Restaurants

[vraiblonde]

Since the government likes to take over privately owned businesses and force them to comply with whatever notion some activist gets in their head, I'd like to get my name on that list.

Why aren't there any restaurants that cater to dieters? Everyone in America is either on some diet, has allergies, or suffers from an eating disorder. Why doesn't the government force restaurants to accommodate them?

Why does my meal have to come with a roll or other carbohydrate? Why isn't everything a la carte so I can have just what I want and not have to wrangle with the waitress about leaving off the starch and giving me extra veggies or a salad instead? If all I want is a huge Porterhouse, why do I have to pay for all the crap that comes with it, that I'm not going to eat? Why can't I have a fat-free hotdog or a tofu burger?

Why aren't restaurants required to include whole grain options in addition to the standard pasty white glue? For that matter, why aren't they required to carry low-carb or non-alcoholic beer, and skinny cocktail mixers? Why can't I have a Crown and *diet* gingerale? Or a 7 and *diet* 7?

I'm being totally serious. If they can ban smoking in public places, including #### kicker bars where the number of teeth can be counted on one hand, because somebody has asthma or wants to sit in a bar with their infant, why can't they pass a healthy eating law and make restaurants accommodate us?

If asthmatics or paraplegics have a right to go wherever they please without being inconvenienced by their disability, why can't I go to any restaurant I please and have my dietary requirements met?

 

[vraiblonde]

Let me be clear:

I am not talking about banning anything, like Bloomberg does. I am a conservative, not a Leftist, and we do not condone bans. I am simply asking for additions and options. Keep the salt, the fat, the sugar, the carbs - but make restaurants give us the option to avoid those things if we want to.

 

[Jigglepuff]

Let me be clear:

I am not talking about banning anything, like Bloomberg does. I am a conservative, not a Leftist, and we do not condone bans. I am simply asking for additions and options. Keep the salt, the fat, the sugar, the carbs - but make restaurants give us the option to avoid those things if we want to.

They should bring in more resteraunts like Native Foods. Native Foods Vegan Restaurants: Organic, Healthy, Delicious Food!

Subway and Panara gets old.

 

[vraiblonde]

They should bring in more resteraunts like Native Foods. Native Foods Vegan Restaurants: Organic, Healthy, Delicious Food!

Subway and Panara gets old.

See? You get it! Why can't you go to any restaurant in American and have good vegan options? You can go into any restaurant and not have to smell cigarette smoke; why can't you actually *eat* in any restaurant?

 

[TPD]

I believe if there was a 'profitable' demand for these restaurants, entrepreneurs would have already opened them. But give it time, and I'm sure government will build them.

 

[TPD]

Or maybe we need to elect more vegans and diabetics to congress....

 

[vraiblonde]

I believe if there was a 'profitable' demand for these restaurants, entrepreneurs would have already opened them.

Right, and if it were profitable for restaurants to ban smoking, they'd have done it without government forcing them to.

I'm going to write my powerful Leftist congressional representatives and see if I can't get them on board with healthier food choices for the citizens of Maryland and our children.

 

[MMDad]

Many restaurants do cater to diets, but you can't expect them to go extreme. Crappleby's has their diet items with the info. Cracka' Barrel has low carb. Many places will skip the salt if you ask. There are ways to stick to a diet while eating out, it just isn't simple.

 

[Jigglepuff]

See? You get it! Why can't you go to any restaurant in American and have good vegan options? You can go into any restaurant and not have to smell cigarette smoke; why can't you actually *eat* in any restaurant?

Me and a friend had a discusion like this a couple weeks ago. I went to the above mentioned restaurant in California last week. I was amazed at how good the food was for being vegan. They do a good job with meat imitations there.

The healthy options on most menues around here are not that attractive (especially when they are placed next to a picture of a greasy burger).

 

[Roman]

Many restaurants do cater to diets, but you can't expect them to go extreme. Crappleby's has their diet items with the info. Cracka' Barrel has low carb. Many places will skip the salt if you ask. There are ways to stick to a diet while eating out, it just isn't simple.

