Read those labels when dining out.

• Position: Calories

Customers of full-service restaurants use nutritional labeling on menus to make healthier food choices, according to a study at Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pa. Overall, customers at restaurants with menu labels purchased food with 151 fewer calories, 224 milligrams less sodium, and 3.7 grams less saturated fat compared to customers at restaurants without menu labels.

Almost 80% of customers at labeled restaurants reported seeing labels, and 26% of all customers reported employing them when deciding what to order. The customers who reported they used labels purchased 400 fewer calories (representing a relative difference of 20%), 370 milligrams less sodium, and 10 grams less saturated fat than the overall average.

Nevertheless, even consumers who used the labels purchased oversized meals that, on average, far exceeded what could be considered "healthy" --highlighting the difficulty for consumers when dining out.

Americans purchase at least one-third of the calories they consume on food prepared away from home--so providing detailed nutritional information on menus and on packaged foods is a commonly touted tactic to educate consumers and encourage them to make healthier choices.

"While previous studies have shown mixed impacts of menu labeling in fast food settings--fast food restaurants must list calories on their menu boards and make the other nutrition information available upon request--this study...