I walked into the grocery store that Saturday morning ready to go. It was going to be a busy weekend so I was on a mission… get in and get out. As I began my walk through the aisles, I suddenly realized I was starving. It was amazing, one second, I was determined and focused, and the next second, everything I saw looked like a dish on a platter, served just for me. I ignored the urge the best I could as I scouted for what I could eat. It was in that moment I laid eyes on one of my long lost favorite things… Peanut covered caramel apples! I grabbed one and glanced at the label… 120 calories??? I can totally do this!
I popped the pack open and began tackling the deliciousness as I continued my grocery shopping. All was well in my belly as I took the last bite and trashed the apple core (it was a real trash can 😛 refer to last post if you don’t get it :D). I walked around so content and happy as my thoughts started to wonder “That is so amazing, 120 calories for a Peanut Caramel Apple! That is so awesome”. I continued in my thoughts “Wow, I wonder how they did that, nuts usually have a descent amount of calories in them… and that caramel, hmmm”… the smile on my face suddenly washed away as I started thinking a little harder “Wait, doesn’t an apple alone have 100 calories??”… Oh crap!!!
I grabbed the apple pack and read it closely… Calories/serving: 120. Serving size: ½ apple. Sooooo I just ate 240 calories and half of it was from unnecessary sugar? Ugh… What a waste. I smirked as I shook my head at myself.
See, I would have been just as happy with a ½ apple and this is such a common mistake. We get so carried away that we scan through for the word “calories”, look at that number and draw conclusions. The calories are meaningless without the serving size because there is no perspective. I finished up my grocery shopping, counted my crushed caramel apple dreams as a loss and accepted my gentle reminder: “pay attention to the serving size and just as important, look at the ingredient list before making food choices” Now YOU go forth, and make better choices too 😀 Have a wonderful day!
