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Dr. Egon Spengler: I’m worried, Ray. All my readings point to something big on the horizon.

Winston Zeddemore: What do you mean, big?

Dr. Egon Spengler: Well, let’s say this Twinkie represents the normal amount of psychokinetic energy in the New York area. Based on this morning’s reading, it would be a Twinkie thirty-five feet long, weighing approximately six hundred pounds.

Winston Zeddemore: That’s a big Twinkie.

– Ghostbusters (1984)

In the realm of portion control, Twinkies are actually a fairly innocuous snack (unless, that is, you actually happen to come across a six hundred pound Twinkie).  Individually packaged each Twinkie has 150 calories, 4.5 grams of fat, and 0 grams fiber (3 Weight Watchers POINTS if you’re following that program), so while there are certainly more filling snacks you can choose from you’re not absolutely wrecking your daily calorie count if you have one.  Even better, you can now get mini-Twinkie’s in 100 Calorie Packs.

As long as you limit yourself to one, that is.

There are other foods, however, that aren’t quite so easy to eat in small portions.  Take, for example, Ramen Noodles.  A quick glance at the back of a brick of the ever-popular Maruchan Ramen reveals a calorie count of 190, with 7 grams of fat and 1 gram of fiber (4 POINTS).  Hey, not so bad…right?

Look closer.  That’s for 1/2 of the brick.  There are TWO servings in a brick of Ramen Noodles.

One of the key steps towards making better food choices is learning how to pay attention to these subtle things that, when left unchecked, can seriously derail your weight loss efforts.   The next time you’re looking at the nutritional information for your favorite snacks take a close look at the serving size.  You just may be suprised at what you find.