Health Unit Applaudes Proposed Changes

Ontario may be the first province in Canada that would be legislating menu labelling.
The Making Healthier Choices Act, if passed, would make the province require restaurants to post calories on menus.
However, the act would only be targeting restaurants that have 20 chains or more.
But Northwestern Health Unit Dietician, Chelsea Socholotuk tells CKDR how it can motivate smaller resaurants in northwestern Ontario.
“Hopefully it will encourage some of the smaller restaurants, in wanting to provide that information because it will be available more in Ontario. It may also prompt restuarants owners to change their recipes to making them healtheir.”
She says the act is a great first step on soley focusing on how consumers can understand calorie education.
“A significant amount of the avergae household food budget is spend on food prepared outside the home, so eating out is most often associated with higher calorie intake and weight gain,” she says.
The act would require calories for food and beverages, including alcohol, to be posted on menus and menu boards in restaurants, convenience stores and grocery stores.