The first of January marked a new year and a new beginning for many consumers hoping to make healthier food choices.

The menu boards in fast-food and chain restaurants in Seattle and King County now display the number of calories, milligrams of sodium and grams of saturated fat and carbohydrates in your typical burger and fries.

For example, a Double Whopper with cheese from Burger King boasts 1,010 calories and 67 grams of fat. Daunting when considering that the Recommended Daily Allowances from the USDA dietary guidelines states the average individual should consume 2,000 calories a day.

After reading the nutrition facts on the menu board at the Burger King in Bellevue, Donna Rightenour had a change of heart about what she wanted to order.

“I switched out a Whopper for a Whopper Junior when I saw the numbers,” Donna said, who rarely eats at Burger King. “It’s a good thing that they are required to list the nutrition information. It makes me choose what I eat slightly differently.”

Donna and her husband, Gary, stopped into Burger King on the way to the movies for a quick bite.

“I was a little shocked at how many calories are in some of these items, but I kind of expected it to be fattening,” Gary joked. “It’s fast food. It’s not the best for you.”

The Health Department of Seattle and King County hopes the food labeling requirement will help customers make a more informed choice when ordering food. The new regulation only applies to chain restaurants with 15 or more national locations, such as McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s and Jack In The Box.

There are over 1550 restaurants representing 160 chains in King County.

“King County is among the first jurisdictions in the nation to provide customers at chain restaurants with information they want, at or before they order their meals,” said Julia Patterson, Chair of the King County Council and of the Board of Health.

American Dietetic Association Spokesperson Kerry Neville agrees that the intent is right, but is unsure about the effect the labeling will have on customers’ food choices.

“I think it’s always good to make people aware of what they are eating,” Neville said. “If you eat fast food often, knowing what your consuming can be helpful.”

Neville is quick to point out that a healthy diet has more to do with the context of your overall lifestyle then meal to meal intake. On occasion, she and her son will order two Happy Meals, one with apple slices and one with fries to share.

“Swinging by for a small fry once in a while won’t reck havoc on your diet,” she explained. “It’s all about making wise choices when ordering.”

In the coming weeks, Public Health will launch a public education campaign about menu labeling telling customers to “Be Informed, Be Healthy.”

“The restaurant industry has been working diligently with the Board of Health and Public Health staff to ensure we can meet the regulation requirements,” said Anthony Anton, president and CEO of the Washington Restaurant Association. “I am pleased to see this sort of effort and collaboration and our industry is hopeful this will have a positive health impact on the lives of King County residents.”

The nutritional information can be found boldly posted on menu boards in fast food restaurants and most drive thru menus. The nutritional facts also are available in the form of take-home brochures, online and on some product packaging.

Neville recently stopped by a local McDonald’s.

“I was already aware of the nutritional content in most of the food options, but I think people will be surprised to find that a Double Quarter Pounder with cheese has more calories than a Big Mac and that the beverages are loaded down with calories.”

Prior to the regulation requirements, several fast food chains already had taken steps to offer healthier food options.

In November, Burger King Corporation became the first quick-service restaurant chain to announce that it would begin limiting sodium to 600 milligrams or less in all of its Kids Meals advertised to children under 12 years old.

The average person should consume around 500 milligrams of sodium per day.

Burger King also offers low calorie choices such as the Tendergrill Chicken Garden Salad with only 220 calories and 7 grams of fat. A McDonald’s hamburger and small fry has 480 calories total, roughly half as many calories as a single Double Quarter Pounder with cheese.

“I think McDonald’s has done an awful lot to offer healthy food options, but the problem is no one buys it,” Neville said. “If the consumer demand is there, they will continue to carry healthy options like salads and fruit.”

For more information on the American Dietetic Association visit www.eatright.org.

Lindsay Larin can be reached at llarin@bellevuereporter.com or at 425-453-4602.