With football fever heating up, everyone’s talking about hot wings and other game day snacks. I thought it might be fun to check out some South Reno restaurants where hot wings are the main attraction. But hot wings are typically doused in butter and high in sodium. I wanted to do some research and learn which menu items might be a little on the lighter side.
My first stop was Buffalo Wild Wings, 13967 S. Virginia St., #914, at South Reno’s Summit shopping center.
http://www.buffalowildwings.com/Locator/Detail/3325
http://www.buffalowildwings.com/Locator/Detail/3325
I quickly found a take-out menu but no nutrition facts. When I asked for such a brochure, the girl behind the counter looked confused. She located a dog-eared photocopy of some info but admitted, “This is just some of our menu items and this is pretty old.”
Next I popped into WingStop, 720 S. Meadows Pkwy. #1. http://www.wingstop.com/Find_A_Store.aspx?search=89521
Again, a take-out menu was in plain view on the counter but when I asked the order-taker for nutrition information, she, too, looked dazed. “I think there’s a sheet in the back somewhere … but we don’t have any brochures like that,” she told me.
Again, a take-out menu was in plain view on the counter but when I asked the order-taker for nutrition information, she, too, looked dazed. “I think there’s a sheet in the back somewhere … but we don’t have any brochures like that,” she told me.
Driving home, I wondered, “Aren’t chain restaurants required to post nutrition info where customers can plainly see it?” Then it dawned on me. I’m not in Seattle anymore!
Since 2009, chain restaurants with at least 15 locations in King County, WA, including Seattle, are required to provide printed materials or signage with detailed nutrition info about each menu item — in a way that is easily visible to customers before they place their orders.
This was enacted in an effort to curb obesity and reduce health menaces such as heart disease and diabetes.
As stated in a recent article in the Northern Nevada Business Weekly, “A researcher at the University of Washington in Seattle, one of the first cities to mandate nutritional labels on menus, found that labels led restaurant customers to order lower-calorie alternatives.”
While skeptics may say, “It’s a no-brainer that fried foods are going to be more caloric than grilled foods,” some seemingly-virtuous selections such as salads can be less healthy than some burgers due to dressings or other toppings that are laden with fat and sodium.
Thankfully, a movement is now underway in Washoe County, NV, including Reno, to encourage restaurants to post nutritional facts. The Northern Nevada Business Weekly mentioned that local restaurants now on-board include Buenos Grille in Reno, Pathways Café at University of Nevada, Reno and Black Rock Pizza in Sparks.
Plus, many national chains like Subway, McDonald’s and Wendy’s have long been offering that info as a way to help health-conscious diners stick to their goals.
I checked online to see if Buffalo Wild Wings or WingStop post nutritional facts there. At Buffalo Wild Wings, I had to submit an inquiry through the Contact Us link. They sent me a PDF a few hours later. WingStop doesn’t offer nutritional info at all.
I’ve decided to err on the side of caution and prepare my own game day snacks.
Happily, a few years ago, I clipped and saved a King County Journal story with healthy game day recipes from the Seattle Sea Gals. I’ll be cheering for the Seahawks, anyway.
To learn more about the nutrition labeling program in King County, WA and Seattle, visit:
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