You probably wouldn't pick up this bag of five croissants if you knew it has 650 calories total.

Now how can you control your calorie intake when you are not provided with the nutritious information?

Here's a reminder for the weight conscious, stay away from those that have a crispy texture and a tempting buttery smell.

This flaky, buttery croissant looks delicious, but oil begins seeping out when a lighter is held to it. In contrast, no oil can be found in the whole wheat bread no matter how long the lighter is held to it.

Whole wheat bread is a healthy, light alternative to croissants and other popular bakery selections including peanut cream bread, which contains 400 calories, sweet custard bread, which contains 380 calories, and cream-filled bread, which contains 300 calories.

Starting next month, the Taipei City Department of Health will begin asking bakeries to provide nutritional information for baked goods. Until then, consumers can follow this general rule of thumb: the sweeter and flakier a pastry is, the more calories it likely has.