Why America's restaurants have calories in menu?

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Ruth-Stewart@reddit

Because American culture is a bizarre mix of diet culture and stuffing our face with huge servings of food. We’re just weird with food.

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Livvylove@reddit

I love it, I remember I thought I was making a healthier choice but then found out it's was double the calories of what I normally ate. This really helps with that

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CigaretteWaterX@reddit

To help combat obesity rates. It's a law. And it appears to work.

A lot of people ask themselves, "why doesn't my cooking taste as good as this restaurant's meal?!" Well, here's why: they put an absolute shitload of butter in it.

Putting the calories on the menu has incentivized restaurants to find ways to make good-tasting meals without over-relying on things like butter.

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jigokubi@reddit

good-tasting meals without over-relying on things like butter.

I hate to think what they're substituting for that butter.

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Probably just resulted in an over-reliance on sodium instead. At least with fast food. Most of the main entrees are gonna have over 1000mg sodium in them and thats just the entree. It’s getting pretty excessive

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saltedkumihimo@reddit

There’s a law about it, very easy searchable. This is from the FDA website:

Calorie labeling on menus can help you make informed and healthful decisions about meals and snacks. So, beginning May 7, 2018, calories will be listed on many menus and menu boards of restaurants and other food establishments that are part of a chain of 20 or more locations. This will help you know your options and make it easier to eat healthy when eating out.

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BellaFromSwitzerland@reddit

As a European, I saw it first at a Krispy Kreme’s 15 years ago. I was so shocked by the 500kcal donuts that I turned around and left. I don’t actually like donuts and haven’t had any since then

A broader thought : is it a safe assumption that Americans like sharing meals and that’s why some deserts are so calorie-heavy ? I have seen menus / reports where deserts packed even 2k kcal and the restaurant owners claimed that it was fine because people like to share.

In Europe one portion is really for one person unless clearly stated otherwise. I personally hate it when people start claiming some of my food

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jigokubi@reddit

I like best how the Japanese do it

I frequently pick up desserts in Japanese convenience stores with 400-500 calories.

But then, I'm actively looking for ways to get extra calories. If I see a donut with 500 calories, I'm eating it and then still likely going to be short on my calorie goals.

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TheBimpo@reddit

As a European, I saw it first at a Krispy Kreme’s 15 years ago. I was so shocked by the 500kcal donuts that I turned around and left. I don’t actually like donuts and haven’t had any since then

Are donuts and creme filled treats that are native to Europe somehow less caloric?

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BellaFromSwitzerland@reddit

I don’t think cream filled and glazed donuts were a thing back then in Europe so no, I was not used to it

In general we don’t have a concept of how much food « costs » in terms of calories just as much as we don’t know that manufacturing a pair of jeans « costs » 800 to 2,000 gallons of water

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Thelonius16@reddit

Croissants, eclairs, etc. check out any French pastry.

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DerthOFdata@reddit

Croissants, while extremely popular in France, are actually Austrian.

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SirJamesGhost@reddit

Much of French pastry culture originated in Austria, early on it was brought by royalty and in the early 19th century by Austrian pastry chefs hence why they are Viennoiserie.

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mistiklest@reddit

They were invented by an Austrian, in France.

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TheBimpo@reddit

Other pastries existed, France certainly isn’t afraid of butter

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eyetracker@reddit

France decided that if butter on bread is good, 42 layers of butter is better, and invented puff pastry.

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Sooner70@reddit

I mean, they weren’t wrong….

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eyetracker@reddit

Yeah, Wellington is always a fun "fancy" dinner that isn't as hard to make as people think.

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Saltpork545@reddit

Knowing how many calories are in your food isn't really like comparing how many gallons of water it takes to make a pair of pants.

Food, all food, is fuel for your body. We build history and culture and enjoyment and socializing and all of these other factors of it, but food on a fundamental level is fuel. Knowing how much fuel you're eating to hopefully make better choices isn't some crazy notion.

