Menu Calorie Counts Really Do Spur Healthier Eating – But Not Because You're Making Healthier Choices

Eating at restaurants that list calorie counts on the menu could be better for your waistline — and it’s not for the reason you’d think. (Getty Images)

New research published in the journal Health Affairs found that restaurants that include calorie counts on their menus have significantly less calories per item than those that don’t list calorie counts.

For the study, researchers analyzed menu data from 2012 through 2014 at 66 of the largest chain restaurants in the U.S. They compared differences in calorie counts of items in restaurants that posted that information on their menus with those that didn’t.

Related: The Best and Worst Restaurants for Your Waistline

Restaurants that voluntarily listed the counts had nearly 140 calories less per item than restaurants that don’t list calorie counts. New items introduced at the restaurants during that time also had lower calories than similar items offered by the competition.

“It was surprising to find such a big difference,” study co-author Julia Wolfson, a PhD candidate in the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, tells Yahoo Health.

In December 2016, U.S. chain restaurants and food establishments that have 20 or more locations will be required to list calorie counts on their menus. However, some have already done so voluntarily.

Wolfson’s study didn’t find out why these restaurants have lower-calorie offerings but she has a few theories.

One is that restaurants may be more likely to post their calorie counts if they already have options that are better calorie-wise than those offered by the competition. Another is that restaurants may have tweaked their recipes to lower calorie counts (and, consequently, look better on menus).

“We don’t know which came first,” Wolfson says.

But registered dietitian Keri Gans, author of “The Small Change Diet,” tells Yahoo Health that the end result can pay off for diners. “Calories can definitely add up when dining out,” she says. “If you are ordering more than one item from the menu, it could be a big savings.”

Related: The Worst Breakfasts for Your Waistline 2015

According to the new research, someone who orders an appetizer, entrée, and dessert from a chain that posts calorie counts could stand to save 420 calories than if they had dined at the competition.

That’s promising, registered dietitian nutritionist Beth Warren, author of “Living a Real Life With Real Food” tells Yahoo Health, especially since we tend to overindulge and overeat when we eat out. “If the total calories are decreased, it would not be as much of a dieter’s pitfall if you took that extra bite here or there,” she says.

Unfortunately, calorie counts on the menu don’t seem to impact what we choose. A study published in the American Journal of Public Health found that McDonald’s customers actually ended up eating foods with slightly more calories when calorie counts were posted on the menu.

That’s why restaurants taking the lead can be particularly helpful. “This could make menu labeling a really great tool for helping people eat healthier — without relying on the diner to notice that information and make a healthier choice,” Wolfson says. “That could have big implications.”

Let’s keep in touch! Follow Yahoo Health on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. Have a personal health story to share? We want to hear it. Tell us at[email protected].