Numbers Game: Answer

Recent studies by Brian Wansink of Cornell University's Applied Economics and Management Department and Pierre Chandon of the European Institute for Business Administration found that, on average, people underestimate the caloric content of "healthy sounding" dishes (like a grilled chicken salad, pictured right) at chain restaurants (and most dishes at "healthy sounding" restaurants) by 20 percent.

This false sense of security is quite deceptive.

It's one thing to eat a grilled chicken breast on a bed of vegetables with a tablespoon of dressing or olive oil and balsamic vinegar, but quite another to accompany it with a ladle of dressing that can contribute up to 500 extra calories.

And it's not just calories that can be underestimated with healthy sounding choices.

Here's a shocker:

An order of medium fries at McDonald's contributes 221 milligrams of sodium to your day.

An Asian chicken salad from that same chain? 1,030 milligrams -- and that's before you add a single drop of dressing!

Once you pour that packet of dressing on, the total sodium content shoots up to 1,790 milligrams.

The best tactic is to always be aware of what you are eating.

For instance, does your grilled chicken sandwich come slathered with a thick layer of mayonnaise? Is your whole wheat wrap a foot long? Is your brown rice and vegetable stir fry drowning in sauce?

Don't be afraid to take charge, either. Ask for the dressing on the side, substitute mustard for mayo on your sandwich, and request that your stir fry be "light on the sauce."

Just remember to tip well!