Do you check labels when shopping?
Regulations clearly define what must be included on labels: ingredients listed in order of quantity, and nutritional values. Most people don’t dispute this, and many — whether avoiding sugar, allergens, or counting calories — are glad that lawmakers have made it mandatory.
But what about at a restaurant? How often do you see clear and comprehensive data in restaurant menus? In practice, it’s good if dishes list their ingredients and highlight allergens. This directly impacts consumer choices and, consequently, their health.
As early as 2019, nearly three-quarters (71%) of consumers in the UK wanted healthier options in restaurants. However, in reality, 75% of popular dishes are unhealthy. A study by Nesta, a British non-profit innovation agency revealed this. While specific figures vary by country — depending on how often people eat out — this data highlights trends common across the Western world, such as the growing importance of eating out. Over half of Britons eat out at least once a week, and one in ten eats out daily. On average, those who eat out consume an extra 300 calories — about 15% of the daily intake, which can affect health and weight. Fifteen percent of them consume more than 500 extra calories daily, which is a significant concern.
In the UK, there is a mandate requiring large companies with more than 250 employees to display calorie counts on their menus. However, this rule only covers about half of the calories consumed in the out-of-home eating sector. More than half (60%) of meals eaten out exceed the recommended maximum of 600 calories per meal, and 20%, or one in five meals, exceeds 1,300 calories — over half of the daily calorie requirement! Fast food outlets dominate in offering the most calorific meals, with an average fast food meal containing over a thousand calories — 1,121 to be exact!
Beverages are also worth noting. This is an aspect of our diet that is often overlooked, with people unaware of how many calories they consume through drinks. Surprisingly, the most fattening drinks are coffee beverages — not all, but those with high sugar content, milk, and other additions. One in ten coffee drinks contains over 700 calories — equivalent to a good meal!
The data also reveals the class-related nature of overweight and obesity. Lower-income and living in poorer neighborhoods increase the consumption of fast food, which is clearly associated with obesity.
Similar findings appear in a report by ActionSalt ActionSugar, an organization advocating for the reduction of salt and sugar in meals. The report analyzed the best-selling menu items from major UK restaurant chains, categorizing dishes as “healthy” or “less healthy” based on a comprehensive analysis of their nutritional content. Although this binary categorization may seem overly simplistic, it’s practical given the fast-paced work environment and the fact that chefs are not dietitians. Researchers examined the menus of 20 of the largest foodservice companies in the UK. Half of them did not provide nutritional information per 100g or portion size. Similarly, half did not list the ingredients of their dishes. Based on several methods of nutritional assessment, the researchers found that between half and three-quarters (depending on the method used) of the best-selling dishes were “less healthy.” The main culinary sins include excessively large (and therefore too caloric) portions and an excess of sugar and fats.
According to the report’s authors, three key areas need to be addressed to improve this situation:
1. A unified system for labeling the nutritional value of dishes.
2. A uniform system for measuring the healthiness of restaurant dishes — simple and considering portion size, maximum sugar, fat content, and caloric intake — while also accounting for healthy ingredients like fruits, vegetables, fiber, and protein.
3. A consistent and transparent reporting system by foodservice companies on the healthiness of their offerings, especially their best-selling products.
The authors also highlight the challenges of implementing such a system in the foodservice industry, including the potential for loopholes, such as suggesting in menus that a dish (e.g., pizza) is intended for more than one person to avoid calorie or fat content limits. From my experience working in kitchens, I also see another problem: the additional work required to calculate the nutritional value of every dish, especially in small businesses offering daily specials. This would mean extra work for the chef, who is usually not trained or experienced in dietetics.
Traditionally, pre-modern kitchens were closely linked to health care. The first printed (and popular, as well as the first modern) cookbook, De honesta voluptate et valetudine, published in 1470, includes “health” in its title — On Honest Pleasure and Good Health.
Of course, from today’s perspective, the Hippocratic diet, which was the foundation of cooking at that time, is at best amusing and at worst harmful and dangerous. The principles of Christian fasting are also remnants of Hippocratic dietary guidelines.
Applying modern nutritional knowledge and principles to cooking is not easy. Sugar, meat, lard, butter, and salt — everything that tastes the best — should ideally be eliminated from our diets.
Eliminating, or at least significantly reducing, these elements in dishes, and lowering the calorie content of meals while maintaining the same appeal and flavor, is a task for chefs and modern cuisine.
Recently, one of the most important trends in gastronomy has been sustainable cooking. This means more local ingredients, less meat, less waste, and a more ecological approach. Sustainable cooking is also healthy cooking, adhering to dietary principles while combining nutritional value and health benefits with great taste and appeal.
Creating such a cuisine is the most important task for modern gastronomy and today’s chefs.
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