Calorie Counts Coming to McDonald's Menus

McDonald’s announced last week that starting this month, the company will list calorie information on restaurant and drive-thru menus nationwide, including here in Paulding County, to further inform and help customers and employees make nutrition-minded choices.

In addition to menu board labeling, McDonald’s published its first-ever nutrition progress report and revealed several 2013 menu innovations in test that will include recommended food groups from the United States Department of Agriculture’s 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans reflected in the messages supporting MyPlate. These are the latest in a series of actions to support McDonald’s “Commitments to Offer Improved Nutrition Choices,” announced July 2011. The plan aims to help customers and employees make informed nutrition choices whether visiting McDonald’s or eating elsewhere.

“At McDonald’s, we recognize customers want to know more about the nutrition content of the food and beverages they order,” Donavon Groen, president of the Greater Atlanta McDonald’s Operator’s Association, said in a news release. “As a company that has provided nutrition information for more than 30 years, we are pleased to add to the ways we make nutrition information available to our customers and employees in Atlanta and throughout the U.S.”  

According to recent research by the International Food Information Council Foundation, about 15 percent of Americans accurately estimate the number of calories they need to maintain their weight. This past summer, McDonald’s introduced a “Favorites Under 400” menu that highlights the calorie information for some of customers’ favorite foods and beverages to help put calorie counts in better context.

Will McDonald’s restaurants’ posting of calorie information on menus change your eating habits? Tell us in the comments and cast your vote in the poll below.

Menu items the restaurant chain is exploring for 2013 include more recommended food groups. Among the additions being tested:  

• More seasonal fruit and vegetables options, such as blueberries and cucumbers, during peak seasons.
• Additional produce side options and grilled chicken choices for Happy Meals. 
• The McWrap, inspired by McDonald’s Europe, features fresh vegetables and is available in three flavors—Chicken & Bacon, Sweet Chili Chicken, and Chicken & Ranch—starting at 350 calories.
• New breakfast choices, including an egg-white breakfast sandwich on an English muffin made with 8 grams of whole grain.

The Greater Atlanta McDonald’s Operators Association is comprised of 50 owner/operators and operations managers, representing 277 restaurants in the 45 county Greater Atlanta areas. Consumers can follow @McDonaldsATL on Twitter for ongoing news, promotions and deals.
More than 80 percent of McDonald's 14,000 U.S. restaurants are independently owned and operated by  local franchisees. For more information on McDonald's, visit www.mcdonalds.com or log on at any of the 10,000 Wi-Fi enabled McDonald's U.S. restaurants.