Nutrition labeling testimonies

One key is knowing what is in your food. A few days ago, I went to California Pizza Kitchen for lunch and was given a nutrition list of all of the menu items. It was fantastic! I was able to look at the carbohydrates for the salads and make a choice that allowed me to order the Thai Spring rolls I love so much and not end up with a high blood sugar! Without the nutrition information I have to guess, and sometimes even the most educated guesses are not quite right and lead to high blood sugars. Other resources that help me make choices and have better control of my blood sugars include the American Diabetes Association’s (ADA) Guide to Healthy Restaurant Eating by Hope S. Warshaw and MyFoodAdvisor™, a free calorie and carbohydrate counting tool.

As the Advocacy Director for the American Diabetes Association, I'm proud to say that we support efforts to provide consumers with tools to individualize their meal plans based on their daily nutritional requirements. Making nutrition information available is a critical step in helping people with diabetes understand how the foods they eat can have an impact on their weight and overall nutrition goals.

I just want to give a huge thank you to you guys for getting this passed and into effect. Myself and many of my friends and family feel much more comfortable eating out with some knowledge of what we are consuming. Many many thanks.

I was in a hurry and dropped by the Jack-In-Box for something quick bite a week ago. When I read the menu board with the calories listed, I was shocked! I know better yet we all are tempted to make wrong choices. The burger I usually order was well over 300 calories and it was one of the least caloric! What a wake up call for me and I am sharing my experience with my WIC clients, my friends and neighbors. Many of the WIC clients are aware and told me they are making wiser choices of their families! Thank you again for making a difference in our community!

-- An employee at White Center Public Health Center

Just wanted to say, thank you for the new law that requires nutrition facts to be posted at Seattle are restaurants. I heard somewhere on NPR that people didn't really think it would make a difference, because people going out to eat know they are consuming, but I had NO IDEA that there was so much fat, calories and sodium in restaurant food until I saw the nutrition page on the table. A ravioli dish, for example, that looked pretty healthy, was 1,947 calories. That is more calories than I normally eat in a day. Thanks for the education!

-- A King County resident

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