As of the first of the year, King County chain restaurants that have at least 15 locations nationwide are required to post nutritional info on their menu.
Reading Marion Nestle's What to Eat a while back I was struck by her assertion that professional nutritionists consistently underestimate the calorie counts of the food they order when they go out to eat. I remember thinking that, while nutritionists may get it wrong, cooks are probably more likely to get it right because we know what goes into the food we cook.
The problem isn't that we recklessly dose our food with tons of fat and calories, but rather that people want stuff that tastes a certain way, and we do what it takes to make it flavorful. I exercize quite a bit of restraint when using salt and fat, but folks watching me cook are still often shocked by what they see.
According to King 5 news, diners at a local Red Robin are surprised by what they're seeing on the menu, but so far they aren't changing their eating habits. My guess is that if the new regulations make any difference, it'll be because once fast food restaurants have to post the nutritional info, they may start making some healthier choices about what they put into their food.
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