In some states, it’s already a requirement that restaurants with numerous locations must post the calorie counts of their foods. And, soon, federal law will require more restaurants across the country to provide such information to its patrons.
But, just how accurate are the calorie counts provided by restaurants?
That depends on where you eat. A new study that assessed foods from 42 restaurants — including fast food places — suggests that overall, the calorie counts are fairly accurate. But, the study also found that there was plenty of room left for improvement, especially in restaurants where you sit down to order your meal and for the foods classified as low calorie, such as salads.
“We did a random sampling of restaurant foods in three locations in the U.S., and included high- and low-calorie foods found at fast food and sit-down restaurants.
17 Feb
Posted by admin as Fitness Training Room
Can seeing the calories in different foods change your choices? One study says it might, at least for parents making food choices for their kids. A study published in recruited 99 parents who took their toddlers to fast food restaurants on a regular basis. In the study, parents were given a sample McDonald’s menu and asked to choose items for themselves and their kids. Half of the menus included calorie information for each food while the other menus didn’t. The results? The parents who had the calorie information chose an average of 102 fewer calories than the other parents.
That’s a good thing, considering that 100 extra calories a day could lead to a 10-lb weight gain in a year. Want to know more?