A big bucket of popcorn drenched in butter and liberally sprinkled with salt can be one of the most enjoyable parts of going to a movie. Eating while you watch a movie can result in the mindless consumption of thousands of calories and a huge amount of fat, saturated fat and sodium. Knowing exactly what you are eating may encourage you to pass on the popcorn next time you go to the movie theater.
Small
A small bag of popcorn can still contain about 7 cups of popcorn. A small serving of popcorn with butter from one movie theater contains 470 calories, 37 g of fat, 29 g of them saturated. The same size at another theater contains 630 calories, 50 g of fat and 29 g of saturated fat. A small order of popcorn contains hundreds of milligrams of salt as well. Popcorn can be a good source of fiber but does not contain any vitamins or minerals.
Medium
A medium order of popcorn contains about 15 cups. A medium-size order contains about 1,075 calories and 73 g of fat, many of them saturated. More salt is added to a medium bag of popcorn, so you may consume thousands of milligrams if you eat the entire order. The number of calories and fat are not balanced out with any additional vitamins or minerals.
Large
The amount of popcorn in a large order varies across different movie theaters. According to Robert A. Ronzio, author of "The Encyclopedia of Nutrition and Good Health," one cup of movie theater popcorn contains about 150 calories and 14 g of fat. Depending on the size of a large order, you can easily consume 2,000 calories and almost 100 g of fat. A large size may sound like a lot of popcorn, but you may be surprised to find how much you can eat while distracted by the movie.
No Butter
Ordering any size of popcorn without the buttery topping will help reduce how much fat and calories you eat. Movie theaters often pop their popcorn using butter or oil, so your snack will still contain a large amount of calories and grams of fat, reports Ronzio. A medium order of popcorn without butter can still have as many as 951 calories and 58 g of fat. A small order will have around 250 calories and 11 g of fat per serving. Popcorn without butter can still have added salt, so your sodium intake is unlikely to decrease.
Considerations
Holding the butter is one way to reduce how much unhealthy fat you eat while watching a movie. Sharing a small order with a friend can also help you watch how much you eat. Ronzio reports that air-popped popcorn will eliminate any added fats to your popcorn, making it close to fat-free. If your local movie theater offers air-popped popcorn, you can enjoy it as a healthy snack; otherwise, you may want to pass on the popcorn.
References
- My Fitness Pal: Movie Theater Popcorn
- "The Encyclopedia of Nutrition and Good Health"; Robert A. Ronzio; 2003
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