HALIFAX – There is a possibility Nova Scotians could soon see calorie counts on restaurant menus.
Ontario is moving forward with a plan to include the number on menus in big chain restaurants, convenience stores and grocery stores, and the idea is gaining traction in this province.
Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia’s chief public health officer, is in full support of the idea and is keeping a close eye on what happens in Ontario.
“I think we do need to look at… having better information on there to allow consumers to make better informed choices around the nutritional or health value of the food they’re looking to buy,” he said.
However he notes that he would want more than just calories included on menus.
However , he stresses the importance of providing that information in the context of the recommended amount that should be consumed in a given day.
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“We need to be open to thinking beyond what a number might do. Ultimately, if it doesn’t make sense and it isn’t usable and understandable by the general public, it’s of no value.”
Many customers at restaurants in downtown Halifax said they would appreciate calorie counts on menus.
Kirk Ramsay said it would better educate people when they’re trying to decide what to eat.
“If the education isn’t there, people are just going to look at any items on the menu and say ‘This looks good’ without consciously seeing what they’re putting into their bodies,” he said.
Sue Molloy said it would help customers like her see even the hidden calories included in meals.
“Some calorie counts on the things you eat on an everyday basis, it’s shocking,” she said.
The Nova Scotia chapter of the Heart and Stroke Foundation plans to approach the province about menu labeling.
Elaine Shelton, director of health promotion, said more nutritional information may help people achieve better diets and lifestyles and thereby lower their risk of developing a chronic disease.
“The population level of overweight and obese people in Nova Scotia and across the country is quite concerning,” she said.
“We have concerns with rates of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancers. Eighty per cent of heart disease and stroke is preventable and that has to do with lifestyle choices from avoiding tobacco use to being physically active to a healthy diet.”
Sobey’s dietitian Jennifer Hamm agrees that menu labeling can sometimes be a wake-up call for customers.
“This could be one measure for them to look at food and realize, ‘Ok, is there a lighter version I can choose?’. It can get them to reflect and think, ‘Can I get a smaller size? Maybe I can split this with somebody.’ Perhaps they might even think they will skip dessert,” she said.
As Canadians continue the trend of eating out, Hamm said including calories on menus is a good first step though she, like Strang, thinks more information needs to be included.
“What’s up making those calories? What is the quality of the calories? Is there fiber? What is the type of fat?” she said.
The vice-president of the Atlantic region of Restaurants Canada said Ontario’s initiative of including calories falls flat.
Luc Erjavec said he would rather a more comprehensive approach be taken in Nova Scotia.
“It’s an incomplete picture. A glass of diet soda can have zero calories and a glass of milk can have 200 calories. But which is healthier for you?” he said.
Erjavec said he would rather bring nutritional information through posters in stores, on computer screens at cash registers and menu supplements.
Ultimately though, it seems even consumers, like John Ross Strang, know it’s about more than what you eat.
“I think it’s more of a lifestyle choice. If you’re going to be making poor choices, it doesn’t matter how many calories you take in.”
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