Choose Ready-to-Eat Popcorn Wisely
Popcorn is a natural whole grain that contains healthy fiber, is low in saturated fat and sodium, and has zero added sugars. But add cheese and you will also add saturated fat. Sprinkle on chocolate or caramel and now you’ve got “added sugars.” Barbecued or other spicy flavors can add sodium. Eat out of the bag and you may consume more than one serving. As you can see, ready-to-eat popcorn can easily get out of control if you don’t pay attention to what and how much you eat.
Air-Popped Popcorn
Reaching for an air-popped brand (such as the Wise 30 percent reduced fat with sea salt in our chart) is a step in the right direction. “When popcorn is air-popped, it refers to the style of cooking and means the popcorn was cooked using heat or hot air versus oil,” says Morgan Dickison, a registered dietitian nutritionist at Weill Cornell Medicine’s Comprehensive Weight Control Center. “One cup of air-popped popcorn without added oil contains about 30 calories.”
But beware: Buying air-popped popcorn isn’t a guarantee that none of the other factors exist. These can include preservatives, saturated fat, excess oils, and harmful chemicals, Dickison says.
Healthy Brands
Popping your own kernels at home is the least processed, healthiest way to eat popcorn. And you can spice it up with flavors such as cajun, cayenne or curry. But if you prefer ready-to-eat popcorn, look for a brand with few ingredients. Those in our chart below have four or fewer ingredients, with the exception of Martin’s, which has five. Martin’s includes artificial flavoring, but it also offers 4 percent of your daily iron intake and 2 percent of your potassium. Popcorn is gluten-free and provides fiber. Some, like Skinny Pop, are nongenetically modified and made in a nut free facility. Popcorn Indiana is kosher and made through fair trade.
Still, it’s important to read the labels. The brand “Lesser Evil” organic air-popped popcorn may sound healthy, but 83 percent of the product’s fat content is saturated fat from coconut oil. It didn’t make our chart for that reason. Conversely, even though Boom Chicka Pop’s Light Kettle Corn includes 5 g of added sugar, it did make our list, because this is within your daily sugar limit.
Beware of Sea Salt
“Sea salt is not any lower in sodium than table salt, but it may have trace amounts of minerals not found in table salt, including magnesium, potassium, and calcium,” Dickison notes. She cautions not to add any salt to ready to eat popcorn and to stay away from brands with added cheese or butter as they will contribute to increased saturated fat intake, calories, and sodium.
Make It Even Healthier!
“Try pairing your popcorn with a protein such as 12 almonds to feel more full,” Dickison suggests. “The protein will help lower the glycemic response, and the almonds will provide more nutrients.”
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