Pomegranate juice has been a health food hit for awhile now, but how often do you toss a raw pomegranate in your grocery cart? The Pomegranate Council -- yes, there's a council -- shares all sorts of cool facts about this ancient fruit. Now's a good time to try a pomegranate, the California's Wonderful variety is in season now through January.

The fun part lies in figuring out how to actually eat those raw aril seeds bursting with pomegranate juice. Whether using the traditional or fanning no-mess methods, you can scoop out the seeds without turning your fingertips into a red-stained mess.

Once you have a pile, how many calories are actually in a half cup of pomegranate seeds?

Beyond scary ghosts and wishing your neighbor would take down that spine-tingling grim reaper, Halloween season is bent on spooking away a healthy diet.

Handfuls of candy corn, bowls of popcorn balls and hot apple cider don't help. Then there are those miniature-sized candy bombs, like Snickers Miniatures.

How many calories in just one, teeny tiny Snickers Miniature?

You need to pay special attention if your cubicle or garbage can is littered with mini-wrappers.

Panera Bread Company makes a decent cup of joe, but they hit it out of the ballpark when it comes to baking pastries. While we're asleep, Panera bakers are hard at work, making mornings especially diet-dangerous to loyal patrons.

Let's be honest, Panera bakes a cinnamon roll as big as your head.

If you occasionally order one, you should know the monster calorie count. How many calories in a Panera Bread Company cinnamon roll? From the poll, you're at least looking at 500 calories, a tad less than one-third of a day's intake for a slim, smaller, middle-aged woman with no time to jump on the treadmill.

Carving a pumpkin is slimy business. But that lopsided jack-o-lantern and scent of hot, roasted pumpkin seeds are worth the mess.

The fall season is immersed in seeds and nuts -- late-season major leaguers are packing cheeks with sunflower seeds and greats aunt everywhere are placing bowls of nuts on the table when you come over.

If this time a year your favorite seeds are roasted fresh from a pumpkin, have you ever considered their calorie count? Especially if you find yourself snacking from a big batch several days post-carving.

How many calories in one cup of whole, roasted pumpkin seeds?

A bowl of kettle corn is heaven to some, and now you can even score Orville Redenbacher's Kettle Korn at the movies.

But for those moments when you're craving crunchy sweet and salty at home, is Orville's microwave kettle corn a good choice?

How many calories in a bag of Orville Redenbacher's microwave Kettle Korn? Because let's be honest here, once the stuff starts popping, you're likely eating the whole bag.

Read on for the calorie answer, and surprise news: Orville's sweet kettle taste comes from a chemical, not real sugar.

Apple-picking season is in full swing, which means you're likely staring at a quarter bushel of apples sitting in the fridge. You could make applesauce, but wouldn't homemade apple pie be more fun? Time to polish up on your crust-making skills now, instead of on Thanksgiving Day.

But everyone knows pie isn't exactly healthy. Fresh apples aside, common ingredients call for thigh-clinging butter, sugar, flour and shortening. A perfect storm for irresistible weight gain, and exactly why pie leftovers never get lost in the back of the fridge.

How many calories in a one-eighth slice of a 9-inch diameter homemade apple pie?

If you're into nutrition, you're aware brown rice is superior to white rice. The main difference is fiber. A cup of white rice has less than 1 gram of fiber, while a cup of long-grain brown rice is loaded with 3.5 grams. You can make brown rice a quick and easy side dish by steaming, then lightly seasoning it yourself. Or maybe it's front and center anchor to a tasty stir fry.

Brown rice has way more nutrients, too, including vitamin E, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6 and over a dozen others. Green Living Tips also reminds us brown rice is better for the environment, as less energy is required to bring a scoop onto your plate. OK, while this all sounds pretty terrific, how many calories are there in one cup of cooked, long-grain brown rice?

Energy drinks are undeniably the rage. Some swallow liquid energy in the morning, for an afternoon pick-up or at the bars. Pre-teens are slapping down allowance for Monsters when their moms aren't looking. They'd better score cans while they can -- two major retail chains in Sweden just banned the sale of Red Bull and other energy drinks to youth under 15, heeding the advice of school administrators warning of hyperactive, addicted students.

