Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person. Mother Teresa

I just can't seem to get something out of my thoughts... I'd had such great hopes in finding a spokesperson to advocate for nutritional information at local restaurants... in previous posts, I mentioned that I reached out to "Dear Dale" among others to encourage local restaurants to provide nutritional information. While he didn't respond to mine, he did respond to D.C. even though he didn't answer his question, only told him what to do which I'm sure D.C. knew already. What I read saddened me, not just for D.C. but for everyone who is genuinely concerned about nutrition....

Dear Dale, I read your column regularly, and I thought you might be able to assist me in locating restaurants with low-sodium items on their menus on a permanent basis. My wife had a minor stroke in February, and has had to lower her sodium intake drastically. I went online and found a great many choices. Although these recipes are easy for me to prepare, I would like to offer her a treat of having a restaurant meal for our anniversary in July, but one which is truly low-sodium. Appreciate any information you can provide.
Thank you.
D.C.

D.C., That's actually easier than you might think. Virtually any fine-dining restaurant in Central Texas will be happy to accommodate your needs if you call in advance, talk to the chef and explain your dietary restrictions. The problem is that many items — such as salad dressings, sauces and mashed potatoes — are made in advance and are salted. By talking to the chef ahead of time, you often can have a portion put aside before it's seasoned. Also, any chef should be able to handle a low-sodium request if you simply walk into a restaurant unannounced. However, that might limit your choices to items such as grilled meats or fish — minus the sauces — with fresh vegetables for a side. That actually sounds like a pretty good meal to me.

D.C. was asking for restaurants that offered low-sodium items on a permanent basis. Instead of addressing this situation, Dale responds how easy it is, yet is it really?? Call in advance, explain your restrictions... or limit your choices to grilled or fresh items.... While absolutely, I agree with Dale that "grilled and fresh" is a pretty good meal yet why should D.C. have to take on this responsibility?

Honestly, I have always considered myself a conscientious eater. I have been literally blown away with what I've learned. Congestive heart failure with my husband, a stroke with D.C.'s wife... we shouldn't wait until it's a life-threatening situation to be concerned with what is in our food.