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I try to be a man of science, so hard numbers like the "Nutrition Facts" panel are always on my side.
The problem I have is that I also tend to cook and bake a lot of my own stuff. Going off and working out the math from the information given on all of the ingredients and then figuring out what a proper serving is becomes a total hassle. Here's a simple one: frozen chicken thighs. (hey, they're dirt cheap, and it's almost impossible to overcook dark meat). So there's information on the bag as to what the chicken does/doesn't provide. In the simplest case, I'll take 'em frozen, add a little salt and pepper, maybe a little worcestershire sauce, and bake 'em as is. When all is said and done, there's a pretty substantial amount of fat and oils and other stuffs that's been rendered out at the end. I'd presume the mandatory labelling can't account for every preparatory method, so I've always assumed those numbers to meant uncooked. As packaged. Whatever.
The long and short of it is that yes, I could do all sorts of measurements and seriously micromanage my diet. Work out the math when I take some of the leftover chicken and make a chicken salad sandwich later. Being all self-righteously scientific, I actually feel guilty that I never perform such discipline.
I'd much rather stick to some basic rules of thumb (such as the previously mentioned "meat serving about the size of a deck of cards", etc.) I still read package labels, but I'm not religious about it (note that a 16oz bottle of water lists the servings per container as "two")
Having read through the thread, it sounds like most people here have a decent understanding of nutrition. I'm sure there's not a one of us that couldn't eat a little better or exercise a little more.
In fact, the only thing I can advise to anyone is to try to fold some frugality in with their consumption. Ok, so the 1.5 serving cookie "snack pack" is a little ridiculous, but have a couple now and then fold over the wrapper and stick a paper clip on it. Have the others the next day. Most of that sort of thing is so chock-full of preservatives that it's not like they'll be inedible just because you broke the seal 24 hours ago. It's neither wasteful nor indulgent. One of the tricks I've been using is to wash out every resealable container I get, and use those to portion stuff. An empty "single serving" yogurt container is pretty good at splitting up the average can of condensed soup. It looks a little cheap, but shit, if I'm ever being judged on the quality of my tupperware, fuck it.
Bonus: If anyone can figure out what my point was, let me know. I think I'm rambling.
-dis
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