Yes, donuts(and things that are fried generally) tend to be pretty calorically dense. If you enjoy a croissant, that's also likely calorically dense. Fat is twice the caloric density of carbs and protein, so it's very easy to hit a large calorie/kilocalorie without much effort. If you want to see this in practice, look at how many calories are in a typical pizza. It's a lot.

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saltedkumihimo@reddit

Aside from a bite or two, or certain things like Chinese food or pizza, sharing dishes is uncommon. Usually people get leftovers to have as a meal the next day, or eat the whole thing. When my husband and I know we are eating dinner out we will eat a light breakfast and lunch to have more calories available for dinner.

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shelwood46@reddit

Appetizers and desserts are often shared, though. Appetizers usually with the whole table, desserts by 2 people (although it's easy to get leftover dessert boxed, if you get it at all).

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saltedkumihimo@reddit

Fair, I was thinking only of entrees but we do share apps and desserts frequently

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Sweet_Race_6829@reddit

There’s not a single Krispy Kreme donut with 400 or more calories. Original glazed is the most popular and has 190 calories. Even the cream and custard filled ones are around 350.

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Thelonius16@reddit

I don’t actually like donuts

Then why were you there? Just to shit on people who like them?

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Cheap_Coffee@reddit

I worked with a guy from Britain that was fascinated with US grocery stores. Every time came to the US he had to visit a grocery store to see the ketchup aisle. For some reason that just blew his mind.

I guess stores in Britain only put out one ketchup bottle on the shelves at a time?

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SabresBills69@reddit

in Europe many supermarkets are smaller size thus they carry less options.

where I live there is a Safeway ( Albertsons) that’s about half the size of a typical supermarket ( maybe the size of small Trader Joe’s) so they have limited flavor options on varieties/ sizes/ flavors offered

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BellaFromSwitzerland@reddit

I was in there looking to buy some coffee, if we really need to go through the details

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Acceptable_Tea3608@reddit

Its one thing to share a meal and another to share dessert. Many people will share dessert more than a meal. Sometimes its just a "taste", so a bite or two and thats it. But as a rule Americans do eat from their own dish. Sometimes the waitstaff will bring an extra plate for someone who's sharing. I haven't eaten at the Cheesecake Factory enough to say. And despite thee calorie content, Krispy Kremes are an Excellent Donut!

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Joel_feila@reddit

Yes a lot of desserts do come with 2 spoons. Same with a lot fo appetizers

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Meowmeowmeow31@reddit

Couples sharing desserts in restaurants is common. So is taking home half of your entree to eat as leftovers the next day.

But you seem to be under the impression that American desserts are unusually calorie-dense, and that is not the case. The pastries I’ve had in France and the Balkans are just as full of sugar and fat as the pastries in America.

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Gunther482@reddit

Sharing deserts is pretty common in the US, as well as appetizers. Entrees are usually for one person.

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Tizzy8@reddit

Sharing deserts at a restaurant is very common. To the point where if I order dessert and my husband doesn’t, the server will bring two forks with the dessert.

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km8907@reddit

Meals are so calorie dense because they use a lot of butter and oil to cook and they're hugs because most people want the most for their money. I share meals/desserts sometimes with my mom, but otherwise I take home leftovers. Cheesecake factory is easily 4 meals.

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molten_dragon@reddit

Sharing desserts is fairly common, especially at places that have large dessert portions.

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im-not-a-panda@reddit

A lot of foods have hidden sugar in sauces and such. You can’t always look at the primary ingredients and make an informed decision. If my family is planning on a sweet treat after dinner, I’m gonna go pretty light on dinner calories. Hard to do that when you don’t know caloric values of a meal.

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sloppyredditor@reddit

Government made a law 'cause we're fat, and we can't control how fat we are getting, mainly because we don't want to put in the effort required for healthy habits. Blame the food industry here but this is mainly on the consumer.

