The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced its website Calories on the Menu – Information for Consumers to coincide with National Nutrition Month.®
Educational materials focus on areas where there are gaps in consumer understanding and use of nutrition information, such as the number of calories that are needed in a day. In addition to calorie needs, consumers can learn more about how to find calories on the menu, on grab-and-go items, and on salad bars and how to use this information to make choices that are right for them and their families.
Additional nutrition information must be made available at food establishments required to have menu labeling, to empower consumers with nutrition information such as saturated fat, sodium, and dietary fiber content of foods available for purchase in covered retail food settings. Tips for making healthy choices when ordering foods such as selecting grilled rather than fried and asking for sauces or salad dressings on the side can help consumers apply the information now available to them.
In addition to web-based materials, social media postings will amplify messages. For the most recent in menu labeling, follow @FDAFood on Twitter and the U.S. FDA Facebook page.
