Do you know how many calories are in the burger you are eating right now? Would you like to know? Well, some local fast food chains are stepping up to help you keep track of your caloric intake.
According to an article in the Portland Tribune, “The Vancouver, Wash., based Burgerville, which runs 24 restaurants in Oregon, became the first restaurant chain in the country to use a new technology (Nutricate) that provides customers with complete nutritional information for the specific meals they have ordered.”
What a great idea that puts Washington a year ahead of everyone in promoting healthier eating habits and way of life. Unfortunately it won’t be until January 11 that state regulations will require all chain restaurants to post calories for each item right on their big board menu.
The benefits of putting calories and nutritional information on receipts or menus are huge. Not only will it educate people on what they are eating, but it will help them maintain a diet that can help them get the results they want. Good nutrition is essential in everyone’s life and more people need to be educated on the negative effects of fast-food milkshakes and deep fried chicken.
For a young female weighing 120 lbs, the daily calorie intake is around 2,000 calories to maintain weight. For a young male weighing 180 lbs, the daily calorie intake is around 2,300 calories. You might think that drinking diet soda and eating fat free food will help you lose weight, but the effects can actually be worse—without proper nutrition, you can’t just assume that if you fall within the requirements for your calorie intake it will help you lose the excess weight.
What is great about the Nutricate system is that not only does it give you the calories you are consuming, but it also provides you with educational information that promotes healthier eating habits. The Portland Tribune reports that “The receipt goes a step further by including educational information. For instance, a chocolate milkshake at Burgerville contains 790 calories and 36 grams of fat. Order one and you’re likely to see a message at the bottom of the receipt telling you that a chocolate smoothie, same size, would have netted you 340 fewer calories without any fat.”
Although this information is making America healthier, it may draw customers away from the restaurants because they might feel guilty about what they are eating. But isn’t that the point?
If we are serious about making America less fat, then the least we can do is provide people with information. You can’t hide behind the fact that this is the only way to convince people to stop eating crap, so we need to stop pretending there are other “better” alternatives. You can’t make America “less fat” with customers coming back to McDonalds every lunch break. I would think the public response would be positive if this is what America wanted to do.
Whether it is to help better plan their diets and hopefully stay healthier, or steer clear when they are tuned into their own calorie intake, fast food customers are being provided with tools they can use to better manage their diets. It’s up to the customer to use them.