Because movie theaters pop their corn in either coconut oil or partially-hydrogenated canola shortening, the popcorn carries substantial calories, fats and saturated fats. Passing on the "butter" can shave a few calories, but won't transform this fattening junk food into a healthy snack.
Large Buttered Popcorn
A large tub of butter-flavored popcorn contains about 20 cups with approximately 1,640 calories, with 1,134 of those as fat calories. Of the 126 g of total fat, 73 g are saturated.
Large Unbuttered Popcorn
Without the hydrogenated soybean oil used as "butter," a large tub of popcorn contains about 1,160 calories, 693 from fat, which includes 77 g total fat and 55 g saturated fat.
Kids' Size Buttered Popcorn
A kids' size popcorn with the butter flavoring contains about 5 cups of popcorn and 470 calories; these include 333 fat calories in 37 g of fat, 22 g of which is saturated.
Kids-Size Unbuttered Popcorn
If you can't resist the alluring scent of popcorn when you sit down to watch the movie, choose the unbuttered kids' size as a special treat. With its 300 calories, 180 fat calories and 20 g of fat -- 14 g saturated -- it is not a healthy food, but is more healthful than the larger portions of the butter-flavored variety.
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