Our government made certain types of restaurants put calories on their menu so patrons could see a certain full-fat heavy cream dessert can be 750 calories per slice.

What they don't tell you is the total calories you should take in per day, because (a) it varies and (b) they don't want you to know that one slice is about a third of it.

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94grampaw@reddit

Literally all foods have based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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sloppyredditor@reddit

Fair, it says that on packaging.

I'd argue the actual amount each person should be taking in per day is likely NOT 2000 cal.

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94grampaw@reddit

Its fairly close, currently the average intake is closer to 3000.

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fox3actual@reddit

trying to help Americans, at least 2/3 of whom are overweight, make informed choices about restaurant food.

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Certain_Luck_8266@reddit

It is like that in a previous European country that will go unnamed as well.

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bkguy182@reddit

Bc we’re fat and this way people can make informed decisions about what they order to hopefully promote better eating habits.

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TwoOfCups22@reddit

Not typical for most restaurants.

Cheesecake Factory is known for very large portion sizes, so that has something to do with it. You can order half sizes there too, which are closer to normal sizes.

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kmoonster@reddit

It has to do with how many locations the restaurant has. By the time your restaurant chain has 20+ locations you have to find a way to identify and post the nutritional information of your dishes, and allergens need to be known so people can inquire.

A food truck or small owner/operator restaurant can choose to comply but it's not required per se until they start to scale up.

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kmoonster@reddit

It's not just restaurants! Any food sold for consumption has to carry an estimate of calories and nutritional information.

At the grocery store any item will have a label like this: CCC-infographic_web_v3.png (4313×2992)

(That image has some notes added by a commentator).

At a restaurant you might have to dig around a bit, but they can usually provide an estimate of calories and a list of ingredients & allergens even if not the full breakdown.

-

If you look long enough you will find someone who is allergic to whatever random ingredient/item, but practically speaking there are about eight to twelve items that cause +/- 95% of all allergic reactions. The "BIG 9" are: peanuts, tree nuts, soy, sesame, shellfish, fish, shrimp, wheat, eggs, dairy; these must be made known upon request, and ideally will be listed

Others include: mango, avocado, banana, various starches and sugars, some meats

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Curmudgy@reddit

Since the Cheesecake Factory has been discussed in various ways in various comments, I’ll just add they have a much more reasonable “skinnylicious” section of their menu.

But we’ve switched to Seasons 52. Their dessert menu is far more sensible for adults who watch their calorie, and their food items are good (though I don’t know whether they’re prepare in house the way the Cheesecake Factory does).

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Both-Beautiful960@reddit

In giant chain restaurants, yes. And it was necessary.

Europe has an actual food culture. Folk in the US legitimately wondered why they were gaining weight after just "two little slices of cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory", then found out that was almost 3000 calories.

Basically, restaurants in the US are fine with mildly killing their customers with cholesterol and diabetes in a way that most European businesses would be horrified by, so the FDA had to tell them to at least inform their customers they were going to die if they kept eating their food.

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Curmudgy@reddit

Europe has an actual food culture.

I don’t see how that fits in. Cultures are like accents, everyone has one but they often don’t recognize their own, or else they’re unaware of the cultures of other groups.

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Both_Painter_9186@reddit

Some states require it by law, so often chain restaurants will just do it for everything so they don’t need to redo their signage for each state. Starter about 15 years ago to help people make smarter health decisions. Although it’s kinda sad that Cheesecake Factory does this. Oreo Cheesecake?! Sounds awesome! Oh…. It’s… 1500 calories a piece..,

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Cheap_Coffee@reddit

Personally, I wouldn't go to a restaurant called "Cheesecake Factory" expecting low-cal items. I mean, it's in the name.

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Both_Painter_9186@reddit

Yeah but it hits a little different when the menu has “Oreo Cheesecake- $12.99,” then in BOLD ITALICS “9300 CALORIES- ENJOY, YOU FATTY FAT FUCK!”

