Burger King to Provide Info on (Relatively) Low-Cal Items

(MoneyWatch)  Burger King's move to promote food combinations that have fewer than 650 calories is "a minor, temporary gesture," that is "not a meaningful way to encourage people to make smarter choices," according to Michael Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, an advocacy group.

Well, maybe. On the other hand, Burger King could offer tofu burgers with a side of kelp, and the CSPI would probably call it a meaningless gesture as long as the chain were still serving meals filled with fat, sugar and salt.

Which is only proper. That's what the CSPI is supposed to do -- relentlessly hector the peddlers of unhealthy food. And at its core, Burger King will always be just that.

But that doesn't mean the chain's promotion is "not meaningful." The calorie information will appear on place mats (does that mean they'll only be seen after a meal is delivered? Not sure.) The 650-calorie limit is based on a meal being one-third of a daily diet of 2,000 calories. Sorry, but the Triple Whopper with Cheese (1,130 calories) and the king size chocolate milkshake (1,260 calories) won't make the cut.

(Waitaminute -- the milkshake has more calories than the Triple Whopper? With Cheese? Yep.)

If nothing else, the place mats will remind those who keep meaning to eat better that they have options. They should probably avoid Burger King altogether, but since they're there, what's wrong with filling them in while you're filling them up?

Fast-food chains don't want to lose anyone, which is why more of them are offering relatively healthy options such as salads and yogurt. Even Jacobson had to admit that this is a good thing. "I hope that people will choose them and encourage the companies to offer even more," he said.