Always check the serving size

Many people have a tendency to forget about or grossly underestimate serving size. Fortunately, nutritional labels do tell you how many servings are in a jar, bottle, can, etc. of a particular food. They also list other nutritional information (e.g. Carbs, Protein, Fat, Sodium, etc.) per serving size on their labels. But, most times we do a cursory examination of these labels, assuming that the number of carbs, calories, and fat listed means for the entire food item. So, it's very easy to miss the fact that you may be eating upwards as three or four times as much of the bad stuff than you thought you were.

Here's a breakdown of the four foods highlighted in an issue of Men's Health. Granted, none are healthy in the first place, but you'll see that eating the product in its entirety is even worse than you may have thought.

KING-SIZE SNICKERS BAR: 170 serving size calories listed on label. 510 calories in entire bar.

20-OUNCE BOTTLE OF COCA-COLA: 100 serving size calories listed on label. 250 calories in entire bottle.

3.75-OUNCE BAG OF CHEX MIX: 130 serving size calories listed on label. 455 calories in entire package.

4-PACK KEEBLER SOFT BATCH COOKIES: 80 serving size calories listed on label. 320 calories in entire package.

Again, these foods are not exactly staples of a healthy diet to begin with, but the point is illustrated nonetheless. The same serving size issue applies for foods that people generally consider to be healthy, as well, so a serving size review is still warranted.