Nutritional Information

The typical meal at a McDonald's restaurant may be loaded with fat, salt and cholesterol, but by the end of July customers should at least have fair warning. McDonald's Corp., the Oak Brook, Ill.-based fast-food chain, said Friday that it will post signs in all of its more than 8,200 restaurants nationwide with "complete nutrition information" on all of its permanent menu items.

Las Vegas has been "engaged in a high-stakes restaurant arms race since it welcomed Spago 20 years ago," the New York Times wrote last year of the area's eateries that brought in $8 billion in 2011. Amid all the Godzilla -sized mojitos and celebrity-chef-driven menus on the Strip, healthy fare usually isn't at the top of the list. So I was surpised to find a Healthy Eating mobile app from (drum roll) MGM Resorts International . Of course, "healthy" is a subjective term (more on that later)

Just how many calories in that eggplant parmigiana? In 2012, when restaurant labeling becomes the law of the land as part of healthcare reform legislation, diners will be in for some surprises. The law requires restaurants and retail food businesses with 20 or more locations to list calorie content for standard items on menus and menu boards. Drive-throughs are included, but movie theaters are exempt. Beyond calories, more detailed nutritional information - such as sodium, saturated fat or cholesterol content - must be available on request.

Ruffles Cheddar & Sour Cream Serving size: 11 chips Sodium: 180 milligrams Fat: 10 grams Carbs: 15 g Protein: 2 g Calories: 160   Terra Thai Basil Curry Exotic Vegetable Chips Serving size: 15 chips Sodium: 100 mg Fat: 8 g Carbs: 18 g Protein: 0 g Calories: 140   Crisproot Sea Salt Casava Chips Serving size: 23 chips Sodium: 150 mg Fat: 7 g Carbs: 18 g...

Re "American Waistlines Grow, Especially in Southern States," Aug. 30 I had to laugh at this article. Nowhere does it mention overeating. Apparently Americans are fat because they can't read nutritional information or exercise. Keep 'em coming -- I'm in hysterics. DAVID SEAGRAVE Southampton, England

The American Medical Assn. wants fast-food and chain restaurants to add nutritional information to menus and menu boards as part of an effort to combat obesity. The influential physicians group said the information should be easy to understand and include calorie, fat, saturated fat, trans fat and sodium content. "We would like voluntary action now, but we will also be calling for policies ... at the local, state and national levels to require chains to do this," AMA President Dr.

Culinary SOS: The nutritional information for Blue Velvet's goat cheese ice cream in the Jan. 23 Food section was incorrect. The correct data: 199 calories; 3 grams protein; 17 grams carbohydrates; 0 fiber; 14 grams fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 100 mg. cholesterol; 47 mg. sodium.

When dining out, 65% of Americans say they prefer to see nutritional information on a restaurant menu rather than calories alone, according to a recent survey. Nearly 40% said they'd like to see a Nutrition Facts panel, while 27% preferred an at-a-glance program with credits or a ratings system, according to the random telephone survey conducted by Kelton Research. "Our research shows that Americans are looking for more than just calorie counts," said John Eldredge, director of brand and business development at Guiding Stars Licensing Co., which makes nutrition navigation systems and commissioned the poll.

McDonald's Corp. customers will soon know that Big Macs contain almost half their recommended daily fat intake just by looking at the wrapper. In its latest measure to fend off critics that blame the world's largest restaurant company for contributing to a rising incidence of obesity and other health problems, McDonald's said it would start printing nutritional information on packaging.

Las Vegas has been "engaged in a high-stakes restaurant arms race since it welcomed Spago 20 years ago," the New York Times wrote last year of the area's eateries that brought in $8 billion in 2011. Amid all the Godzilla -sized mojitos and celebrity-chef-driven menus on the Strip, healthy fare usually isn't at the top of the list. So I was surpised to find a Healthy Eating mobile app from (drum roll) MGM Resorts International . Of course, "healthy" is a subjective term (more on that later)

Just how many calories in that eggplant parmigiana? In 2012, when restaurant labeling becomes the law of the land as part of healthcare reform legislation, diners will be in for some surprises. The law requires restaurants and retail food businesses with 20 or more locations to list calorie content for standard items on menus and menu boards. Drive-throughs are included, but movie theaters are exempt. Beyond calories, more detailed nutritional information - such as sodium, saturated fat or cholesterol content - must be available on request.

