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Law makes Seattle restaurant meals healthier

July 19, 2012 @ 5:40 pm (Updated: 5:58 am - 7/20/12 )

When you see a calorie count listed next to a menu item, it's likely you'll choose a healthier item. A law forcing King County restaurants to list calories is also having an effect on the establishments. They're offering lighter meal options.

PaneraIn 2009, King County forced nutrition labeling in many chain restaurants. Calories, fat, sodium and carbohydrate information has to be posted on menus and menu boards according to the ordinance.

Today calorie counts are a bit lower, with chain-restaurant entrees average of 73 calories lighter.

There were also some improvements in sodium and saturated fat content, according to this study published in Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

"There's a benefit to getting this information out there to people," lead researcher Barbara Bruemmer with the University of Washington tells Reuters.

It's unclear if the nutrition label law was the reason. Bruemmer could only look at restaurants in King County for the study.

Bruemmer and her team audited entrees at 37 chain restaurants in King County six months after the menu law went into effect, then again at the 18-month mark.

On average, sit-down chains like Denny's and Applebee's had trimmed 73 calories from meals. That meant dipping from an average of 1,044 calories per entree to 970.

Saturated fat declined from almost 18 grams per meal, to just over 16. Sodium levels dropped from more than 2,100 milligrams to around 1,900.

Fast-food places, like McDonald's, Burger King and Subway, made some minor changes. The typical meal at those places went from 669 calories to 650, while sodium dropped only a slight amount.

While restaurant meals at both fast-food and sit-down joints are improving, they're still over the limits for calories. Of all chain restaurant entrees, 56 percent still exceed the recommended limit for calories, 75 percent contained too much saturated fat and 89 percent were over the recommended sodium guidelines.

The big difference is that, at least in King County, customers know what they're getting. Bruemmer says, "People can start to look for calorie counts just like they look for prices."

By LINDA THOMAS

Photo, Panera Bread, which has calories listed on every menu item and bakery treat

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Comments (48)


