TMI, Panera
Over the weekend, I had my first experience with Panera’s new calorie-labelled menus. Honestly, I order the same couple of things every time, so the menus may have been there for a couple of weeks and I just haven’t noticed. Regardless, I was a little shocked to see them.
I’ve been trying to figure out what it is that bothers me about having them there. I’ve looked up the nutrition facts a hundred times, so it’s not like I’m seeing the calorie count for the first time. Plus, I still ordered the same thing (hey, I’m a creature of habit). Still, I didn’t like the calories being there. I have a couple of theories as to why…
- Out of sight, out of mind – I know how many calories are in an asiago cheese bagel. I know how many exchanges it counts for toward my meal plan. However, I’m not really thinking about it when I order, because I order it all the time. It’s a “safe” food for me. The calorie reminder is not helpful — it makes me re-examine my choice. I stop thinking “I’ve eaten this a dozen times and have been fine, therefore it’s still fine” and start thinking, “hmmm, you know, that is kind of a lot of calories for a bagel.”
- Comparisons — When you put all the items in a list, I can’t help but compare the calories. Somehow strawberry cream cheese doesn’t seem like such a good idea when I’m comparing it to the lower-cal plain cream cheese. I start looking for the “best” choice. There’s just something about lining them all up that enables me to do that. It’s harder to choose the strawberry cream cheese when I have the calories of all the different kinds in front of me.
- Ignorance is bliss — Okay, so I don’t know the calorie content of all the items on Panera’s menu–just the ones that I usually get. I really had no idea what was in a Sierra Turkey Sandwich (I’m a vegetarian). Let’s say that pigs flew and that I did order it one day, though. I’d know that foccacia bread was higher-calorie than whole wheat bread, sure. However, I wouldn’t know exactly how much of a difference it made. If I did, there’s no way that I would ever get it. I understand that this is probably the whole point of the new menus — to make consumers aware of what they’re ordering so that they can make educated decisions about sandwiches. Well, educated / disordered.
- Obsessing – I don’t really need any help (or encouragement) obsessing over food, calories, etc. Seeing the calories while I’m ordering just puts me in the wrong mindset. I’m thinking about calories instead of exchanges, for one. And once that’s happened, it’s hard for me to figure out what I want.
- Calories aren’t the end-all, be-all – It’s actually kind of interesting to me that Panera chose to just display calories. Granted, that’s probably the most universal measure of food okayness, but these days the diet industry seems to be all about carbs and/or sugar. So yeah, a blueberry bagel may have fewer calories than the power breakfast sandwich, but it doesn’t have nearly as much protein as fiber. And sometimes, I actually consider those other factors.
As someone recovering from anorexia, I know I’m in the minority of Panera customers. I don’t expect them to cater to individuals with eating disorders. Do I think non-ED people will change their orders based on the new menus? Probably for some, but I really don’t know. I’d be curious to see how many people order the Sierra Turkey Foccacia Sandwich now. Maybe having calories in menus isn’t that different from having nutrition labels on packaged foods.
crap on a stick. is this everywhere? I haven’t been to panera in awhile and I was planning on going Thursday.
Laur–
I think that Panera has been gradually introducing the new menus into their stores. I have a friend in the midwest who has had it for months. At some point all Paneras will have them, though…..
I’m the kind of person who lives in the forest…hard to remember the count of all the trees, A.K.A. the calories. So knowing that the Foccacia bread is most likely to have more calories than the sandwich bread, I make my choices accordingly. For me it also comes down to portions. I can’t eat a whole sandwhich and a salad or even 1/2 of that. Never could. Small portions and more frequent meals have always been my dish!
I went to a chain in NYC the other day (PAX) and was looking to get a sandwich. The calories and fat where listed everywhere. I do have to say that they played a role (ha, I wrote “roll”) in what I ordered, but in the end I think I did get the sandwich I wanted. Well, it had the same amount of calories as this other one I was debating about, but thought that the one I got would be more dense, therefore I would be full longer. (I, too, am a veg.) I did look at a few other sandwiches, but their calorie signs were blocked so I felt like I couldn’t order either one of those because they might have had way too many calories.
PTC –
If there were NO calories on the menu, do you think you would have been more likely to order one of those sandwiches that had the nutrition facts blocked? Just curious
I don’t know. I think I would have gone with the one with sprouts and lettuce and stuff like that, which actually had the same amount of calories as the sandwich I got, but mine was much more tasty, I’m sure. I would have chosen the option that I thought had the least amount of calories.
Oh, man. I’m torn between being glad that I don’t live in the USA, therefore never been to Panera, and being jealous. If I had to be really honest, I’m really not over my ED at all, and I can feel it coming back. ED would love to see this menu.
Wei-Wei
Wei-Wei:
I know what you mean. For disordered reasons it’s a relief to have the calories there, but healthily, I know it’s not a good idea for me…
Thanks for your comment!
Sometimes, I think you’ve crawled inside my head
I went a few months ago with my mom. I had already decided what I wanted, and couldn’t really check the nutritional info because I order it differently than it comes. However, all of the numbers just.. set something off in my brain. That’s the best way I can describe it. I started looking at the numbers for everything, even items I would have no interest in regardless of the info. I told my mom that the numbers kinda bothered me, and she hadn’t even noticed them! I haven’t been to NYC since they instituted the publishing of nutritional info, partially because I worry that eating out will be extremely challenging.
