The Dining and Wine section of the New York Times says that the New York City Board of Health has passed a law forcing some restaurants to list calories on menus by this summer.  This law is part of a food regulation package that will also eliminate trans fats in restaurant kitchens.  And while it’s main goal is to prevent obesity in general, the City Health Board also says it will broadly become an awareness campaign for people to WATCH WHAT THEY EAT.

Health officials hope that once someone sees that a Starbucks mocha made with whole milk and whipped cream has 420 calories, the 160-calorie latte made with skim milk will seem the wiser choice.

This is a great idea!  I think this is a win win situation.  Restaurants should welcome this move because it will make them healthier provider of food.  We all know that in the Big Apple people mostly eat out.  When you have healthy patrons, that means they would continue to eat out!

While some New Yorkers generally feel that their culture is known to eat and run. They are welcoming the possibility to take the extra step to COUNT, eat and run.  Not sure if this will be possible to those who just crave for McDonald’s.  I mean, do they really have the time to count.  How about a McCalorie Calculator?

Here’s another twist…  not all restaurants are required to display their food calorie amounts.  EVery high-end restaurant in New Yor is exempt.  The reason for this is that the new regulation only applies to restaurants that have standardized recipes and that have made nutrition information available publicly on the internet.

As an example, Outback Steakhouse is exempt because it doesn’t publish the fact that items like its Bloomin’ Onion appetizer has almost 1,800 calories, a figure obtained through a calorie analysis by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, which has long been pushing for restaurants to label the nutrition values of food.

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