Energy drinks may deliver a controversial zip, but are they also zapping you with major calories? Let's take a look at the little blue and silver special with dueling bulls. How many calories in a can of Red Bull?

You shouldn't grocery shop when hungry. Same goes at the mall. But what if you're mall-starving and suddenly face-to-face with an Auntie Anne's pretzel stand? Even if you're counting calories, the scent of baking pretzels and a growling stomach are a powerful duo to ignore.

Logic tells you pretzels must be a healthier mall snack than ice cream or a grande frappuccino with whip on top. So, how many calories in an Auntie Anne's Original Pretzel?

With several flavors to choose from -- Almond, Cinnamon, Garlic, Jalapeno, Original, Pepperoni, Raisin, Sesame and Sour Cream & Onion -- it's a mind-twisting choice. Here are a few insights to make it easier.

Did your mom cut the crusts off your sandwiches when you were a kid? Sandwich bones, pizza bones -- some of us don't like the edge of things. Going crust-free may be a consistent way to cut calories, but it's also a big waste.

However, with a Smuckers Uncrustables, you can score a crust-less, factory-crimped circle of kid-coveted peanut butter and jelly with white bread bookends. Uncrustables are also available in cheese, PB and Strawberry Jam, Honey on Wheat and Peanut Butter. Toss one in your lunchbox frozen and it'll thaw by lunchtime. Take a guess -- how many calories in a PB and Grape Jelly Uncrustables?

You don't necessarily have to spend a grueling 24-hour shift reeling in lobster baskets to justify a warm bowl of New England clam chowder. No doubt crews on those Lobster Wars boats sailing out of New England resemble exhausted zombies after a day burning calories on the high seas.

But still, we all know cream-based soups are ripe in fat and calories, and New England clam chowder is a far cry from a clear broth soup. You're going to need to move your body or eat lightly to avoid this soup's backlash on your bod. How many calories in a bowl of irresistible clam chowder?

In one sense, fresh, sweet cherries are like potato chips -- you can't eat just one. It's been a good summer for cherry fans, crop yields exploded with sweet cherry harvests up 52 percent from last year. Often priced upwards of $5.00 a pound, a luscious bowl of dark cherries is a pricey treat. But when you see $2.99 a pound, suddenly you're grabbing a bulging bag of nature's candy from the produce aisle.

But before you start spitting pits from a big bowl of fresh cherries, be aware of the caloric cost. How many calories in a single, sweet cherry?

Dairy Queen has a way with gooey hot fudge, peanuts and vanilla ice cream. They're so good at this combo, they figured out a way to serve it up on a stick with their delectable Buster Bar treats.

But the Buster Bar cowers in the shadow of the towering DQ Peanut Buster Parfait.

Ever had one? Soft serve ice cream layered with yummy hot fudge and crunchy whole peanuts. You'd better be hungry or good luck finishing this dessert.

Really, it's a meal in itself. So how many calories are in DQ's Peanut Buster Parfait?

August community carnivals are wallet-sucking, dizzying fun. What kind of fitness mileage will you need to log to justify that famous carnival pastry -- The Funnel Cake?

Funnel cakes are made by pouring batter through a funnel into hot oil in a circular pattern. Then you deep-fry until golden brown. This large, melt-in-your-mouth treat is often served with powdered sugar, jam or other toppings. Hmm ... batter fried in hot oil? This can't be good.

Carnivals may make you hungry, but at least be aware of what you're eating. Take a guess -- how many calories are in a typical funnel cake (8.3 ounces) you'd see at a carnival fun fair?

In light of Denny's salty lawsuit, let's take a look at Denny's Build Your Own Grand Slam breakfast.

With this pick-four breakfast special, you can choose from 17 options, such as eggs, toast, hash browns, sausage, bacon, turkey bacon, grits, granola, oatmeal, low-fat yogurt and fruit.

Options abound with this breakfast -- your favorite combo may look entirely different from the next table's Grand Slams.

How many calories if you build your own Grand Slam with two eggs, hash browns, two pancakes and two sausage links?