McDonalds New Item:

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Calories are being added to the menus...

"A meal consisting of a Big Mac and medium fries, for example, has 920 calories. Add a 16-ounce Coca-Cola, and the count rises to 1,140 calories." Holy smokes:noway: ...I use to eat this all the time too :laugh:


Heres the article...


NEW YORK (AP) — McDonald's restaurants in the U.S. will soon get a new menu addition: The number of calories in the chain's burgers and fries.

The world's biggest hamburger chain said Wednesday that it will post calorie information on restaurant and drive-thru menus nationwide starting Monday. The move comes ahead of a regulation that could require major chains to post the information as early as next year.

"We want to voluntarily do this," said Jan Fields, president of McDonald's USA. "We believe it will help educate customers."

In cities such as New York and Philadelphia where posting calorie information is already required, however, Fields notes that the information has not changed what customers choose to order.

"When it's all said and done, the menu mix doesn't change," she said. "But I do think people feel better knowing this information."

The chain also plans to announce that its restaurants in Latin America, which are owned by a franchisee, will start providing calorie information on menus this spring.

McDonald's, based in Oak Brook, Ill., already posts calorie information in Australia, South Korea and the United Kingdom.

The decision to post calorie information in the U.S. follows the Supreme Court's decision this summer to uphold President Barack Obama's health care overhaul, which includes a regulation that would require restaurant chains with more than 20 locations to post calorie information. The timetable for carrying out that requirement is being worked out.

Corporate Accountability International, which has urged McDonald's to stop marketing its food to children, notes that the chain has fought efforts to institute menu labeling in local jurisdictions in the past and said its latest move was "certainly not voluntary."

Danya Proud, a spokeswoman for McDonald's, says the company didn't suport local efforts to reuqire menu labeling because it wanted a national standard.

The posting of calorie information isn't a magic bullet in fighting obesity but could have a big effect over time, says Margo Wootan, director of nutrition at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, which advocates on nutrition and food safety issues.

"Obesity isn't the kind of thing where one day you wake up and you're fat. We gradually and slowly gain weight over time," she said.

So even if only some people are swayed to make slightly better choices, Wootan thinks there's a big benefit to providing calorie information.

Another upside is that companies tend to work harder to provide healthier options when they're forced to display calorie information.

"It can be embarrassing, or shocking, so they end up changing the way the product is made," Wootan said.

Joe Finn, a sales manager from Oconomowoc, Wis., said he was surprised at the calorie information posted at a hamburger restaurant when he flew out to California earlier this year for the Rose Bowl.

"All the calories were up there, and I thought, well, I'm not going to order that," said Finn, 51, who's trying to watch what he eats. He ended up picking the most basic burger, without cheese. Back at home, he tries to stick to options where he knows the calorie information, such as Subway sandwiches.

"Otherwise you could be ordering a gut bomb," he said.

The move by McDonald's could spur other restaurant chains to move ahead of the federal regulation.

Representatives for Taco Bell, which is owned by Yum Brands Inc., and The Wendy's Co. did not immediately respond to requests for comment. A representative for Burger King Worldwide Inc. said the chain is waiting for further guidance from regulators before updating its menus.

McDonald's is also testing healthier options for next year, such as an Egg McMuffin made with egg whites and a whole grain muffin. The sandwich has Canadian bacon and white cheddar cheese and clocks in at 260 calories. It will be called the Egg White Delight.

The chain is also testing versions of the McWrap, which is a bigger version of its chicken Snack Wrap that is already sold in Europe. The wraps have sliced cucumbers and range from 350 calories to 580 calories.

The moves reflect the pressures McDonald's and other fast-food chains are facing amid growing concerns about obesity. McDonald's is also facing competition from chains such as Subway, which positions itself as a healthy alternative to traditional hamburger chains.

McDonald's notes that it has already made strides in improving the nutrition of its food, such as the automatic inclusion of apple slices in its Happy Meals.

Sara Deon of Corporate Accountability said such offerings amount to a "PR scheme designed to drive traffic to stores to sell burgers and fries."

McDonald's menu staples have also been blamed by critics for fueling obesity rates.

A meal consisting of a Big Mac and medium fries, for example, has 920 calories. Add a 16-ounce Coca-Cola, and the count rises to 1,140 calories.

McDonald's, which has 14,000 locations in the U.S., doesn't plan to advertise the posting of the calorie information. Fields said it's something the chain is doing as a "customer convenience."

http://news.yahoo.com/mcdonalds-menu-item-calorie-counts-130845590--finance.html
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Replies

  • skylark94
    skylark94 Posts: 2,036 Member
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    I don't think posting the calorie counts will make a bit of difference. Most people have no clue how many calories they should be eating and I'll bet the majority of folks who eat at McDonald's already know it's unhealthy and just don't care.
  • MrDude_1
    MrDude_1 Posts: 2,510 Member
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    I don't think posting the calorie counts will make a bit of difference. Most people have no clue how many calories they should be eating and I'll bet the majority of folks who eat at McDonald's already know it's unhealthy and just don't care.

