Dieting with your head not your stomach

It's helpful to look up the nutritrional values of foods in advance, before you put the food in your mouth. Sometimes as much as a day or two in advance, if you are planning to cook something. Sometimes just a couple of minutes in advance, if you are  about to pour yourself a bowl of cereal (or chips). Looking it up first helps you make smarter and better choices (e.g., air-popped popcorn instead of chips) or to adjust proportions (e.g., 1 cup of spaghetti sauce and 1 cup of pasta, instead of 2 cups of pasta and 1/2 cup of sauce) to maximize satisfaction and nutrition and minimize calories.