Calorie Counts on Chain Restaurant Menus

On July 31st, 2008 - Multnomah County became the fifth jurisdiction in the U.S. to pass a nutrition labeling requirement for chain restaurants. Starting in 2009, chain restaurants will be required to post calories on menu board and printed menus and provide other nutrition information upon request. Commissioner Jeff Cogen was the primary sponsor of the proposal. While considering the nutrition labeling proposal, commissioners received hundreds of emails in support of the measure.

You can read the full Multnomah County Order here.

King County in Washington passed menu labelign regulations. Read about them here.

Nuttition labeling received broad public support. According to a poll by the Northwest Health Foundation / Community Health Priorities, 69% of Oregon residents support nutrition labeling, and 72% of Multnomah County residents.

Upstream Public Health, along with other members of the Oregon Nutrition Policy Alliance, will be leading the effort to advocate for statewide nutrition labeling in the 2009 legislature and beyond if necessary.

A Tool to Promote Healthier Weight Management

Americans get 1/3 of all calories from eating out. With calorie counts on menus, it will be easier to make healthy decisions about what to eat at fast food and other chain restaurants. This can be a critical tool to maintain a healthy weight and thereby prevent the ravages of obesity-related illness.

Take the Nutrition Quiz (Click Here)

Even highly-trained dietitians can't guess which entrees have the most calories. How well do you do?

For more information, see:

A literature review of the science to support nutrition labeling by the Yale Rudd Center.

Center for Science in the Public Interest

National Restaurant Association

Fact Sheet: Nutrition Labeling at Fast-Food and Other Chain Restaurant (pdf)

Fact Sheet: Myth vs. Reality: Nutrition Labeling at Fast-Food and Other Chain Restaurants (pdf)