Labeling...

It's scary but true. Here's the deal... According to FDA rules, if something has less than FIVE calories per serving, the label can claim it has ZERO calories. And while that might not seem like much of a difference, that small difference really adds up when you're talking about a product that has MANY servings per container. In a perfect world, products would have their EXACT calorie counts on nutrition labels with reasonable serving sizes, but it's not a perfect world. The best things you can do are to be aware and be honest with yourself. Really pay attention to the amount of a product you're using. A no-calorie sweetener packet actually has about 4 calories, so if you're using multiple packets throughout the day, keep track, and add up the calories. And sure, the labels on most nonstick cooking sprays say 0 calories for a 1/4-second spray, but who sprays for only 1/4th of a second?! I don't think that's even possible. A much more realistic serving is a 1-second spray, which has about 5 to 10 calories and 0.5 to 1 gram of fat. That's still a lot less calories and fat than you're likely to take in using regular oil, but it's not ZERO. A "no-calorie" butter spray is great for day-to-day use if you're trying to cut calories and you only need a few spritzes. But each teaspoon (about 25 sprays) actually has 20 calories and 2g fat. 

Until Monday - Keep thinking veggies and protein!