  • Add A Comment

  • tuleman003 wrote...
    So, what's next?
    July 19, 2012 6:27 pm
    Is Seattle going to mandate what kind of toilet citizens can use? Maybe how much TV they can watch? This is over the top. If Seattle wants to improve the average mortality rate, ENFORCE the criminal laws we have without being bullyish about it.
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  • ottmilkr wrote...
    Well tuleman ...what if nobody
    July 19, 2012 7:02 pm
    intervenes? You think it will be good to have a USA that is 80% obese and 95% overweight? So far, people themselves seem un able to make good choices, at some point Govt must step in.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Carlmania wrote...
    Seattle wont regulate toilets...
    July 21, 2012 12:09 pm
    The feds took care of that with the mandate of 1.5 gal per flush tanks. As far as TV goes, turn it off and enjoy real life...
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • BikeNazi wrote...
    We want less government in our lives
    July 19, 2012 7:03 pm
    But we want the government to outlaw abortion. So which is it?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Zagnut wrote...
    BikeNazi, abortion, murder, rape, etc...
    July 21, 2012 11:57 am
    There are plenty of crimes against human beings that the government should outlaw. Obviously.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • ottmilkr wrote...
    Bikenazi
    July 21, 2012 5:49 pm
    #1 - who is " we " ? Some members of Govt that represent Corporations likly do want to outlaw it... more consumers is better for business than less consumers.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • HPD 5-0 wrote...
    The left....
    July 19, 2012 7:22 pm
    If they want to "cure" something, it should be their mentality.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • murr wrote...
    yes yes yes
    July 19, 2012 7:51 pm
    just like the new health care law is getting better benifits, and cost is going down. Yes I could tell. You are going to cover more people and it will cost less?????? Yes.. its about control, lying, and feelings. NOT MATH
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  • Troll Hunter wrote...
    It's a good law, meant to help you people
    July 19, 2012 8:15 pm
    Obesity is running rampant in America, and there is a reason for it. GREED. Fast food giants and food producers aren't in the business of being honest with us, they are in the business of making money. They have no problem putting addictive additives and appetite stimulants into our food in order to keep us coming back and buying more and more. Forcing McDonalds and others to list ingredients and is merely a small step in trying to let people know what is in their food. Unfortunately it doesn't do much; the average American only cares about themselves and what they want.
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  • ottmilkr wrote...
    Troll Hunt
    July 21, 2012 5:50 pm
    Good post.. you are right
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • ben for freedom wrote...
    It reminds me
    July 19, 2012 8:29 pm
    a Soviet Union.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • shark75 wrote...
    Dear, ottmilkr (stupid)
    July 19, 2012 8:45 pm
    80% of the 80% of Americans that are obese are the poor people that are on food stamps and don't work. Please tell me what other country on earth are the poor so not malnurished? I'd like to add that a good majority of those people are immigrants...who are not even American, just suckling the American teet and refuse to embrace American culture, matter of fact they hate us. Dumbbaass.
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  • ottmilkr wrote...
    Pretty Ignorant post Shark
    July 21, 2012 5:52 pm
    I thought you were smarter than you apparently are, your post removed any doubt. From the perspective of Native Americans, everyone is an immigrant. Sounds like you have an axe to grind with immigrants. Better get used to them, they are going to continue not only coming here, but also re producing.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Troll Hunter wrote...
    shark75
    July 21, 2012 8:08 pm
    You sir sound like an uninformed buffoon. There are quite a few people who are on food stamps who are employed, albeit at minimum wage jobs. Last statistic had about 25% of the state on food stamps and unemployment rates are lower than that. A large percentage of the food stamp recipients are white as well, which pretty much ruins your immigrant rant. As for obesity, I would say that about 80% of them are white and not poor.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • tlmbrt wrote...
    How far
    July 19, 2012 9:17 pm
    do we want nanny government intruding into our lives? Why is it that lefties always try to fix a problem by making more laws and restricting our freedom? If we let them do this, what's next? Oh, that's right - restricting salt and trans-fats, and limiting the SIZE of soft drinks! Of course people will simply REFILL or buy two. When that doesn't work, what then?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • soo purletiv wrote...
    @ Troll Hunter
    July 19, 2012 9:47 pm
    Great point.

    Unfortunately knowledge is not the defining point nor the decisive vehicle that many hope it is.

    The consequences of long term tobacco use are not hidden or in some way unknown. They have been published and pushed on us for multitudes of years, yet many choose to continue to smoke and chew.

    I am not opposed to knowledge and its benefits. But to think that this is the problem, or in some way the end-all solution, is somewhat short sighted, as I gather you would in some way agree......

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  • Troll Hunter wrote...
    soo purletiv
    July 21, 2012 8:35 pm
    I don't say knowledge is the the problem or the end all solution, I merely say it is a helpful and powerful tool for those who wish to use it. It doesn't guarantee a person will use it, as we have seen over the years with tobacco. We all should know by now the inherent dangers of smoking yet we still see people puffing away. Why? Most likely because of the physically addictive properties of tobacco. Food is a much more complex area, but at the same time pretty simple. You look at the side of a box of prepackaged food? Ever wondered what all those unreadable ingredients are? 99.9% of consumers do, but put faith in the manufacturers that they are not bad for us. Unfortunately this is often not the case as these companies knowingly put in ingredients whose sole purpose is the stimulate appetite and/or addict us to their product. Unfortunately this will never change as long as money is the center of our society, profits are more important to corporation than a healthy society.
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  • maplefish wrote...
    Yes please nanny state
    July 19, 2012 10:07 pm
    We the people are just too stupid to make our own decisions. More Big government is what we need. I don't know how we Americans ever became the greatest country in the history of the planet without a bigger government. Please save us from ourselves. Please come to my house and wipe my butt
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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