October is popcorn month, so consider this eye-popping fact: In 1957 popcorn came in a three-cup bucket at the movies. Today the large bucket holds about 16 cups!
Movie theater popcorn is likely less healthy to consume than the microwave variety. The larger the container, the more we’re likely to eat. A large movie popcorn may contain 1,650 calories.
Ask at your local movie theater what kind of oil they use to pop their popcorn. Coconut oil is high in saturated fat, and partially hydrogenated oil is loaded with trans fat, so neither is recommended for people who want to eat heart-healthy.
Popcorn might be the world’s oldest snack food, dating back at least 4,000 years. However, in those early years it was more likely eaten as a fine meal mixed with water. Today we consume 16 billion quarts of popcorn as a crunchy snack that comes in many forms including plain, sweet, savory and salty.
On the plus side for popcorn: It’s a whole grain, which means it is loaded with fiber – 3.6 grams of fiber in three cups. Three cups of popcorn equals a 1-ounce whole-grain equivalent serving from the grains group, and 90 calories if air-popped, 165 calories if popped in oil and considerably more, around 300 calories, if topped with butter. Once it gets mixed with chocolate and caramel and all those other yummy, sugary add- ons, the calories go out of sight.
If you can’t face eating dry popcorn, try this: Spray air-popped popcorn lightly with an oil spray and then sprinkle it with parmesan cheese, any plain or flavored salt, chile powder, garlic powder, dry ranch-style seasoning mix, lemon pepper or your favorite herbs. For a sweet twist try cinnamon, brown sugar or nutmeg.
You may have concerns about microwaving popcorn after hearing the recent news report about the man with “popcorn lung.” Diacetyl flavoring is added to some butter-flavored microwave popcorn. When the diacetyl is heated and becomes a vapor and if it is inhaled into the lungs over a long period of time, it can cause the small airways in the lungs to become swollen and scarred. This appears to be an isolated case for a consumer who ate at least two bags of popcorn daily and inhaled the fumes of freshly popped microwave popcorn.
Err on the side of caution and do not breathe in the steam when opening the bag after microwaving. Diacetyl occurs naturally in foods such as cheese, cocoa, coffee and certain fruits. Diacetyl flavoring has also been approved for food use in foods besides popcorn and may be found in ice cream, beverages, candy and baked goods. However, the leading manufacturers of microwave popcorn are removing diacetyl flavoring from their products.
Keep in mind popcorn pitfalls before you indulge:
At the supermarket, choose light varieties to save on fat and calories. Read the nutrition facts label and the ingredient label to note the fat source. Choose those made with oils other than palm or coconut oil or partially hydrogenated fat.
Multiply the numbers for fat grams by the number of servings you are likely to consume. Just because the serving size as listed shows zero grams of trans fat, if you’re likely to eat three times that amount, your saturated or trans fat intake can quickly go past zero to 1.5 grams. A manufacturer can show zero grams of trans fat per serving if it is less than 0.5 grams. Both saturated fat and trans fat are on the list of things to avoid or limit for heart health.
Regardless of what kind of popcorn you choose, keep your focus on portion size whether you’re eating at home, at the theater or elsewhere. Deprivation isn’t any fun, so if your portion size is large, consider sharing or saving some for later. Chosen wisely, popcorn is a healthful snack you can enjoy year round.
Shirley Perryman, M.S., R.D., is an extension specialist with the Colorado State University Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition: shirley.perryman@colostate.edu.
