Big Mac calorie counts

I’ll admit it. I never thought the fast food giant McDonald’s would post its calorie counts on its menus.

Why would they? Most fast food loyalists aren’t interested in watching their calories.

Still, McDonald’s announced Wednesday it would, beginning next week, list calorie information on restaurant and drive-thru menus across the country.

So when you glance up at the picture of the Big Mac, you’ll notice it’s 550 calories. When you add an order of medium French fries, you’ll see that adds another 380 calories. And that medium Coke comes with another 210 calories.

With a glance at the new menu (and the help of a calculator), a diner will see their Big Mac meal comes to a whopping 1,140 calories.

The question is, will it make a difference?

I’d like to think the calorie listings will at least get people to start thinking about the type of food they’re putting in their bodies. But I’m not sure it will really make a difference in their eating habits.

Still, I applaud McDonald’s for being proactive. (Although, thanks for the Affordable Care Act, restaurants with more than 20 locations will eventually be required to post calorie information.)

I also applaud the Golden Arches for taking it a step further.

This past summer, McDonald’s launched its “Favorites Under 400” menu that offers a variety of foods and drinks with less than 400 calories. The restaurant chain also launched a mobile app that provides on-the-go nutrition information.

In 2010, Burgerville started adding nutritional information on their receipts. That way, once you’ve ordered and paid, you can see how many calories are in your meal.

So what do you think? Will calorie listings change your ordering (and eating) habits at fast food restaurants?