Popcorn - Healthy Snacking Tips
Popcorn can be a healthy snack, but you need to mind the added ingredients.
Let's start with the basics. A single cup of air-popped corn has only 30 calories. A one ounce serving - 3 full cups - is still less than 100 calories. And, it has 3 grams of fiber to boot.
Most people, however, do not eat their popcorn this way. In fact, the most common format is movie-theater popcorn. Beyond the gigantic portion size, the popcorn is soaked in unhealthy fats and sodium. A large tub can easily reach 1000 calories, with over 50 grams of saturated fats - 250 percent of the daily recommended maximum! If you do purchase popcorn at the movie theater, opt for the smallest size possible.
Supermarket popcorn is divided into ready-made and pop-at-home. Ready-made popcorn can be further divided into sweet and savory varieties. Ready-made sweetened popcorn should have an ingredient list as follows:
Popcorn, Oil, Sugar, Salt.
An ideal savory popcorn ingredient list:
Popcorn, Oil, Salt.
Shoot for popcorn with less than 100 mg of sodium per serving and less than 10 grams of sugars per serving.
When it comes to pop-at-home popcorn:
avoid preservatives such as TBHQ (may cause nausea, delirium, and ringing of the ears)
in microwavable popcorn, a common ingredient used to create a buttery flavor is diacetyl. Avoid it, as it may lead to respiratory illnesses.
avoid artificial sweeteners, which are sometimes used instead of sugar.
Note: If you have children under the age of 4, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends NOT serving them popcorn due to the risk of choking.
Bottom Line
Popcorn can be a very healthy snack!
Preparation Tips
It's easy to make your own air-popped corn. You can buy popcorn kernels for a pittance at any supermarket.
Place 4 tablespoons in a brown paper lunch bag and fold the top 2 or 3 times to seal it
Place in the microwave on high heat for three minutes or until the popping noise stops
Top with salt or paprika or grated Parmesan cheese
Enjoy!
