Menu Labeling Analysis

Restaurant menu labeling should be required on all menu items. Not only should restaurants be required to simply state the caloric value of their foods, but they should also be required to state average caloric value intake for adults. Furthermore, when interpretive labels (i.e., infographics and/or symbols) are used in sharing the calorie content, individuals make better choices since graphics are easy to understand and more visually attractive than just reading plain text and are more likely to get attention. By requiring restaurants to list calories in each meal item, diners will start being educated to make wise food choices.
In the survey data above collected from five individuals, the majority of participants stated they wished to eat in a healthier way and thought that calorie counts on menu items was a wonderful idea. People appeared genuinely surprised when learning about how many calories were in one item when dining out. Participants tended to underestimate calories as opposed to overestimating. However, a majority of participants overestimated when guessing the calories in a fast food restaurant like McDonald's. The most surprising item that the survey participants did not expect to be high caloric was the Bruleed French Toast. When
The most effective menu labeling seems to be where daily caloric intakes are listed along with the amount of calories in each menu item. Further, interpretive labeling such as the traffic signal is another method to visually prompt the diner to be aware of the calories in the items and to make wise choices. These results and conclusions are echoed in Study #4, where people with menu labels and nutritional information tended to order less caloric meals. After analyzing all the studies and individual survey responses, required menu labeling should be required and is an important beginning step of nutrition education to help individuals succeed in making wise eating