Crappleby's!!!

 

[puggymom]

I wish all places would do the calories thing. I went somewhere where this was up and I was surprised that what I usually got has almost as much calories as what I actually would want to get. I thought I was making the healthy choice but nope.
Now I am not saying ban anything over x amt of calories...sometimes I like to treat myself with a big ole bacon cheeseburger but most of the time I want to know, not guess, that I am making a healthy choice.

 

[twinoaks207]

I wish all places would do the calories thing. I went somewhere where this was up and I was surprised that what I usually got has almost as much calories as what I actually would want to get. I thought I was making the healthy choice but nope.
Now I am not saying ban anything over x amt of calories...sometimes I like to treat myself with a big ole bacon cheeseburger but most of the time I want to know, not guess, that I am making a healthy choice.

It is nice to see the nutritional breakdown for menu options. That way I can make an informed decision about what I want to eat instead of guessing in the dark. Some days I will go for the higher carb count because of what I did/didn't eat earlier & some days I want to go for a lower carb count. If the nutritional info is there, I can make a menu choice that I can feel good about. The only place I've been that does this consistently is Eat 'n Park. Unfortunately, they're a Pennsylvania chain and aren't around down here which is a real shame. If there are local chains that do this, please somebody let me know which ones they are. My local restaurants are all independents. They have wonderful food but not a calorie count in sight -- one of the reasons I don't eat out all that often.

 

[NorthBeachPerso]

Let me be clear:

I am not talking about banning anything, like Bloomberg does. I am a conservative, not a Leftist, and we do not condone bans. I am simply asking for additions and options. Keep the salt, the fat, the sugar, the carbs - but make restaurants give us the option to avoid those things if we want to.

Ahhh, you're still hot.

 

[Hank]

Crappleby's!!!

Absolute worst out of all the nasty chain restaurants!

 

[RoseRed]

Absolute worst out of all the nasty chain restaurants!

Girl and I went about a month ago. Worst. Meal. Ever.

 

[vraiblonde]

There are ways to stick to a diet while eating out, it just isn't simple.

Well, it was simple enough for non-smokers to avoid smokers in restaurants - don't go to restaurants that allow smoking. However, the government made it even simpler by banning smoking in ALL restaurants.

Someone pointed out, during the Great Smoking Ban Debate, that you don't go to a restaurant to smoke, you go there to eat. That is the primary purpose of the restaurant. So why wouldn't the government make a law so people with dietary restrictions can actually eat in all restaurants without having to embarrass themselves and anger the staff with special requests?

 

[Merlin99]

Well, it was simple enough for non-smokers to avoid smokers in restaurants - don't go to restaurants that allow smoking. However, the government made it even simpler by banning smoking in ALL restaurants.

Someone pointed out, during the Great Smoking Ban Debate, that you don't go to a restaurant to smoke, you go there to eat. That is the primary purpose of the restaurant. So why wouldn't the government make a law so people with dietary restrictions can actually eat in all restaurants without having to embarrass themselves and anger the staff with special requests?

My wife has a dietary restriction to seeds, tomato, sesame..., could we get these banned as well tyvm.

 

[BOP]

Right, and if it were profitable for restaurants to ban smoking, they'd have done it without government forcing them to.

I'm going to write my powerful Leftist congressional representatives and see if I can't get them on board with healthier food choices for the citizens of Maryland and our children.

Maybe it's because restaurant owners never had it occur to them to make changes.

 

[Hank]

Surprisingly, a lot of restaurants have included gluten free items on their menu....

 

[libby]

Wouldn't it require an obscene amount of inventory of both dry goods perishables to accomodate every, stinking real and perceived allergy/sensitivity/diet out there? The perishables would go bad very quickly, which would require the business to raise their prices to make up for the loss. Dollars to donuts says that most diners would then complain about the increase in the price of going out to dinner.
We want it the way we want it. We want it now. And we want it (nearly) free of charge.