Nobody wants to count calories. Nobody wants to get fat either. And here we are.

Many of us don’t realize how much we are eating because counting calories ranks up there with cleaning the shower: no one wants to do it. Not knowing how many calories you are consuming gets dangerous after the age of 22. Gone are the days when you can eat a pack of pop tarts for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. (I spent four years on the pop tart diet in college; I was a thin, energetic machine. If I did that now, I’d be chubby and slow.) Unfortunately, ignorance is not bliss when it comes to that layer of skin hanging over your Levis.

Other than a lack of consistent exercise, the biggest contributor to weight gain is improper diet. In short, we eat too much. Way too much. We eat when we’re stressed, we eat when we’re working on the computer, we eat late at night, and we eat more than the suggested serving size. But we can stop these bad habits by educating ourselves and paying attention. Watch what you eat and only eat when you’re hungry.

Check out the calorie content of foods found in the American diet.

Over 300 calories

30 Lays potato chips

2 small brownies

1 slice of cheese pizza

1 cup of ice cream (it killed me to list this. but i must be true to you, readers.)

200 calories

1 medium bagel

1 cup baked beans

1 cup whole grain cereal

1 medium sweet potato

1 cup brown rice or pasta

1 whole wheat pita

120 calories

1 tbsp olive oil

3 oz avocado

1 cup cottage cheese

1 8oz plain yogurt

100 calories

3 oz tuna

2 slices turkey bacon

3 oz skinless chicken breast

1 veggie burger

1 medium apple

2 cups of strawberries

1 cup watermelon

1 cup grapes

50 calories

1 cup asparagus

1 cup broccoli

1 cup carrots

1 cup mushrooms

1 cup peppers

2 cups kale

2 cups collard green

2 cups spinach

Is there something you regularly eat that’s not on the list? If so, tell me what it is and the amount of calories it has. Let’s make this a learning experience for everyone.