Cali residents may notice some startling information on menus when they go out to eat.  Some restaurants, like California Pizza Kitchen and The Cheesecake Factory, are already complying with a state law that will require chains with 20 or more sites to supply calorie and nutritional information, by 2011.  Until then, restaurants must make information available to consumers in a separate brochure.

It certainly got my attention when I sat down to eat during recent trips to California Pizza Kitchen and IHOP.  (IHOP gives customers a separate "nutritional menu" that lists calories and other information like sodium and fat content.)

It's no suprise most meals at restaurants exceed what a normal calorie count should be for one meal, but seeing it in print makes it hard to ignore.

I admit I was influenced when it came time to order. At CPK I chose a half portion of the chopped salad with dressing on the side (340 calories).  At IHOP, I had to forgo my usual Crepes with Lingonberry butter, which top out at a whopping 1080 calories, for The Buttermilk Shortstack.  The less gut busting Shortstack was 380 calories (not including syrup).

This must be what the Cali "powers that be" had in mind when they passed this law in 2008.  Obesity, is a rising problem in this country.  While many supporters think that government should not be involved in deciding what we can and can't eat, they do believe that providing the general public with nutritional information will allow us to choose whether we want to take in half a day's calories at one sitting. 

My predicition is two things will happen; many of us will make better choices at least some of the time when we eat out.  Secondly, there will be such a backlash from consumers that restaurants will be forced to come up with healthier options that are still tasty.

A third possibility is restaurants may decide to reduce their portion sizes.  Serving sizes in Australia and Europe are smaller than in the U.S., and asking for a to-go container indicates you're probably a tourist.  In the U.S., portions are 2-3 times the normal size.

Can Americans get used to smaller portions?  Only if prices follow, and for students looking to eat well and save more, that's a good thing.

Do restaurant menus in your state include nutritional information?  Comment below.

Copyright © 2009 The Collegiate Gourmet. All rights reserved.

You spent time picking out kitchen gadgets you didn't need but had to have and bought oh-so-adorable cups and plates that coordinate with your school colors.  You've got everything you need to cook in your college kitchen- so now what? 

Inevitably, the more items you add to your kitchen collection the greater the possibility you'll need to return something. That cheaply made can-opener might not work; the jumbo sized microwave with the convenient auto buttons might be a lit-tle big to sit on top of the mini refrigerator you rented from your R.A.

Receipts, warranties, registration cards and instruction manuals as thick as your Psych textbook mean a mountain of paperwork. Make things easy and keep all of it in one spot. 

Get yourself organized. Go get a file folder.  Yes, right now.  Write "Kitchen" on the tab.  Smart college student that you are, you may think of something more clever like, "Stuff I Can't Really Afford, But Bought Anyway." 

Staple receipts to the front of instruction booklets.  (Don't accidentally staple all the pages together!) Put receipts, instructions and warranty information into your file folder.  Since everything is in one place you won't need to scavenge the black depths of desk drawers or hoodie pockets when you must return that blender or need to peruse instructions.

Copyright © 2009 The Collegiate Gourmet. All rights reserved.

It's that time of year.  The leaves are falling, there's a chill in the air and the adventure of another school year has begun.  Lingering questions like, "Does this teacher grade on a curve?" and "Am I going to starve at college?" weigh on your mind.  It's the perfect time to figure out what you'll need in order to feed yourself.  You can hike it over to the grocery store, but if you don't have the tools to cook you're so S.O.L.

Those of you lucky enough to be in a dorm suite with a full kitchen, or at the very least a kitchenette, will want to take advantage of being able to cook some meals on your own.  We've tweaked last year's list based on your suggestions:

Don't think you'll be cooking in college?   No prob.  Check back in a month when you're sick of eating the same Chinese stir fry again and again...and again...and again... on your never changing meal plan.  We'll be here, waiting.

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