Comments on: What Not to Eat: Chain Restaurant Pasta

By: Meay

Meay — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 22:00:23 +0000

Just wanted to say that the info is not up to date, as I work for one of the “chains” mentioned,I know that some of the dishes mentioned in the video haven’t been on the menu for at least two years. Most casual dinning has changed alot in those two years. Our new portions are nearly half the size of the ones in the video. The quality of ingredients has become more important to consumers, so most dishes are a few hundred calories less now just because of better cooking techniques (since most restaurants are afraid of being rumored to use trans fat, or lots of butter) I just wanted to let you know that it isn’t as evil as it seems. But you can always find something healthy on a menu. We have one dinner dish including pasta that has less than 400 calories.

By: Ozymandias

Ozymandias — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 01:50:51 +0000

Actually, from what I’ve seen, a lot of diners DO eat most (if not all) of their portions. And the guy who said most people only eat at OG three times a year: do you actually believe that? Olive Garden couldn’t maintain so many restaurants if the average American only patronized the eatery 3 times a year, especially when you consider the fact that the very wealthy and the very poor eschew mid-priced restaurants like OG.

Moreover, the CSPI is only looking at two chains here, and chains that are perceived by the general public as being relatively healthy at that. You have a point that it’s possible to bring food home in a doggy bag, but the majority of Americans eat most of their food when they dine out. And I know several families that order appetizers, drinks, and dessert in addition to their main courses. If anything, I’d say that arming consumers with this kind of information ENCOURAGES them to take more of their meals home with them for the next day. The video did not, at any time state: “Don’t eat at these restaurants, they’re bad.” CSPI could have been more balanced if they’d mentioned portion control, but that doesn’t negate the value of the video.

By: Logan

Logan — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 21:30:18 +0000

It is hilarious to me that so many (if not all) of the comments are disputing the findings of CSPI. Do you not realise how fat Americans are? That portions are huge at every restaurant, and most people DO eat the entire portion?

By: TeacherPatti

TeacherPatti — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 16:02:20 +0000

I love articles like this, even if they aren’t the “whole story” or whatever. I think that so many folks just don’t think about how MUCH they are eating. And some food is deceptive…I got a “bistro” salad from Einstein bagels the other day. I got the cheese and nuts on the side and didn’t eat much of them. Later, I looked up the total calories if I had eaten everything and it was like 800 or more, plus the 350 calorie bagel that comes with it.
Now, logically, one should realize that nuts and cheese are high in calories but I think a lot of people don’t….

By: don

don — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 03:21:41 +0000

Thank god for the CSPI since i’m clearly too stupid to pick out my own food. If their advice was so great they’d charge for it like Consumer Reports.

By: Megan

Megan — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 00:19:31 +0000

Yeah, this whole business is why I only eat at *real* Italian food restaurants. You know, the kind with good food.

By: OkieMelissa

OkieMelissa — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 17:49:01 +0000

My thing is I work out (distance runner), so as long as I eat healthily and splurge every once in a while on junk, but it’s not the norm (which I think is a sentiment shared by most of us on MF). I think the holiday season is most frustrating with all the ‘diet’ advice and ‘how to not gain ten pounds during Xmas’, etc. I mean, if you know you’re going to go out and eat at OG or whatever for work dinner, eat a lean cuisine or something healthy for lunch. It’s all about moderation.

Funny tidbit – there was an ad with a pic of pancakes with blueberries on it – anybody else get it?

By: Natasha

Natasha — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 16:42:51 +0000

Lol @ Taco Town.

By: Suze

Suze — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 15:15:27 +0000

To the people who are saying that portion control is key here, I agree, but would add that I think having the fat/calorie counts for each meal posted right in the menu would allow people to make better choices.
I usually end up taking about 1/2 of my meal home, but I’ll admit I sometimes like to split an appetizer and maybe have a beer or two along with my dinner. I don’t necessarily think about how the calories and fat are adding up.
I think many people really have no clue as to how many calories/fats their meals out really contain. So yes, people should realize that the meals that they are served at places like OG consist of more than one serving, and they should take the rest home, but I also think having calorie and fat counts would help people to make more informed decisions about what they are ordering.
I suppose that wouldn’t be such a good marketing strategy, though.

By: Hyacinth

Hyacinth — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 15:04:13 +0000

Restaurants could do us all a favor by cutting their portion sizes AND their prices. (Of course, the waitstaff like bigger checks since that’s what drives the tips!)