Claim: Restaurants should be required to display nutritional
information about the food they serve.
Reason: This knowledge will help diners make healthy
choices and reduce their risk of diet-related health
problems.

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Navigating through a menu, choosing a tasty dish, while being health conscious is a common 21st century challenge. Without any knowledge about a restaurant food’s nutrition, diners are in the dark about what they are putting in their bodies. Some consumers therefore believe that restaurants should also be required to display the information about the food they serve. I agree that displaying the information helps diners make healthy choices and reduce their risk of diet-related health
problems.

By displaying the nutritional data, diners will have a better knowledge of the food’s content and can then make healthier choices such as choosing a higher protein meal, a higher fiber salad, or a fat-reduced burger. For example, a diner would opt for a healthy protein packed salad over a deep fried fish and chips. Displaying the nutritional information removes the knowledge barrier for diners to make healthy choices.

Making healthy choices will lead to a reduction in diet-related health problems. The United States is currently plagued by two diet-related diseases: obesity and diabetes. Both can easily be combatted by improving one’s diet. Fast food chains have led the battle: many chains like McDonalds or Subway are already displaying the nutritional information of their food.

Some opponents of this measure may argue that displaying the information about food will drive away customers. They fear that diners will see that the food they are consuming isn’t healthy, and rather eat elsewhere, causing owners to lose profits. But owners can counter this issue by redesigning their menu, an investment that will pay off. Top fast food chains such as Starbucks have redesigned a healthier menu, which increased their profits.

To help diners make healthier choices, restaurants should be required to display the nutritional information of their food. This investment is not only benefitting the consumer by helping combat diet-related health problems, it is also a profitable decision for the owners.