Calorie control is one of the key factors in losing weight. But how do we even begin to understand calories and portion sizes? We sent KSFY's Caitlin Haedicke to see if people really know how many calories they're taking in.

When it comes to calories, even small items can hide hundreds of calories you aren't expecting. So we went to Sioux Falls YMCA and asked some questions to see if people really knew how many calories their favorite foods contain.

You work out, try to stay in shape, but counting calories can be hard.

"Portion control is probably one of the biggest problems we have here in the united states because we are so used to oversized," said Angela Kalkbrenner, Health and Wellness Director at the YMCA.  

To see how calorie conscience Americans really are, we asked unsuspecting exercisers some tough questions.

Caitlin - "How many cups of carrots can you eat for the same calories in a snickers bar? 3 and a half, 4 and a half, or five and a half cups of carrots?"

Anne Marie Kabes - "Well snickers bad is loaded, so I'm going to go with the last option: five and a half."

She's close, but a little over. A full size snickers bar has the same calories as four and a half cups of carrots

Caitlin - "How many peanuts can you eat for the same calories as just 2 tablespoons of creamy peanut butter? 26, 32, or 38?

Ross Berndt - "38."

Caitlin - "You're right!"

When laid out, 38 peanuts is a lot more than two tablespoons of peanut butter. It's healthier too.

Caitlin - "Doughnut holes versus grapes. Calorie-wise, how many grapes can you eat for the same calories in one doughnut hole? 19, 27, or 32 grapes?"

Doriano Arapovic - "Well, that's a tough one. I'd have to say c - 37

You can actually eat 27 grapes or just one donut hole for the same calories. And when you compare them, that's pretty surprising.

Caitlin - "How many salads with balsamic vinaigrette can you eat for the same calories as a big mac? 5, 10, or 15 salads?

Kristen Johnston - "Big Mac, you say? Ahh 10."

Caitlin - "You're right. You're doing very well here."

A Big Mac is loaded with calories. It's equivalent of 10 salads would be lunch and dinner for almost a week. Alright one more and it's a trick question:

Caitlin - "How many chocolate-covered raisins can you eat for the same calories as one chocolate chip cookie? 20, 37, or 53 chocolate covered raisins?"

Liz Sharp - "Umm 20?"

She's wrong. You can actually eat a whopping 53 chocolate covered raisins. No real health food here, but when you compare the two, you'll get a lot more if you choose the raisins.

To take the quiz yourself, click here.

For tips on how to calorie count and easy ways to measure out food, tune in Wednesday for KSFY Live in the Morning.