You should have seen the look of shock on my face when, standing at the food case at Starbucks, I first saw the number of calories in a seemingly sensible sized slice of their banana bread. 490! Yes, folks 4, 9- oh. About a third of my daily needs.

The calories were posted boldly and conveniently right next to the price, thanks to a program in NYC that requires calories to be posted on menus in restaurants with 15 or more locations.  I had an inkling that tasty treat was high in calories but seeing the number right there at my decision making moment swayed me away from it. I wondered if it were doing the same for others. As it turns out, it does. A new study of purchases at Starbucks from before and after the calorie postings found that people who previously bought 250 calories or more decreased the calories they purchased by 26%. That saves anywhere from 65 to hundreds of calories a day.

As you may know I am not an eat-by-numbers person. I would rather focus on eating wholesome food and leaving the table when I am not quite full. But having the numbers front and center when buying food can help us manage our calorie “budgets” just as the price helps us make financial decisions. When you eat out, you don’t get to see the ingredient list or get real perspective on portions so having that number can be a very useful tool. So far, only a handful of cities require calorie posting on menus.   But I think it’s a good thing and hope more eventually will.

My guess is this transparency will ultimately lead to more calorie friendly options. I see Starbucks is heeding that call.  That fateful day I opted for the delicious Blueberry Oat Bar for 250 calories (half that of the Banana Walnut Bread). Knowledge sure is power. Some other sweet Starbucks picks include:

Petite Vanilla Bean Scone: 140 calories

Mini Sparkle Doughnut: 120 calories

Marshmallow Dream Bar: 210 calories

Biscotti: 150 calories

Chocolate Covered Grahams: 150 calories