The amount of popcorn you can eat when you're on a diet depends on the type of diet you choose. Plain popcorn can be a low-calorie, low-fat food that fits into many diet plans. However, if you like your popcorn smothered in butter or coated with caramel, you may need to look for another diet food.
Calories
If you're counting calories on your diet, you're in luck when it comes to popcorn. One cup of air-popped popcorn has just 31 calories. The Popcorn Board notes that if you pop your corn in oil, the calorie count goes up to 55 calories per cup. If you like it lightly buttered, the calories climb to 133 calories per cup. If you coat your popcorn in caramel or like to make sugary kettle corn, the calorie count continues to rise.
Fat
The good news for people on a low-fat diet is that popcorn is naturally low in fat. Pour some into an air popper and you can enjoy a cup of popcorn while getting just 0.35 g of fat. Again, the trouble begins for dieters if they don't like to take their popcorn straight. Homemade oil-popped popcorn has 28 g of fat per 100 g serving. Low-fat microwave popcorn has about 9.5 g of fat in each 100 g serving.
Sugar
Dieters who are trying to curb their sugar intake can enjoy popcorn as a snack. Popcorn has virtually no sugar --- just 0.07 g per cup. Even microwave kettle corn may be safe for those on sugar-restricted diets. Popcorn makers usually use artificial sweeteners such as sucrose to provide that sweet taste. The same isn't true at your local carnival or fair. Fresh-made kettle corn may be coated in sugar or honey. Caramel corn may be off the diet list, too. It has about 53 g of sugar per 100 g serving.
Carbohydrates
If you're trying to follow a low-carbohydrate diet, popcorn may be on the restricted list --- at least for a while. Popcorn is a whole-grain food and a source of complex carbohydrates that give your body energy. A cup of air-popped popcorn has about 6 g of carbohydrates. Some low-carb diets severely restrict carbohydrate consumption in the initial weeks but allow you to add more carbs over time.
My Plate
If you're trying to follow the U.S. government's nutrition guidelines, popcorn can definitely be on the menu. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends that adults eat five to eight servings from the grain group each day, and at least half of those should be whole grains. A three-cup serving of popcorn is considered a single serving of grains, and popcorn is a whole-grain food.
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