Calorie labeling in fast food restaurants is part of the landscape, but is it making a difference in what customers buy? A study finds that it can, if people pay attention to the information. Researchers compared purchases and calories among fast food diners in New York City in 2007, a year before calorie labeling legislation started and in 2009, nine months after it became law. In 2007, 7,309 customers were surveyed, and in 2009, 8,489 people took part. Researchers conducted the study among 168 randomly selected restaurants among the top 11 fast food chains in the city.

If you haven’t noticed yet, some restaurant menus carry more numbers these days -- and they're not necessarily higher prices. By March, restaurant chains with more than 20 locations are required to post the number of calories in items on their menus. Disclosing calories in foods that restaurants serve was part of the healthcare reform act signed into law last year. Here's a good explanation of the act and the law's provisions from the National Restaurant Assn. However, don't expect to see nutritional breakdowns like you see in grocery stores.

Laws requiring fast-food restaurant chains to include nutritional information, especially calories, on menus or menu boards have garnered a lot of support. California was one of the first states to adopt the policy. And, under the healthcare reform bill, the provision will be required nationally. But do these regulations really change what people purchase? A few studies on the affect of the law so far have been mixed. In what is probably the most disappointing data so far, researchers attending the Obesity Society annual meeting in San Diego said Tuesday that their study found menu labeling had little effect on normal-weight children but did lead to modest, reduced calorie consumption in overweight or obese children.

Americans are eating out more and more: According to the National Restaurant Assn., 49% of every food dollar in the U.S. is now spent in restaurants, up from 25% in 1955. What that means is we have less and less control over just what goes into our food — and the numbers, now available per California law, are sometimes shocking. Even healthful-seeming selections can pack a calorie-, fat-, salt- or sugar-laden punch. Salads, long touted as a virtuous choice, are a prime example.

When dining out, 65% of Americans say they prefer to see nutritional information on a restaurant menu rather than calories alone, according to a recent survey. Nearly 40% said they'd like to see a Nutrition Facts panel, while 27% preferred an at-a-glance program with credits or a ratings system, according to the random telephone survey conducted by Kelton Research. "Our research shows that Americans are looking for more than just calorie counts," said John Eldredge, director of brand and business development at Guiding Stars Licensing Co., which makes nutrition navigation systems and commissioned the poll.

When airline officials decide to overhaul their menus, they typically take into account passenger surveys along with comments made about the food to reservations agents. Based on that input, passengers generally fall into two camps, said Jim Brown, a TWA spokesman. Some want healthful, low-fat meals and snacks. Others are what Brown calls "meat-and-potatoes" travelers. They aren't nearly as weight- or health-conscious, if at all.

There is nothing really new, I think, about this nation's concern for nutrition. There is much more talk about it than there ever was before, but the basic concern hasn't changed much. I can remember far back in my childhood such parental comments at the dinner table as: "Drink your milk." "If you don't eat your spinach, you don't get dessert." "No, you can't have a cookie. You can have an orange, but no more cookies." "Eat your cereal before it gets soggy." Things were much simpler then.

Dorothy Carson figures her diet of frequent fried chicken and virtually no fresh produce finally caught up with her in July, when she was hospitalized for a stroke-like condition. After two months in recovery from blurred vision, Carson returned to church at First African Methodist Episcopal Church a few weeks ago. That very same day, she said, the church launched a new open-air fresh produce market to bring healthful foods and better diets to the residents of South Los Angeles.

Fast-food restaurants are pondering how to deal with a new California law that tells restaurants to make more nutritional information available to customers. For now, eateries must make brochures with calorie counts and other nutritional information readily available. In 2011 they will have to post the information on their menus and menu boards. Panda Express, the Rosemead-based chain that dominates the Chinese food segment of the quick-serve market, is trying to get ahead of the curve.