Even a small bag of movie popcorn contains high amounts of calories, saturated fat and sodium. For those counting calories, the salty snack is better shared with a friend or not at all.
Serving Size
A small bag of popcorn contains 6 to 11 cups of popcorn, according to research by the Center for Science in the Public Interest. One serving of popcorn generally contains about 4 cups of popcorn.
Calorie Content
The calories in a small order of popcorn vary from one movie theater to the next. A small from AMC has about 270 calories, while a Cinemark small has 420 calories. Regal Movie Theaters, with 11 cups of popcorn in a small, has more than 650 calories. Adding 1 tbsp. of butter topping adds about 130 calories to a small popcorn.
Fat
Movie popcorn is notoriously high in saturated fat because it is popped using oil or butter. Most movie theater's small order of popcorn contains an entire day's worth of saturated fat. AMC's small has 20 g of saturated fat and Regal has 34 g. Cinemark popcorn, popped using heart-healthy canola oil, has only 2 g of saturated fat in a small order. The buttery topping at Cinemark, however, adds 9 g of saturated fat per tablespoon.
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