J: Guess it’s a good thing (for both of us) that we don’t live in NYC.
In Philadelphia there is a city ordinance that all chains have to post the calorie content, and starting soon they will have to post carbohydrate content as well. The rationale behind the law is not only to encourage lower calorie food choices, but also to help the large diabetic population better manage their carbohydrate consumption. As a medical student, I can understand the thoughts on the carb content – it is helpful for dosing insulin to know exactly how many carbs are in something. However, I don’t really think the calorie listing is that helpful. Most people don’t really know anything about calorie consumption, so while they are able to see that a chocolate chip muffin at Dunkin has more calories then the blueberry, they don’t have any idea if either of those are good amounts for a meal or snack. Furthermore, a lot of the calorie information is just not helpful. For example, at Dunkin they list that the calories in a breakfast sandwich range from 310-600, and I have heard numerous people in line wondering why the range is there (they don’t realize that it is different if you get it on a english muffin as opposed to a bagel). They also list the calories in a 25 pack of munchkins as 50-1900 – again, not helpful! It creates a lot of confusion.
As far as the labeling and the eating disorder, my biggest problem with it is that it almost legitimizes disordered thinking! Why should I be expected to not obsess over calories when it seems like that is what the whole city is doing, that that is what the government WANTS me to do?! In addition, it does make it more stressful and invites those eating disorder thoughts to creep in. I usually plan in advance what to get so I look stuff up online anyway, and even if I know that i am going to order the same thing I usually can’t help but look at the calorie counts anyway and try to figure out exchanges for everything, even stuff I would never eat!
BL –
Interesting, I hadn’t thought about the insulin thing. Somehow I think that a VERY small percentage of the population would actually use it for such. I think that most of the people concerned with the carb count would be because he/she was doing some low-carb diet.
I wonder if DD does that on purpose — list the calories for a whole box of munchkins — so that people are less likely to not order something because of the calorie count. Meaning, when I see 1900 for a whole box, that does’t mean a lot to me. However, if I divide that by 25 and realize there are 75 for each one, then I start to rethink my choice.
Thank you so much for making this post…I thought I was going crazy. It seems like a lot more places are doing this now (posting calorie counts on menus) and while I can agree with the health/awareness rationale, it is not making my life easier *at all.*
You’ve succinctly outlined the issues that sent me into a minor (silent) tizzy at Panera today. It felt like I was being bludgeoned by the menu board — I had my choice picked out, but then:
(Wham!) “Woah, that many calories?’ and (Bam!) “Wait, that one’s less!” but (Smack!) “There’s no veggies and I want those” but (Whack!) “There’s just too many numbers, oh crap…”
I hate this *especially* because I hate counting/obsessing over numbers. I never used to do this before ED, and I still can’t quite recognize myself when I get into obsession-mode; like a crazy lady took over my head and I’m stuck waiting for her to draw all her minute calculations out before I can get my freakin’ lunch.
This is the first time I’ve ever posted a comment. I stumbled on your site and it seems amazing; an actual place of support and hard-won wisdom. Have been having a rough time, so thanks also for…just being here, I guess.
Jane –
Glad to have you reading GT!
Being “bludgeoned by the menu board” is exactly it. It’s tiring, really, trying to come up with the best choice. You get to a point where it just all seems like a bad idea.
Thanks for commenting, and take care!
grey
I have just become incredibly grateful that we dont do this (yet!) in New Zealand.
I find that I have less trouble eating out than at home simply because I dont know how many calories are in the food I order, goes without saying I usually opt for the healthiest (ok honestly the least fatty looking) thing on the menu, but I can order and eat what is for me a decent sized meal. yeah id still think about the cals but there would be no way of finding out right then. cooking at home its way too easy to jump onto the internet and google everthing in my meals. safe to say Im still very much in the grip of my ed.
if I saw the calorie content on the menu maybe it wouldnt remove all of my choices, but it could mean I wouldnt order what I actually wanted to.
i find it so ridiculous that supermarkets and now cafe’s and restaurants are bacoming obsessed in the calorie count of foods. i believe the introduction of large, in-your-face labelling in the UK has really fuelled my eating disorder for the very reasons you state, that obsessing; not to mention the control that is standard in most eating disordered persons.
my dietician has made it clear from out first metting a couple of months ago that calories are not the focus – sure she looks them up and calculates my intake to make sure i am going to put on enough weight on a negotiated meal plan, however, we never speak about them; instead we focus on nutrition. not as in calories, fat, cholesterol etc… more like “is that balanced nutritionally?”
we continually refer to the eat well plate. ensuring a meal contains carbohydrate, salad/veg, protein and fat which is essential to live a healthy life.
society is fucking with peoples heads by taking the focus away from a healthy diet. by promoting low-calorie meals; a person will inevitably miss out on the minerals and vitamins that they need.
cheese bagel sounds pretty fucking good! sod calories, it’s good for you!
I currently work at a sister company to Panera, Paradise Bakery. We are switching to the calorie included menus starting in 2012. I know what is in everything so choosing an item is hard enough. Now, having the calories staring at me is only going to make the ED stronger and my decision making time a dreaded experience. I can understand that it is helpful for some people and probably beneficial to the majority but what about the rest of us who really don’t need to see that?! I think a nutrition pamphlet would be a better idea.