Precisely. They bloat them by injecting them with salt water and seaweed extract. Now, for someone like me, or a diabetic, or my grandfather who has had a triple bypass and is kept alive with a pacemaker, who are looking to limit the amount of sodium they ingest, I opt for this same chicken breast. I get it grilled, maybe even put it atop my salad. Unfortunately, instead of actually eating what I thought was a healthy choice; I am eating more than my daily sodium intake in one meal. I do this 3-4 times a week. And eventually, that chicken that I am eating to avoid heart attacks is going to cause one. I actually would have been better off not changing my diet at all. I was just lied to by the restaurant and the food industry. And because of them, I will suffer from one of the many chronic western diseases. So, you ask me if it is necessary to provide labels; no, it is not necessary. It is imperative.

It's very important to know the nutritional information (Sodium, Cholesterol,total fat ......) , because some people need to eat healthy foods when they go out.

You have the opportunity to improve the public health in USA .

Thanks for organizing this effort to provide menu labeling in restaurants. It is the least the City Council can do to support healthier nutrition. We need to oppose the Chamber of Commerce and hospitality/restaurant associations for blocking good health policy, whether it is smoking bans, nutrition labels, or sick days. I'm tired of DC (and the world) being run by developers and companies. Wouldn't it be better to have the working class in power?

I consider myself a healthy individual that watches what I eat. Everyone knows that certain foods are not healthy for you. Take fast food for example. We seem to have always "known" that this was not a healthy option, but how bad is it and which options are the best/worst? On the flipside, everyone knows that there are foods that are good for you. But what about the "in between foods"? I have always wondered if what I was eating in restaurants was actually healthy for me. I would love to know what I'm putting in my body, so that I can make INFORMED choices.
This idea of menu labeling is so great on so many fronts. This is the most common sense step in helping people become healthier. This is something that should have been done a long time ago, but I guess sometimes common sense isn't so common.

This is such a simple idea that would cost the restaurants very little effort, but the impact on the consumers lives would be much greater! Healthier choices need to be made as can be seen by the latest social trends in America and this one small step would make one giant leap towards a healthier society... I'm all for it!

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/17/nyregion/17calorie.html?r ef=nyregion