Starting on the 1st of this year, every chain restaraunt in Seattle (and King County, where I live) is required to post the caloric content of everything on their menu. In case you're wondering, "chain" equates to more than 15 stores nationwide.
The thing is that up until today, I had no idea this was happening. I've been to exactly one chain restaraunt in the last two weeks (a local Quizno's—nom nom) and to be honest, I had no idea it was legislated change. This is a great thing.
The only surprising part about this is that with the internet, absolutely none of this information was not already available. Anyone who cares about the caloric content in the food from these places can easily find it if they have any sort of interest in it when they happen to be near a web browser. But as it turns out, the mere fact of making this information immediately accessible makes an incredible difference. I've read two news stories on this and the comments—specifically in how much this information startles people—are pretty remarkable. I have to admit that even I found a few surprises on the sandwich board.
But revelation or not, the fact that this is right in front of you while ordering is incredibly cool. It's all about realization or awareness or something.
As of a few years ago Quiznos wasn't publishing their calorie counts. I wish they would post them everywhere.
There's this but it's nowhere near as comprehensive as the one on the menu board in the store.
My recommendation: switch to the honey bourbon chicken. It's the only regular-sized sandwich below 600 calories.
--D
It's all just added cost. If you care about calorie intake why are you eating at a chain restaurant?
Convenience, primarily. Working a long day means I only have a little bit of time to grab dinner.
I think it's possible to find the balance between convenience and health. Having numbers like this on the board make it easier.
--D