A large bowl of butter-drenched popcorn is a much-loved way to enjoy a movie, either at home or the theater, but many types of popcorn contain a large amount of fat and calories, as well as sodium, which decreases the nutritional value of an otherwise nutritious food. Learn more about what popcorn has to offer, as well as how to eat it in the healthiest way possible, and you can enjoy a serving each day as part of a nutritious eating plan.
Calories
If you are planning to add a food to your daily diet, it is important to learn more about the calorie content. Part of making a healthy eating plan is figuring how many calories you plan to eat for each meal and snack so you do not consume more than you need. Many varieties of microwave popcorn are made with oil, which adds a significant amount of calories to the food: up to 200 per cup. Making your own popcorn will help reduce the calorie content. One cup of air-popped popcorn has just 31 calories and one cup of homemade oil-popped popcorn has only 55 calories.
Fat
When it comes to fat, not all popcorn is created equally. Microwave popcorn often relies on partially hydrogenated oil for taste, but this adds an unhealthy amount of fat to your snack, most notably trans fat. MayoClinic.com notes that trans fats are the worst for your health because they raise your bad cholesterol and lower your good cholesterol. They also contribute to heart disease. Microwave popcorn can have as much as 8.5 g of total fat per 1 cup serving. One cup of air-popped popcorn has less than 1 g of fat and homemade oil-popped popcorn has only 3 g. Choosing the air-popped is the healthiest way to add popcorn to your daily diet.
Fiber
Popcorn is a member of the grains food group and in its natural state is low in fat and high in nutrition, including fiber. Popcorn also is considered a whole grain, which MayoClinic.com recommends that you eat as often as possible in place of refined grains like white bread. Adding fiber to your diet might help you control your cholesterol levels and will help keep your bowels working efficiently so that you experience fewer digestive problems like constipation. One cup of popcorn contains about 1 g of dietary fiber.
Sodium
Added salt is another concern with a daily serving of popcorn. Making your own air-popped popcorn at home will allow you a snack that contains no sodium. Oil-popped popcorn made at home also is lower in sodium than commercial brands, with 97 mg per 1 cup serving, while microwave popcorn has about 219 mg per 1 cup serving. MayoClinic.com recommends limiting your daily intake of sodium to 2,300 mg of less per day, so air-popped popcorn is the healthiest way to eat this food every day. Sprinkle on some cinnamon or garlic powder to enhance the taste without salt.
References
- USDA Nutrient Database; Nutrient Data Laboratory; Popcorn
- MayoClinic.com; Whole Grains: Hearty Options for a Healthy Diet; July 2009
- MayoClinic.com; Trans Fat: Why It's Time to Eliminate This Dietary Villain; April 2008
- MayoClinic.com; Healthy Diet: End the Guesswork with these Nutrition Guidelines; February 2011
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