OK, so we probably could have guessed that “Chicken Anthony” was not too good for you.

The plate of ziti topped with chicken, broccoli and garlic butter sauce doesn’t sound like light lunch, but, come on, it’s got broccoli, right?

But it also has 2,371 calories, about what a middle-aged man who wants to maintain a healthy weight should eat in an entire day.

Knowing how many calories are in a plate of Chicken Anthony is important information. We know that because the man behind the dish, Anthony Barrasso of Anthony’s Italian Kitchen in the Old Port, told us.

Barrasso owns the first business in Portland to voluntarily post the calories contained in all of the items on the menu.

Under a new state law, chain restaurants will have to post such information next year. Operations with fewer than 20 restaurants were exempted because they don’t have the wherewithal to analyze their food and determine its caloric punch.

Barrasso’s is the first restaurant in Portland to take advantage of a consulting service provided by the city through a federal anti-obesity grant.

The program shows that you don’t have to tell people what to do to affect their behavior. Most people who are concerned about their health will make the right choice if they have the right information.

So, if you are watching your weight, you can still eat out (but save the Chicken Anthony for a special occasion).

 

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