Sometimes it’s hard to keep track of how much you’re eating because most of the time you’re just mindlessly snacking in a social situation. For example, we’ve all had that holy sh*t moment when we realize we’ve eaten a whole bowl of buttery popcorn over the course of half of a movie. Don’t worry, it’s normal and totally okay.
But have you ever looked at the serving size for some of your favorite snack foods? Chances are three Oreos or 11 chips aren’t going to satisfy your snack cravings. Here are some of the most overlooked serving sizes for snack foods.
1. Oreos
Photo by Emily Magruder
When I wrote about the number of Oreos in various Starbucks drinks last week, I realized that there were only three Oreos per serving. If you can eat three Oreos and be satisfied, props to you.
2. Gold Fish
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There are 55 little fish in a serving of Gold Fish. I don’t think I’ve met one person who counts out their Goldfish before or while they’re eating so this measurement is whack. They should definitely think about the serving size in terms of cups.
3. Tortilla Chips
Photo courtesy of live4e.com
It’s hard to resist salty restaurant tortilla chips when you’re given an unlimited supply. Unfortunately, the serving size is an ounce – which is equivalent to 10-15 chips depending on the restaurant/brand of chips.
4. Potato Chips
Photo by Hannah Lin
Similar to the tortilla chips, regular chips have a one-ounce serving size. The calorie count differs from chip type (barbecue, salt and vinegar, cheddar, etc.) but it’s roughly 160 calories per 10-15 chips.
5. Movie Theater Popcorn
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Sadly, a serving size of popcorn doesn’t equal a small-sized bag at the movie theater. There are roughly 6 cups of popcorn per small bag, equaling 370 calories and a whole lot of butter. If you can’t give up the popcorn, make your own healthier air-popped version which will have less sodium and fat.
7. Ben & Jerry’s
Photo courtesy of seekingshade.com
You would think that it’s appropriate to eat at least half of a pint of ice cream, right? Well, there are four servings per pint of ice cream so I guess we were a little off on our estimate. Why can’t a serving size be a whole pint? #icecreamstruggles
8. Breakfast Cereal
Photo by Courtney Hatfield
Someone should invent the perfect cereal bowl that is proportionate to the serving size of breakfast cereal. This is a serious issue because I don’t think anyone only eats 1/2 cup or 3/4 cup of cereal in the morning.
9. Almonds
Photo by Kendra Valkema
This is probably the only healthy snack where is it okay to overeat (sometimes). A serving size of almonds is one ounce and is approximately 23 almonds or a 1/4 cup. Almonds are full of protein, calcium and are generally low in sugar.
10. Granola
Photo by Hannah Cooper
The typical serving size for granola is approximately 1/4 cup and contains upwards of 200 calories. I measured out the serving size for breakfast one day and was saddened by the fact that my yogurt:granola ratio was way off.
11. Pop-Tarts
Photo by Sarah Strong
If you look at the nutrition label for Pop-Tarts, a serving is one pastry – not both. In the most popular Pop-Tart – Cookies & Creme – there are 190 calories and 19 grams of sugar. Now double that for both pastries that come in a package.