Missing takeout calorie counts
Over the past year, we’ve been eating many more meals at home, either cooking ourselves or ordering in. Food delivery apps are convenient and easy to use, but they’re missing one crucial piece of information: calorie counts. And without the facts, it can be harder to make a healthy choice.
When Karla Peralta is busy, she wants an easy way to feed her kids.
“Sometimes to just go ahead and eat at home, I’ll order takeout,” she says. “That way I don’t have to do dishes, (and) and I don’t have to find ingredients.”
And when you’re busy and hungry, that can sometimes mean an unhealthy meal. Nutrition and calorie information make healthy choices easier. Providing that information is optional for restaurants in British Columbia.
Even if they do decide to share it, the details might not make it onto the menu of third-party delivery service apps like DoorDash, UberEats and SkipTheDishes.
“As online ordering and the use of third party delivery apps exploded during the pandemic, suddenly that info isn’t as easy for consumers to find,” says Consumer Reports’ Catherine Roberts.
Uber, DoorDash and SkipTheDishes said they give restaurants control over their menu and nutrition information on their respective apps.
Nutritionist Amy Keating says it’s still possible to place a healthy takeout order even when calorie counts aren’t available.
“Skip drinks like soda that add extra calories and no nutrition, and seek out the items that feature vegetables, whole grains or beans,” she says. “And because restaurant portions are often oversized, plan to share with a family member or pack up half to eat on another day.”
With files from Consumer Reports
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Western University researchers unlock potential 'cure' for ALS
New research out of London, Ont.'s Western University is shedding light on a potential cure for ALS, in which the targeting of the interaction between two proteins can halt or fully reverse the disease's progression.
Police release 3D images of young child found in an Ontario river two years ago
Police have released a three-dimensional image of a young child whose remains were discovered in the Grand River in Dunnville, Ont. almost two years ago.
B.C. brings in law on name changes on day that child killer's new identity revealed
The BC NDP have tabled legislation aimed at stopping people who have committed certain heinous acts from changing their names.
Kamala Harris drops F-bomb during White House live-stream
U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris used a profanity on Monday while offering advice to young Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders about how to break through barriers.
B.C. man fighting for refund after finding someone living at Whistler vacation rental
Edwin Mostered spent thousands of dollars booking a vacation home in Whistler, B.C., for a group skiing trip earlier this year – or so he thought.
Avs forward Valeri Nichushkin suspended at least six months
Colorado Avalanche forward Valeri Nichushkin was suspended for at least six months without pay and placed in Stage 3 of the league's player assistance program.
Collapsed Baltimore bridge span comes down with a boom after crews set off chain of explosives
Crews conducted a controlled demolition Monday to break down the largest remaining span of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.
Security video caught admitted serial killer disposing of bodies in Winnipeg garbage bins
Security video caught admitted serial killer Jeremy Skibicki on multiple late-night outings, disposing of body parts in nearby garbage bins and dumpsters in the middle of the night.
Mortgage companies could intensify the next recession, U.S. officials warn
U.S. officials worry the next recession could be intensified by a cascading series of failures in the mortgage industry caused by crashing home prices, frozen financial markets and soaring delinquencies.