McDonald’s announced Wednesday that, starting this month, it is adding calorie information on restaurant and drive-through menus. So now when you bite into that Big Mac, you will know just how many calories you're about to ingest. According to a drive-through menu for McDonald's in Bethlehem that is already showing calorie counts, an Angus Cheese Burger Meal is 1,170 to 1,410 calories.
According to a press release on behalf of McDonald's, the move to include calorie information is the latest in a series of actions to support the company's commitment to offer improved nutrition choices. It is, however, also a requirement of the Obama Health Care initiative that requires any restaurant chain with more than 20 outlets to list the calorie counts of its meals on the menu.
Our question is, now that you have that information, will it change your meal choices when visiting McDonald's? Do you think it will result in people making healthier choices when eating or ordering from McDonald's? Tell us in comments.
You said it. If I actually knew how many calories were in the Kickin' Chicken Sandwich, I'd probably cry.
I feel REALLY bad for all the younger people in this country. Pretty soon they're going to tell you when to go to the bathroom, how many hours to sleep, when and where you can eat. This country is going downhill so fast it makes my head spin.
Seriously though, I'm with Steve - I don't need the government involved in my eating decisions.
For instance, let's say you stop into your local "Dessert Queen" to grab your fave, a large Choco-Blast Deluxe, posted calorie count: 550. That particular dessert you are served could have anywhere from 300 - 800 calories, and the rest of the nutritional 'facts' might be even further off. It's not because the sign or company is lying to you, it's because of the random nature of the food beast: every large Choco-Blast Deluxe is not identical. It cannot be identical in any way other than types of ingerdient. The exact composition often varies greatly from serving to serving. This is true for ALL nutritional labels, btw, so even though some foods vary less than others, the important thing to remember is that they DO all vary. While the actual contents may be known for certain, the exact amount and concentration of those ingredients is unknowable beyond a certain point. Bottom line: the nutritional labels are a general guide, nothing more. Requiring them by law or ordinance is nothing more than a de facto government subsidy to sign companies.