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LoFiFozzy@reddit

All I can think of reading that is Wheatley from Portal 2. "Fatty fatty.. no parents!"

Now I need to replay the game again...

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Acceptable_Tea3608@reddit

And That is your calorie intake for the day.

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Both_Painter_9186@reddit

Yuhp. I do love me some cheescake factory. For a chain restaurant their stuffs damn good. But that said it’s like a “i’ll go on my birthday” level treat. A meal, a couple of drinks, and dessert- could be 4000 calories or more.

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Acceptable_Tea3608@reddit

Right. Its a once in a long while indulgence.

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machagogo@reddit

Some states require it by law

Federally mandated for all companies with over 20 locations.

https://www.fda.gov/food/nutrition-food-labeling-and-critical-foods/menu-labeling-requirements

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SabresBills69@reddit

it’s under law they need to list calories. many in watching their weight are calorie counting. many times deserts are shared between a couple

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GaryJM@reddit

I'm from Europe and here we never get calories in menus.

The UK has had a law since 2022 that required businesses with more than 250 employees to display calorie information on food, so you won't see it on the menu of an independent restaurant but you will see calories listed on the menus of chain restaurants, pubs and cafes.

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TheJokersChild@reddit

It started as a law in New York City. So to keep things easy, some chains decided to keep the calorie counts in their menus nationally rather than also print a calorie-free version for the rest of the country.

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Sufficient_Cow_7132@reddit

Because we live in a nanny state

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Steamsagoodham@reddit

A lot of Americans count calories as a way of dieting and making healthy eating choices. By putting it on their menu restaurants both comply with potential laws requiring it, and also appeal to more health conscious customers.

Personally I greatly prefer restaurants with nutritional information readily and easily available. Even if the food is great, if I can’t be sure that the meal fits in my diet calorie wise I’m probably not going to frequent it and deal with that uncertainty.

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Sad_Excitement9159@reddit (OP)

I totally agree! I wish we had it in Europe too! Thanks for the response

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TheBimpo@reddit

https://calorieready.com/blog/eu-calorie-regulations

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Rosesandbubblegum@reddit

Not in most, Cheesecake factory is weird like that. It is required by law that large chain restaurants have a way for customers to access nutrition facts about the food, but they usually post it online or have it in a book with the hosts. I think Cheesecake factory might be just be trying to advertise its healthier options.

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Mysterious-Art8838@reddit

Actually it’s federal law if you have at least 20 locations it has to be on the menu. It’s also on menu boards you’ll see at drive throughs. So extremely common. If you’re at a chain, you’ll see the counts.

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Hoopajoops@reddit

To help with obesity it's law. I'm sure most people didn't realize McDonald's Big Breakfast had over 2000 calories

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Ok-Energy-9785@reddit

To watch your figure

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Outlaw_Josie_Snails@reddit

I'm from Europe and here we never get calories in menus. I wonder if it's a standard in most of America's restaurants/fast foods.

In the US, we have different types of restaurants. Fast food, fast-casual, mom-and-pop, chain restaurants, etc.

The Cheesecake Factory is a chain restaurant. The reason why it lists the calories is due to federal law. This law was passed as part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2010 and officially implemented nationwide in 2018. The law requires chain restaurants with 20 or more locations to clearly display calorie counts on their menus, menu boards, and even drive-thru displays.

The law was implemented in hopes of combating obesity. It is also a way to encourage chain restaurants to reformulate the recipe to lower the calorie count or add lighter options to the menu.

The United Kingdom instituted a similar calorie law in 2022. It appears that in January 2026, the European Union has started a calorie labeling initiative.

https://calorieready.com/blog/eu-calorie-regulations

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Prince705@reddit

Besides the legal requirement, keep in mind that a lot of restaurant food in the US tends to contain a massive amount of calories. Some foods even contain several days worth of calories. It's a very useful piece of information when considering what to eat.

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