Read the Label!

Tedious...I know.  

But, there is a lot of info on that label.  We all know to look at ingredients.  We also know that the more ingredients a product has, the more processed it is.  

But, do you compare the SERVING SIZE between products?  Do you look at what a serving actually is?  

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Take this Pam Olive Oil Cooking Spray.  I know enough about olive oil to know that it is pure fat (in a good way).  I also know that one tablespoon is 14g of fat, 0 protein, and 0 carbs.  So, imagine my surprise when I turned the can around and saw that it was 0 calories, 0 carb, 0 protein, AND ZERO fat?!?!?  How is that even possible?

Well, look at the serving size.  It's comical.  A serving is 1/4 of a second spray.  How long is that exactly?  Need more help? It's .25 grams.  A paper clip is about one gram....so if you chop a paper clip into four pieces...that's the equivalent to how much olive oil cooking spray you can use to keep it zero fat.  Hilarious.  Who honestly uses 1/4 of a second cooking spray?  And, even worse, how do you account for going over 1/4 of a second?  Side note:  It's also funny (to me at least) that there are 473 servings in this one can.  I want to meet the person that tested that theory?

This is a mere illustration as to why labels are so important.  Rarely, and I mean RARELY people, do we stick to an ACTUAL serving size.  This is true of condiments like ketchup, BBQ sauce and salad dressings, mayo, etc.  But, it's also true of canned items like soup.  We almost always eat the whole can, but it's at least TWO servings per can, and sometimes more.

Even a 5 ounce can of tuna is considered two servings.  

Moral of the story is to BE CAREFUL!  If you are tracking your food (and even if you're not) it's super important to read at the label.  

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