Food served with a side of smarts

Burgerville will launch, Tuesday, a convenient way for calorie-counting diners to view nutritional information about the foods they’ve ordered.

In an attempt to “nutricate” (nutritionally educate) customers, the Vancouver-based fast-food chain is introducing cash register receipts that calculate personalized nutritional data based on each order.

Whether patrons opt to “hold the mayo” or add “extra Burgerville sauce,” the itemized receipts will include a calorie count along with nutritional information about the order such as the amount of protein, fat and carbohydrates in grams.

The itemized receipts also provide a nutrition total and let patrons know their orders’ percentage of a typical daily calorie allowance.

Burgerville, which operates 39 restaurants along the Interstate 5 corridor, tested the program starting in June 2009 at a Portland store. The company is one of the first quick-service restaurants to provide such a service.

Called the SmartReceipt Nutricate program, the receipts are part of Burgerville’s goal to help create healthier, more self-reliant communities, said Jeff Harvey, the company’s president and chief executive officer.