Ignorance is Bliss

Last week was date night with hubby and although I really just wanted to sit at home in my boo boo and binge watch something on Netflix, I forced myself and hubby to go out. We have spent way too many weekends just watching Netflix and Chilling. I am starting to wonder what happened to the couple who had a social calendar that was the envy of so many.

We decided to go out and have dinner, I picked a restaurant that would appeal to both parties. For me the opportunity to try something new and different and for hubby the presence of meat. As long as the restaurant offers a wide selection of different types of meat, he is good.

As we approached the restaurant I saw a kid through the window, his face was covered with sauce, he was chewing and smiling at the same time and I knew I had picked a good place. The smell that welcomed us as we stepped in affirmed the fact that this was going to be an enjoyable experience. In that moment, I knew I made the right choice by shunning Netflix.

We took our seats and we were presented with 3 menus, each one with significant bulk which only meant the selections were going to be substantial. I approached the task at hand (ordering) with the same tactic, drinks first, then appetizers, the main next and if there was still space desert. However, there was something different, yes the menus looked brand new and shiny but right next to each selection my arch nemesis was smiling right back at me.

A few months back the government of Canada, signed into legislation that all food establishments must now display the calorie content of all their selections.  The goal behind this was to empower people with the knowledge to make smarter food decisions. This seemed like a brilliant idea until you realize just how many calories are in your favorite appetizer.

You are less likely to want to order a strawberry daiquiri if you knew that in that small glass you were consuming 300+ calories. That is 15% of my daily recommended calories intake and I haven’t even ordered my food yet. Bearing in mind this is dinner so I have already given more than half of my 2000 calories to breakfast and lunch.

The appetizers were no better, who wants to order nachos or BBQ chicken wings when you are looking at 700 calories? Don’t even get me started on the main, some had 2000+ calories in them and of course those were the good ones. The only thing that was respectable was the salads, but who goes to a restaurant to have a salad. I can make one myself thank you very much. And if I am feeling extra lazy I can buy a ready made one. It is still way cheaper

Needless to say, my date night was semi-ruined, I simply could not in all good conscience order what I really wanted and decided to order something somewhere in the middle. This clearly took me past my daily recommended limit so I consoled myself by refusing to finish my meal, I decided I would feel better if a split my calories over a 3-day period.

Am I happy about what the government did, well yes and no? I must admit the knowing the calorie content empowered me to make smarter choices which I know will be beneficial towards me in the future. But then again, this was my first date night in a while and I would have loved to eat and drink without thinking about tomorrow. I guess what they say is true Ignorance is truly bliss.