Don\'t count, just eat!

Whether looking to lose weight or simply eat better, many keep a check on the calories they consume on a daily basis. According to an Associated Press-GfK poll conducted recently, most Americans want calorie information on menus in restaurants. Most are also in support of labels for ready-made foods at the grocery store. The survey results showed that 56 per cent of Americans felt fast food restaurants should post calorie amounts on menus, while 54 per cent favoured calorie postings at sit-down restaurants and 52 per cent wanted labels at prepared food counters at grocery stores. This was following an announcement by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that stated restaurants and other establishments in the US that sell prepared foods will be required to post the calorie content of food clearly on their menus and displays. The idea being that people may choose healthier foods as opposed to those they know contains hundreds of calories. While it is common to see calorie values of items at coffee shops abroad, in India the concept hasn't caught on.

WORKS ONLY FOR FAST FOOD CHAINS
Rahul Akerkar, director and owner deGustibus hospitality, is not in favour of calorie labelling. "Before we worry about calories, I think the average Indian needs to start exercising. In an ideal world, it would be nice to have calorie values but people don't make food decisions based on them. Also, I don't see it working for high-end restaurants. It may be okay for a fast food chain. If people are going out to dine, they want to eat without worry about the nutritional value. This is fine in countries where the F&B industry is more advanced but in a country like ours, we have bigger things to worry about like the hygiene factor of food," he says.

DIFFICULT TO KEEP COUNT
It is tough to calculate how much oil goes into each dish explains Naini Setalvad, lifestyle and obesity disease consultant. "We have a long way to go before we start giving out calorie information. There's no proper way to authenticate the counts of each food. Currently in India we don't even have basic laws about toxin levels in food. There's no FDA type body to keep things in check," she says, adding that there's lots of wrong information going around. "Those who want to make a healthier choice while eating out can opt for a soup and salad. Instead of a mayo-based one, they can choose a green salad with a vinegar and lime dressing. One can also go for grilled fish or chicken as opposed to fried meat thus eating smarter."

NEED HEALTHY OPTIONS
Nikhil Chib owner and executive chef Busaba, says he is planning to adopt a similar plan for their casual food brand BusaGO. "People want to eat quickly and healthy and so we are in the process of doing a calorie count of our dishes. The idea is to display the protein, carbohydrate, fat and sugar content of each food item so that customers can know what they are eating. It is great if chefs are doing this abroad. Indians are a rather unhealthy race and heart attack rates are high so it's important to eat right and exercise as well. The world is fast changing and the youth want better options and quicker. Personally I think more than the calories, it's important to look at the nutritional content of each food. Hence, we are substituting white rice with brown or sticky black rice, white bread with a multigrain option, so that it's wholesome yet tasty," adds Nikhil.