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Count Your Calories, Philly! …And Fat, And Sodium And Carbs

By Randy LoBasso

Add Comment | Comments: 1 | Posted Apr. 1, 2010

If there’s one thing we look for in our restaurants, it’s the overt explanation of how unappealing to the opposite sex their food is going to make us. And how many treadmill hours we need to get in before our next meal. And extra cheese.

And now we’re getting it all.

Maybe you knew that in January, all chain restaurants were required to post caloric intake of menu items. Well, now that’s been expanded.

Before moving on, PhillyNow wants to take a little time to make you feel guilty with a trip to Micky-D’s:

Quarter Pounder with cheese: 510 calories

Large French Fries: 500 calories

Large Coke: 310 calories

OK. The Associated Press is reporting today that Philly is requiring all chains to include sodium, carbohydrates and fat. Health Commissioner Don Schwartz has said the information must be placed on tables or on menus at all chain restaurants. And he’s giving you two chances to get it right. The first time you’re caught, it’s a citation. Second time, a $150 fine.

And we’re off to Wendys:

Spicy Chicken Deluxe: 460 calories, 1120 grams of sodium, 38 grams of carbs, 25 grams of fat

Large fries: 540 calories, 500 grams of sodium, 71 grams of carbs, 26 grams of fat

Frosty: 580 calories, 210 grams of sodium, 91 grams of carbs, 19 grams of fat

Part of the recently signed federal health-care bill, according to the New York Times, is that all national chains with 20 or more locations will begin putting calorie content on menus and drive-through signs. Philly, we just had to one-up them, didn’t we?