Enjoying a small container of popcorn while watching a movie at the theater could mean taking in a meal's worth of calories. In addition, a small serving of movie theater popcorn contains over a day's worth of saturated fat.
Calories and Fat
An average small-size container of theater popcorn contains about 7 cups. Small buttered popcorn from either of the two largest movie theater chains in the U.S., AMC Movie Theaters or Regal Movie Theaters, each contain 630 calories, of which 450 are from fat, 29 g being saturated fat. The amount of saturated fat represents 145 percent of the recommended total daily value.
Nutritional Content
Popcorn is a good source of fiber and contains some minerals, including iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium, zinc, copper and manganese. Vitamins in popcorn include A, E and B vitamins, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, panthothenic acid and folate.
Healthier Choices
Movie theater popcorn is often made from unhealthy trans-fat oils and saturated fats, and flavored with artificial ingredients containing hydrogenated soybean oil. A healthier option is a small movie theater popcorn without butter, which contains 225 calories and 11 g of fat. To avoid extra calories, bring your own air-popped corn without oil or fat, which contains only 31 calories, and flavor it with cinnamon, chili or other nonfat seasoning to avoid extra calories.
References
- cbsnews.com: Movie Popcorn Has Shocking Calories, Fat
- Dietfacts.com: AMC Movie Theatres Nutrition Facts Buttered Popcorn, Small-sized
- MyFitnessPal: Calories in Regal Movie Theater Small Popcorn Buttered
- USDA National Nutrient Database
- MyFitnessPal: Calories in AMC Movie Theater Small Popcorn No Butter
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