You’re going to have a lot harder time avoiding the plain truth of how many calories you’re ingesting along with that Big Mac and fries at a McDonald’s near you soon. The company announced that it will now be posting the caloric content of all its items on menu boards and drive-thru menus across the U.S. It’s a big move for the fast food industry, one that other chains could feel compelled to follow its lead.

Customers and health advocates have been pushing for more transparency when it comes to nutritional information at fast food restaurants, and it seems McDonald’s is going forward with this plan in order to please consumers and critics of its food.

“It’s the right thing to do,” says Greg Watson, senior vice president of menu innovation for McDonald’s, according to USA Today. “It’s what a leader would do.”

The changes will go into effect next week, and could be a preemptive move by McDonald’s, as the White House’s health care reform includes a proposal that would make chain restaurants post calories on menus anyway in the future.

And if McDonald’s does it, all the other chains will likely go down that road as well. Panera already made the switch to showing calorie contents back in April 2010.

This isn’t the only thing McDonald’s is doing to try and please the health-conscious consumers out there, said a rep. Soon there will be more seasonal fruit and vegetables on the menu, along with possibly adding-white breakfast sandwich on a whole grain English muffin as an alternative to things like hash browns and sausage and egg McMuffins.

Next up? Perhaps branded blindfolds for those of us who just don’t want to know the truth.

*Consumerist reader Shawn points us to his blog, where he’s posted a picture of the new calorie-count menu boards in action at his local McDonald’s. Ahead of the trend!

McDonald’s to post calories for items on menu boards [USA Today]

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