    Bingo.
    Even a good amount of people on here dont know what a calorie is, or how it applies to them.
  • coliema
    coliema Posts: 7,646 Member
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    I saw that Big Mac Meal on my drive past McDonald's this afternoon. Looks like an artery clogger like the rest of them.
  • shan1204
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    I have never eaten anything from McDonalds in my life. The smell as you walk past one makes me feel nauseous.
  • SarahofTwins
    SarahofTwins Posts: 1,169 Member
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    Another reason to steer clear of high calorie items. It won't be a reason for people to turn away but it might let the few think otherwise.
  • TheDaniProject
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    damn..
  • VanillaBone
    VanillaBone Posts: 119 Member
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    I wouldn't be surprised if this had the opposite effect on people...After the initial shock of seeing such high numbers, rationalization will eventually set in.

    "920 calories? That's no wore than a big mac, and I ate those every day in highschool..." etc.
  • rubyautumn4
    rubyautumn4 Posts: 818 Member
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    I so wish that every restaurant/eatery listed the nutritional information - including serving size - on all menus!
  • LittleMissDover
    LittleMissDover Posts: 820 Member
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    I'm in the Uk and the way they do it here is you know those paper liners that go on the tray, the info is on the reverse of those so most people don't realise it's there anyway! As PP's have said, everyone knows McDonalds is bad for you, this will have no more effect thtn the 'Smoking Kills' signs on cigarettes.
  • TheRealParisLove
    TheRealParisLove Posts: 1,907 Member
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    I saw this on NPR's blog today. What a great idea! Five Guys already does this. It kind of was my catalyst for joining MFP when I saw how many calories I was eating right there on their menu.

    I wish every restaurant did this. With the technology available today, it isn't that hard to get accurate nutrition data. I do it all the time with my home cooked meals, for goodness sake.
  • nicholawelch
    nicholawelch Posts: 74 Member
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    knowing how many calories is in a mcd's has helped me. I no longer have burgers there . I have a grilled chicken salad wrap with no sauces and a small fries instead of the large extra value meal I used to have with extra stuff added. It will definately help some people but also as others have said there will be plenty of people who it won't make any difference too!
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,488 Member
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    I don't think posting the calorie counts will make a bit of difference. Most people have no clue how many calories they should be eating and I'll bet the majority of folks who eat at McDonald's already know it's unhealthy and just don't care.

    Bingo. We already have the calories on the menu in the county I live in. It hasn't hurt McDonald's sales at all.
  • alittlemopo
    alittlemopo Posts: 91 Member
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    I so wish that every restaurant/eatery listed the nutritional information - including serving size - on all menus!

    Ditto, it does make a difference to me, if you don;t know how can you even attempt to compensate for it.
  • firstsip
    firstsip Posts: 8,399 Member
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    I'm confused--McDonalds has had this for awhile? I don't live in a city or even a state that requires calorie counts. For fast food, small McDonalds fry and a grilled chicken snack wrap are the way to go. I never eat fast food anymore, but McDonalds is the one I can go to without panicking about caloric overload.
  • wiltl
    wiltl Posts: 188 Member
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    [Bingo. We already have the calories on the menu in the county I live in. It hasn't hurt McDonald's sales at all.

    Yup. I live in the same county as you, and haven't seen the lines at the local McD's or Jack in the box change one bit. Before I started MFP, those numbers didn't affect my decision on what to eat much at all. I'd think "wow thats a lot" and order it anyway.

    Now the calorie postings are helpful for me, but only because of my overall changes. I didn't specifically start looking at those numbers and changing my mind.
  • flobeedoodle
    flobeedoodle Posts: 176 Member
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    I don't think posting the calorie counts will make a bit of difference. Most people have no clue how many calories they should be eating and I'll bet the majority of folks who eat at McDonald's already know it's unhealthy and just don't care.

    Bingo. We already have the calories on the menu in the county I live in. It hasn't hurt McDonald's sales at all.

    It stops me. Even when I am in a mood and I have decided I don't care, I take one look at the numbers posted on the menu at the fast food joint around the corner from my house, and keep moving. There is a difference, between "*kitten* it, I don't care today," and "What the hell, I might as well flush my whole life down the drain." I've done the math; a huge carb and butter bender of home prepared food is just about on par with a "moderate" choice (single patty burger, medium fries, small shake,) at the fast food place.
  • leafstucker16
    leafstucker16 Posts: 136 Member
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    Every single restaurant should have to do this, no matter the size.
  • HealthyBodySickMind
    HealthyBodySickMind Posts: 1,207 Member
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    I actually grew up eating mcd's, back before I knew what a calorie was. I don't eat it all the time, but I do still eat it, especially when I need to get calories in me and I'm short on time. In general I prefer to make my own food, but that's not always possible as I'm a busy girl. The way the calorie counts have changed things for me as far as fast food goes is I can look at it and say, I've got this, this and this to do and I might not get a break to eat again until x, how hungry am I? Will the 430 cal double cheeseburger handle it for me until then or should I eat the 940 cal quarter pounder with cheese?
  • BARBY1956
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    I ate breakfast at a McDonald's in Nashville Indiana this past Sunday and I noticed they had the calories posted next to the price of each item.. I think it is a great idea.
  • LoosingMyLast15
    LoosingMyLast15 Posts: 1,457 Member
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    the mcdonald's near my work has this already. stopped in to get a light lunch before i started my 4hour drive to my mud race and it definitely influenced what i ordered. wanted a double cheeseburger and small fries. got 6pc chicken nugget and small fry. drank water.