Carb Cafe

General
1

Hey all,

I was wondering if in anyone's home town there are cafe's that show the nutritional information for the meals and drinks they serve?

I eat out quite a bit with work and whilst I think I am reasonable at carb counting I know it would be so much easier if a cafe provided this information.

I am not talking about low carb diets or anything like that or pre-packaged food. I mean cafe meals and it can be anything just so long as we know the info then bolus for it.

2

I live in California and it is great because it is law that every restaurant has to have the nutritional information at the table or printed in the menu.  It makes it so easy because wherever we go I have the info I need to inject her the proper amount without having to look in a book or guess.  Since this is all new to us this is very helpful.

-Meg (Emmies mom) diagnosed 10-29-09, 2 days before her 5th birthday

3

Meg - I live in CA too and I was under the impression that only 47-50 restraunt chains were required to have nutrition menus, not all restraunts.

4

It is a little more comprehensive than I thought. California has this in the CA Health and Safety Code, section 114094 Here is what is in the bill:

114094.  (a) For purposes of this section, the following definitions
shall apply:
   (1) "Food facility" means a food facility in the state that
operates under common ownership or control with at least 19 other
food facilities with the same name in the state that offer for sale
substantially the same menu items, or operates as a franchised outlet
of a parent company with at least 19 other franchised outlets with
the same name in the state that offer for sale substantially the same
menu items, except that a "food facility" does not include the
following:
   (A) Certified farmer's markets.
   (B) Commissaries.
   (C) Grocery stores, except for separately owned food facilities to
which this section otherwise applies that are located in the grocery
store. For purposes of this paragraph, "grocery store" means a store
primarily engaged in the retail sale of canned food, dry goods,
fresh fruits and vegetables, and fresh meats, fish, and poultry.
"Grocery store" includes convenience stores.
   (D) Licensed health care facilities.
   (E) Mobile support units.
   (F) Public and private school cafeterias.
   (G) Restricted food service facilities.
   (H) Retail stores in which a majority of sales are from a
pharmacy, as defined in Section 4037 of the Business and Professions
Code.
   (I) Vending machines.
5

You can get a Calorie King book. This is not quite 'pocket size' but is pretty small and has lots of chain restaurant info as well as carbs for your average cheeseburger, pancakes, any vegetable or fruit, etc. It is worth it - it also lists the calories and fat content - which will pretty much make you want to never eat at certain places ever again (Cheesecake Factory!) but that book goes with us when we go out to eat.

6

The Calorie King book is awesome! I recommend that also. I used to carry it with me everywhere, and I have a pretty good idea of what things are now when I eat out.

7

If he lives in Australia, it ma not have his local chains in it.

8

Thanks for your suggestions guys.

Calorieking have an Aussie version website which is really good and I usually access through my mobile when out. I also have a few pocket books similar to that suggested.

In Australia though, I can not think of any cafes that show the nutritional info of each meal. I don't mean the chain restaurants which do have that info available, I talking about private boutique style cafes. I personally think a cafe that provided good food and showed the nutritional info would go gang busters in Australia and would be useful for a lot of people not just T1D's.

It sounds like this is something that happens more in other parts of the world.

9

I live in Iowa and frequent Nebraska, and recently traveled to Minnesota and South Dakota.  I have not seen any menus marked with nutritional information.  You can get it at fast food places if you ASK, but that's it.

10

Nope. The "slower" the food, the less likely that they can give a label. There's liability there--chain restaurants can demonstrate that each processed, machine-measured, prefab portion has a set value (plus lots of awful additives) but those great little no-name places would have to make it the same every time--not so easy when you're working with real food. :) I hate that I sometimes reach for the pre-packaged, labeled junk because I'm not sure just how many carbs are in that apple. Working on it, though. I feel your pain, Austen. I'd be at a place like that with my boy every day. Hope ypu find one.