Counting Carbs

Today’s adventure begins at The Refectory Café, advertised as an environmentally friendly eatery supporting local farmers and living wages. I had the Sheppard’s Pie for lunch, and while it may have been a little pricy, the portion was quite large.

In an effort to validate my beliefs that I ate healthy today, I inquired about my meal’s nutritional value. Unfortunately, no statistics were available. However, I was reassured that they are working on the issue and it may be resolved in about a month.

One must take the time to applaud McDonald’s for publishing its nutritional information on the Internet. Within a few seconds, I was able to learn that the Big Mac contains 560 calories, 30 grams of fat (including 10 grams saturated), 1010 milligrams sodium, 47 grams carbohydrates, and 25 grams protein. It may be unhealthy, but at least it’s transparent.

Now, I do believe that the food at the Refectory Café is much healthier than McDonald’s. However, I hope this claim can soon be verified quantitatively. One can not expect consumers to make educated decisions about their diet if they are not given access to the nutritional facts about the food they eat. [See also: “Super Size Me”]