Growing up in Maryland, I remember going out to eat with my family, watching my parents try to make the healthiest choices they could and teach us to do the same. But menus did not offer clear information, and many options that seemed reasonably healthy were actually high in sodium and added sugars. That experience stayed with me and shaped my path to becoming a nutritionist.
Now I’m raising two teenagers of my own, and like so many parents, I think about the choices they face every day, including what they eat when we’re not together.
The Informed Dining Act is one straightforward solution. It places an easy-to-read symbol next to restaurant menu items that contain more than half a day’s worth of recommended sodium (1,500 milligrams) or added sugars (25 grams). Many chain restaurant meals already approach or exceed daily limits in a single order, yet most people don’t realize it. Even when nutrition information exists, it is often buried online or hard to access, leaving people without clear, usable facts about which items are highest in sodium or added sugars.
This bill does not take away choice. It makes healthier choices possible.
Without easy-to-read information on restaurant menus and the healthy choices it can support, Maryland is paying the price. More than one in three adults in the state has high blood pressure and about one in eight has diabetes; conditions closely linked to excess consumption of sodium and added sugars. These diseases cost Maryland billions each year in medical care and lost productivity, a burden carried by families, employers, and taxpayers.
The House of Delegates recognized this. Their version of The Informed Dining Act includes both on-menu icons and a QR code option, ensuring that information is immediately visible while still offering additional access points. But the Senate is advancing a weaker approach that removes the on-menu icons and relies on QR codes alone.
A QR code is not transparency. It is a barrier.
It assumes that every Marylander has a smartphone, and the time and ability to scan and navigate a webpage while ordering food.
In the moment that matters, whether standing at a counter or ordering in a drive-thru, people are not going to stop to scan and search for nutrition information, especially if their connection is slow or their data is limited.
So, the information goes unused. And when information is not used, it is not effective.
We already know what works. Cities like New York and Philadelphia have implemented on-menu icons for high sodium and added sugars. Research shows that these types of labels improve consumers’ ability to identify less healthy options and can influence purchasing decisions. They also make information more accessible for populations with lower health literacy, helping reduce disparities in how nutrition information is understood.
Maryland should not move backward.
Governor Wes Moore has emphasized strengthening Maryland’s economy and making smart public investments. The Senate should advance this bill, which has the potential to prevent chronic disease and reduce long-term health care costs. It is a win-win for both public health and fiscal responsibility.
At its core, this comes down to a simple question: when a parent is deciding what restaurant food to order for their child, should the information they need be right in front of them, or hidden behind a QR code?
Marylanders deserve clarity. We deserve transparency. And we deserve policies that work in the real world.
The Senate should strengthen this bill by restoring on-menu icons and aligning with the House’s more effective approach. Informed choices only happen when information is truly accessible to all.
