Let's set the scene.
It's a Friday night and you're so excited to get dinner with your friends after a long week of work. You can't remember the last time everyone's schedules have aligned. This dinner has been in the works for weeks and is your beacon of light getting you through tough work days.
Now, for the sake of this blog, let's say one friend chooses Cheesecake Factory. There will be plenty of options for everyone, considering the menu is a small textbook. Whether it's an appetizer, a fun beverage, or a dessert, surely all your friends will be satisfied by this choice.
You walk towards your table, laughing with your friends about something you saw on TikTok. The hostess hands your group some menus and lets you settle in. All of the sudden, this small textbook of food options has you spiraling.
“Why is everything so high in calories?!” you think to yourself.
One glance at the menu, and your coveted friends dinner has become a solo competition for who can order the lowest calorie dinner. Ugh.
Does this scene sound familiar to you? 🙋
For numerous clients starting their journey with New Paths Nutrition, this is an average Tuesday.
All jokes aside, for people with disordered eating and eating disorders, calories can feel like the sun, moon, and stars. The day revolves around them, and them alone.
If you can relate to this scenario, it may be time to reach out for help.
The team at New Paths Nutrition (myself included!) would love to sit down with you to make social eating enjoyable again.
Let's consider both sides for a moment.
For some people, seeing calories listed on menus can feel empowering. They feel it gives them a sense of control or a framework for making “healthier” choices. However, for others, particularly those with disordered eating or a history of an unhealthy relationship with food, it can become overwhelming and detrimental. What was once a carefree night out with friends can transform into a mental gymnastics recital, where calories, rather than hunger, cravings, or enjoyment, dominate the decision-making process. This fixation can steal the joy out of eating and socializing. Calories on menus, while meant to promote informed choices, can sometimes fuel anxiety and reinforce unhealthy habits. This is where intuitive eating comes into play—relearning how to listen to your body’s cues without the influence of calorie counts.
Although I swore to myself that this blog post would be citation-free… I needed to take a historical deep dive into the policy enforcing calories visibly on menus. Calories haven't always been on the menu - in fact, this is a relatively recent development. If this topic interests you, check out the Maintenance Phase podcast’s episode, “Calorie Menu Labeling.”
2018 marked the deadline for chains with “20 or more locations” to include calories next to menu items for consumers to see (FDA, 2014). Per the FDA, the goal of this policy was “To implement the nutrition labeling provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (Affordable Care Act or ACA), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA or we) is requiring disclosure of certain nutrition information for standard menu items in certain restaurants and retail food establishments” (FDA, 2014). In other words, the FDA aimed to provide accessible and accurate nutrition information to support healthy dietary decisions.
So now that you know the policy’s intention, here’s what ACTUALLY happened.
In a 2014 literature review from the Journal of Community Health, researchers stated, “We find that, while there are some positive results reported from studies examining the effects of calorie labeling, overall the best-designed studies (real-world studies, with a comparison group) show that calorie labels do not have the desired effect in reducing total calories ordered at the population level” (Kiszko et. al, 2014). Believe it or not, even if calories are present on the menu, people are going to order WHAT THEY WANT with their money. What a radical concept!
Menu labeling doesn’t immediately motivate someone to make sustainable behavior change toward health promotion. Menu labeling will not override a lack of comprehensive nutrition education in American schools. Most importantly, menu labeling won’t magically eradicate the Social Determinants of Health, which are key influences on food access.
As illuminated in McGeown’s “The Calorie Counter-Intuitive Effect of Restaurant Menu Calorie Labeling,” calorie counting minimizes the importance of dietary composition and variety (McGeown, 2019). The notion that maintaining a calorie deficit at any cost will be sustainable subscribes to the “calories in calories out” myth of weight gain. Here at New Paths Nutrition, we strive to meet you where you are to promote realistic dietary and/or movement goals with ALL food groups present.
Here’s another radical idea that I believe as a dietitian…
You can be healthy without obsessing over your caloric intake!
If you are or have been a client of mine, you will recognize the lessons of this paragraph. When it comes to food choices, understanding the difference between nutrient density and energy density can help you cultivate a more balanced and peaceful relationship with eating. Nutrient-dense foods are packed with vitamins, minerals, and other beneficial antioxidants relative to their calorie content—think leafy greens, berries, and fish. On the other hand, energy-dense foods, like avocados, peanut butter, chocolate, or a buttery croissant, provide more calories per bite, but may not be as rich in micronutrients. Here's the thing: BOTH categories have a place in a health-promoting, intuitive eating pattern. BOTH categories can contain protein, carbohydrates, and fats. Many energy-dense foods are also nutritionally dense - it’s not mutually exclusive.
Notice how there is no use of moral labels or calorie counting in this approach. No black-and-white dichotomies. Every food provides you with something entirely different. Nutrient-dense foods nourish your body, supporting its many complex functions, while energy-dense foods can provide joy, satisfaction, and energy, especially when you're in need of quick fuel or craving something comforting. “Healthy” means something different to every individual I work with!
Dismissing one in favor of the other often leads to restriction and guilt—two things that disrupt a healthy relationship with food. By embracing both, you honor your physical health and emotional wellbeing, which are equally important. In working together, the dietitians at New Paths Nutrition can guide you to eat “what” and “how much” feels good for your body, no calculators needed!
If you have any questions or comments, I welcome discourse in the comments section or feel free to email me at sara@newpathsnutrition.com.
Citations:
Food and Drug Administration. (2014). Food labeling: Nutrition labeling of standard menu items in restaurants and similar retail food establishments. Federal Register, 79(230), 71155–71259. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2014/12/01/2014-27833/food-labeling-nutrition-labeling-of-standard-menu-items-in-restaurants-and-similar-retail-food
Kiszko, K. M., Martinez, O. D., Abrams, C., & Elbel, B. (2014). The influence of calorie labeling on food orders and consumption: a review of the literature. Journal of community health, 39(6), 1248–1269. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-014-9876-0
McGeown L. (2019). The calorie counter-intuitive effect of restaurant menu calorie labelling. Canadian journal of public health = Revue canadienne de sante publique, 110(6), 816–820. https://doi.org/10.17269/s41997-019-00183-7
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (n.d.). Menu labeling requirements. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. https://www.fda.gov/food/nutrition-food-labeling-and-critical-foods/menu-labeling-requirements
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