Nutritious Bites

Calories on the Menu

The Affordable Health Care Act of 2010 had a provision that called for restaurants, with 20 or more locations, to provide calorie information at the point of purchase. The “how-to’s” of this provision are still being developed so this requirement is not yet mandatory but several restaurants have already decided to provide the information; Starbucks is the latest to add this to their menus. Starting tomorrow all Starbuckss locations will display calories on foods and beverages so that customers can think about their choices but does this information make a difference? Evidence on whether menu nutrition information helps change behaviors is still preliminary so whether customers will change buying habits or whether this information will improve nutrition intake isn't clear but knowing what you are eating can’t hurt.

Nutrition information on packaged foods tells you quite a bit about what you are eating, if you read the list of ingredients you know what is going into your body. If you read the nutrition facts panel you will know not only the calories in the food but also where those calories come from – especially important when it comes to the nutrition your body needs.

When a menu or a sign at the point of purchase tells you the calories of a food or beverage it does not give you the full picture, it simply tells you the calories. When you look at calories on restaurant menus stop and think about what you are choosing and what do those numbers really mean. For example, the calories in a turkey sandwich will be more valuable nutritionally than the calories in a sugar sweetened beverage, even if the two contain the same number of calories.

As more and more restaurants add this information to their menus keep in mind – Calories Count but Make Your Calories Count. Learn how to choose nutritionally balanced calories by visiting www.choosemyplate.gov  or for a personalized plan, contact a Registered Dietitian. You can find a Registered Dietitian in the St Louis area by visiting www.eatright.org and clicking on “Find a Dietitian”