You may have noticed that some restaurants share nutritional information about their menus. In many cases they’re sharing that information because it’s a requirement, but for health conscious consumers (or anyone just trying to manage dietary restrictions) accessible menu nutrition facts can be a deciding factor when choosing where to eat.

When Are Restaurants Required to Share Nutrition Info?

The FDA guidelines mandate that restaurants and similar retail food establishments that are part of a chain with 20 or more locations must make nutrition information available.

If you fall into this category, you must disclose the number of calories contained in standard items on menus and menu boards.

For standard menu items, upon request, you also need to provide:

• Total calories
• Total fat
• Saturated fat
• Trans fat
• Cholesterol
• Sodium
• Total carbohydrates
• Sugars
• Fiber
• Protein

While you probably won’t see a restaurant bragging about their cheese fries’ 2600 calories, transparency into a menu’s nutrition can help uncover other healthier options and earn the trust of customers who want to know more about what they’re eating.

Why Acessible Nutrition Information Matters

Restaurants that make their nutrition easy to navigate win customers. For people with specific dietary needs, knowing what to eat when you go out to eat can be a challenge.

One brand that makes it easy is Chipotle. Their customizable menu allows anyone with preferences or restrictions to build a meal that meets their dietary needs. They not only share the nutrition, but let you set your preferences to help discover what items work for you. For instance, you can select foods compatible with the Whole30 diet or avoid options that have gluten.

How Can Restaurants Share Nutrition Info?

If you’re required to provide nutrition information — or just want to — the good news is that the format doesn’t need to be as rigid as what you see on packaged goods. While nutrition fact panels for packaged products must follow strict formatting rules, restaurants have more flexibility. Most choose a simple table that lists each menu item and its nutritional values. ReciPal makes this process fast and easy.

Creating a table of nutritional information

ReciPal helps you generate a professional, restaurant-ready nutrition table in just a few clicks:

1. Go to your Recipe Dashboard
2. Select the recipes you want to include
3. Click Download → Labels Data

This exports a spreadsheet with a row for each recipe’s full nutrition breakdown. You can customize this spreadsheet to match your branding or organize it however you like.

Going a Step Further with Nutrition Fact Panels

While not required for restaurants, nutrition fact panels (NFPs) present a polished and familiar look that builds credibility. ReciPal makes these easy to create — and even easier to share. Here you can see how NFPs add a recognizable and professional look to Applebee's nutritional info

Our embed codes allow you to drop dynamic NFPs right into your website. If a recipe changes, the updates sync automatically — no need to re-upload anything.

Powerful Features for Restaurant Workflows

ReciPal has tools that make it simple for restaurants to build out their menu. Our software not only helps you stay compliant but can even keep your recipes organized and optimized.

• Subrecipes: Create components (like sauces or side dishes) once and use them in multiple recipes. Update the subrecipe, and every parent recipe is updated automatically.
• Scaling: Have multiple portion sizes? No problem. Copy and scale recipes quickly to create small, medium, and large versions with accurate nutrition.
• Nutrition Breakdown: Optimize recipes by seeing exactly how each ingredient contributes to nutrition. Want to reduce sodium or boost protein? This feature makes it easy.
• Tags: Add custom tags like "vegan", "gluten-free", or "keto" to organize your recipes. You can even filter exports by tag to share tailored nutrition info with customers.

ReciPal For Restaurants

Whether it’s required or not, sharing nutrition information about your menu helps customers make more informed choices and builds trust in your brand. ReciPal makes this process simple. Export customizable nutrition tables, embed dynamic nutrition fact panels on your site, and manage recipes with tools built to meet the needs of high-performing restaurants.