There are always interesting findings, news, and great tidbits of info we want to share with you. Here is the latest health news important to calorie counters.

Pizza Restaurants: Do We Have to Tell the Whole Story?

Whole pizza calorie counts are hard to find and pizza makers want it to stay that way. If you buy a pizza in the grocery store, you will likely see a nutrition facts label that lists the calorie count for a serving of a pizza, usually just a third or a fourth of the whole thing. However, new menu labeling rules for chain restaurants would require pizza restaurants to list the calorie counts of an entire pizza on their menu boards. The coalition of the American Pizza Community is asking for an out. According to Tom McIntyre, VP of Communications at Domino’s Pizza, “ninety percent of orders for pizza come either online or over the phone.” His argument is that customers wouldn’t benefit from seeing the nutritional information when their deciding on a pizza. He says the average person eats 2.1 slices of pizza. According to their Nutrition Guide, that’s a little over 578 calories for their regular cheese pizza with New Pizza Sauce on their classic hand-tossed crust. Listing the calorie count of the entire pizza might be an eyesore on their menu at 2,310 calories.

Medium Sodas Getting Larger But Seem Smaller

An award-winning study shows calories are easier to figure out when different size portions are revealed. The study shows that consumers are desensitized by ever-increasing meal sizes. The same could be said of the size of drinks. A test developed by marketing professor Pierre Chandon studied 294 participants who estimated how much liquid was in a cup. Most participants guessed larger cups held 20 to 40% less than they actually did. A quiz based on his study was recently published by the New York Times. So you know, a 32 oz. soft drink of lemonade or cola is almost 400 calories. While sugary drinks aren't needed at all, it's recommended that you have only 1-2 servings, that's a total of 16oz. and 200 calories of sugar-sweetened beverages per week. Guessing less liquid could account for a great deal of calorie underestimation, which has been associated with obesity.

Full-Fat Dressing for Veggies' Health Benefits

New research by Purdue scientists says full-fat dressing may help unlock the vitamins and minerals in raw or cooked vegetables. The study compared the effects of varying amounts of butter, soybean oil, and canola oil on salads at 3g, 8g, and 20g. The higher fat content resulted in a better absorption of carotenoids. The type of fat had less of a bearing on absorption than the amount, but canola oil was found to enhance absorption of lutein and beta-carotene more than butter. The full fat version has another benefit, it will be more satisfying as well. But be sure you count your calories, the difference could cost you 100 calories more per serving.


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