Food Chains to Display Calories on Menu by 2014
April 4, 2011 at 2:00 am Chad Upton 5 comments
By Chad Upton | Editor
Last year, President Obama introduced the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which is part of the health care reform of 2010.
Although we hear a lot about the controversial parts of this reform, there are variety of lesser known, albeit interesting, changes that will be phased in through 2018.
Some restaurants have already complied with one new regulation that requires them to show caloric values next to items on their menu. I noticed that Panera is already on board and my wife reminded me that Olive Garden has done the same. This is a bold move and it confirms that anything Alfredo is both the best and worst thing that Olive Garden serves.
There are some other interesting changes too; here’s an abbreviated timeline:
2012
- Employers will have to disclose the value of the benefits they provide to their employees.
- Tighter restrictions on corporate payments to individuals and other corporations, designed to prevent tax evasion and raise an estimated $17 billion over 10 years.
2013
- Individual salaries over $200,000 and families with income over $250,000 will see a tax increase of 0.5%.
2014
- Insurers can’t discriminate against individuals with pre-existing conditions.
- Insurers can’t set annual spending caps.
- Chain restaurants and vendors with 20 or more locations are required to show calorie count on menus and displays (additional nutritional info must also be available upon request).
- Expand eligibility for Medicaid.
- Changes to tax-free contribution limit on flex spending accounts.
- Require that everyone has health insurance.
- Penalize companies with more 50 full time employees if they do not provide insurance to those employees.
2017
- States can apply to waive certain sections of the law if they mandate coverage that is as comprehensive and affordable.
2018
- Existing health insurance plans must cover approved preventive care without co-payment.
- Individuals who spend more than $10,200 ($27,500 for families) annually on health insurance will see an additional tax on those “Cadillac” plans.
This list was by no means comprehensive, although I did try to include the most notable changes. The details of these changes have been abbreviated and you should see the sources for additional reading on the provisions that may affect you.
Broken Secrets
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Image: kobo4lila (cc)
Sources: The Bill Itself (PDF), Wikipedia (Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act), Library of Congress
Entry filed under: Food and Drink, Health and Beauty. Tags: chain, fastfood, food, health, healthcare, obama, restaurant.
Broken Secrets 
1.
Unintentional Housewife | April 4, 2011 at 1:12 pm
Burgerville (an Oregon/Southern Washington) chain started printing their receipts with nutritional information for each meal you order. Of course, seeing the absolutely horrifying total for my burger, fries & shake didn’t stop me from finishing them off. After all, I only stop at Burgerville once every month or so.
2. The Food Chain | April 5, 2011 at 6:56 am
[…] Food Chains to Display Calories on Menu by 2014 « Broken Secrets Food Chains to Display Calories on Menu by April 4, By Chad Upton | Editor. Last year, President Obama introduced the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which is part of the health care reform of […]
3. Food Blog - Ongoing Draft of Blog | December 22, 2011 at 11:36 am
[…] With a little kick from the government, more and more food chains like these are opening up about their food calorie content. This is a dirty little secret where ignorance really is bliss, and, for me, going out with friend and seeing a listing of meals 900 to 2,000 calorie is no fun at all. In this situation, I’m usually faced with a tricky decision: get the chicken fingers and the fries and feel guilty for hours or order the salad with the dressing on the side and feel unsatisfied. More often than not, I succumb to the guilty option and end up clearing the plate. For hours afterward guilt fills my gut. I question my decision and swear that I’ll get the salad next time. A couple months later, I order the chicken fingers again. Regret comes once again. Should I feel this guilt? Absolutely not. I get these chicken fingers three or four times a year, and every time I enjoy the greasy fried food dipped in honey mustard sauce. Meals like these should not be synonymous with regret, and diet foods shouldn’t and don’t fill the desire to eat these “bad” foods. […]
4. Food Blog - Foods that Feign Final | December 23, 2011 at 4:38 pm
[…] With a little kick from the government, more and more food chains like these are opening up about their food calorie content. This is a dirty little secret where ignorance really is bliss, and, for me, going out with friend and seeing a listing of meals 900 to 2,000 calorie is no fun at all. In this situation, I’m usually faced with a tricky decision: get the chicken fingers and the fries and feel guilty for hours or order the salad with the dressing on the side and feel unsatisfied. More often than not, I succumb to the guilty option and end up clearing the plate. For hours afterward guilt fills my gut. I question my decision and swear on getting the salad next time. A couple months later, I order the chicken fingers again. Regret comes once again. Should I feel this guilt? Absolutely not. I get these chicken fingers three or four times a year, and every time I enjoy the greasy fried food dipped in honey mustard sauce. Meals like these should not be synonymous with regret, and diet foods shouldn’t and don’t fill the desire to eat these “bad” foods. […]
5.
Fletcher Sego | March 5, 2013 at 2:26 am
Calories are the basic unit of energy found in all foods and are necessary to maintain the body’s vital functions or basil metabolic rate. The amount of calories a person needs depends on factors like their age, gender, and lean muscle mass. Eating too few calories for a prolonged period of time causes a person to become underweight (per the BMI) leading to muscle atrophy, weakened immunity, and eventually, organ failure.`
Most current write-up on our webpage
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