Popcorn easily fits into a healthy diet. Popcorn is a whole grain that provides fiber and other nutrients, and, as the Mayo Clinic reports, at least half of your daily grain consumption should be whole grains. Of course, adding lots of salt and butter counteracts the benefits, and packaged products made with trans fat are best avoided. There are a number of ways to spruce up your popcorn. Cinnamon and sugar make it sweet, or other additives such as paprika and cayenne pepper give it kick. It's simple to make powdered or fine-grain flavoring agents stick to your air-popped popcorn.
Step 1
Combine the flavoring agents you're using in a small mixing bowl. For example, stir sugar and cinnamon together. Be as heavy-handed with the cinnamon as you like, but use minimal sugar to keep the snack a relatively healthy one. For a spicy popcorn, mix onion and garlic powder with paprika and cayenne pepper to taste.
Step 2
Put the air-popped popcorn into a large serving bowl.
Step 3
Fill a cooking mister or spray bottle with a little unsaturated fat cooking oil that tastes good cold. Try olive, canola, sunflower, sesame, grapeseed, peanut or hazelnut oil. Though these are fats, they are unsaturated fats that improve the healthy qualities of your air-popped popcorn snack. The American Heart Association recommends that one-third to one-fourth of your daily calories come from unsaturated fats.
Step 4
Mist the popcorn with the cooking oil. If you don't have a mister or spray bottle, use a can of cooking spray. Continuously rotate and stir the popcorn around with your free hand as you mist it to coat all the pieces.
Step 5
Sprinkle pinches of your flavoring mixture over the misted popcorn. Stir the popcorn around as you do so to make sure you flavor all the kernels.
Tips and Warnings
- If you're determined to use butter on your popcorn despite its saturated fat content, melt it in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir the flavoring mix in thoroughly as the butter melts. When it's all liquid, drizzle it slowly over the popcorn. Stir the popcorn continuously with your free hand.
Things You'll Need
- Small mixing bowl
- Seasonings
- Large serving bowl
- Cooking mister, spray bottle or cooking spray
References
- MayoClinic.com; Whole Grains: Hearty Options for a Healthy Diet; July 2011
- "The Pendulum"; Dorm Dwellers Can Cook Like Pros, Minus the Kitchen; Andie Diemer; August 2008
- Ohio State University Extension, Hancock County: 4-H Food Round-Up Recipes from 2010 Hancock County Fair
- CDKitchen: Cajun Popcorn Recipe
- American Heart Association: Know Your Fats
- What's Cooking America: Types of Cooking Fats and Oils
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