Popcorn is one of the healthiest and most popular snacks on the planet. It’s high in crucial nutrients and has many health advantages. It is, however, occasionally made with excessive amounts of fat, sugar, and salt, which can lead to overeating. As a result, you must prepare your popcorn correctly. It can be either nutritious or highly unhealthy, depending on how you make it.
Pairing popcorn with protein is one method to keep portions under control and make you feel content for longer. Try it with a spoonful of peanut butter, 2 ounces of cheese (if the popcorn wasn’t previously topped with cheese), or another protein source. In no time, you’ll be munching on a nutritious snack!
Popcorn Nutrition Facts
Popcorn, when air-popped and gently seasoned, is a deliciously healthful snack. It’s a whole grain, and high-fiber whole grains have been associated with a lower risk of heart disease, diabetes, certain malignancies, and other health issues.
Health Benefits of Popcorn
Popcorn is a whole grain that is uncooked and has 13 grams of fiber in every prepared cup. Because you’ll most likely consume more than one cup, Cohen believes that’s a good start toward the 25 grams or more most of us require daily.
Trim levels of minerals like folate, niacin, riboflavin, thiamin, B vitamins, iron, and magnesium are also present. Much of the nutritional value comes from the popcorn hulls, including antioxidants such as beta-carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin, and polyphenols, which have anti-inflammatory qualities.
Popcorn is very low in calories, making it a healthy “quick food.” Moore adds that the crunch aspect helps your brain detect that you’re full and content. It’s also non-GMO, gluten-free, and low in fat.
What is Popcorn?
When subjected to heat, popcorn is a unique variety of maize that “pops.” Each kernel has a small amount of water in the middle, which swells when heated and causes the kernel to explode. New Mexico is home to the world’s oldest piece of popcorn, almost 5,000 years old. It has gotten increasingly popular over time. Because it was so inexpensive, it became prevalent during the Great Depression. Every year, Americans consume roughly 1.2 billion pounds (500 million kg), making it the most popular snack item in the country by volume Popcorn is a popular snack worldwide. Still, most Americans remember it as a staple of movie going culture. Popcorn is often associated with a lot of butter and salt, but the snack’s minerals and low-calorie count might give surprising health advantages.
Is it Healthy to Eat Popcorn Regularly?
Popcorn is high in vitamins, minerals, and polyphenol antioxidants, among other nutrients. Not only that, but it’s also really flavorful and one of the most significant sources of fiber on the planet. Popcorn is a healthy snack that, when consumed in moderation, may even aid weight loss. Popcorn, when air-popped and gently seasoned, is a deliciously healthful snack. It’s a whole grain, and high-fiber whole grains have been associated with a lower risk of heart disease, diabetes, certain malignancies, and other health issues. You could be consuming a lot of extra salt and calories and possibly dangerous chemicals and artificial substances if you eat microwave popcorn or movie theatre popcorn every day. On the other hand, homemade popcorn cooked with olive or avocado oil can be a healthy supplement to your regular diet.
What is the Healthiest Way to Eat Popcorn?
Because air-popped popcorn does not contain any oil, it contains the fewest calories. “However, frying it in oil is a terrific method to ingest a healthy amount of fat while controlling hunger,” Jeffers explains. You can control portion size, but you can usually prepare it in about 10 minutes. Popcorn has high fiber content, a low-calorie count, and a low energy density. These are all qualities of a food that is good for weight loss. Air-popped popcorn has fewer calories per cup than many other popular snack foods, with only 31 calories per cup. Making popcorn on the stove can save you a few calories compared to microwave popcorn, depending on how much oil you use. Plus, unlike Pop Secret, you’re not obligated to prepare the entire bag (and then eat it all because you’re just human).
Why Shouldn’t You Eat popcorn?
PFCs are problematic because they degrade into perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a substance that has been linked to cancer. When you microwave popcorn, these chemicals seep into the kernels. When you consume popcorn, it enters your bloodstream and can stay there for a long time. Although microwave popcorn used to cause a separate set of health issues, many of the chemicals implicated have been removed in recent years. Diacetyl, one of these chemicals, has been associated with popcorn lung, an illness that causes shortness of breath and wheezing. Immediate Consequences When you overeat popcorn in one sitting, you’ll feel bloated and uneasy. Using a lot of butter, sugar, or salt will make you thirsty, and the salt may raise your blood pressure. Choking can occur if you put too much popcorn in your mouth.
Is Popcorn Made At Home Healthy?
A cup of handmade popcorn (without butter) is around 30-35 calories. You can have a couple of cups of it in the afternoon without ruining your diet. Popcorn’s fiber will keep you full between meals and aid digestion. Popcorn is also high in antioxidants, which help fight disease. Depending on what goes into manufacturing popcorn, it can be beneficial or harmful to one’s health. Popcorn is a nutritious and healthy snack on its own, without any extra sugar or salt Popcorn is one of the healthiest options in the crunchy, salty snack category. Don’t smother it in butter or caramel if you prepare popcorn on the stove with a decent amount of high-quality oil.
Is Popcorn Healthier Than Corn?
Because of its light, fluffy consistency, popcorn has fewer calories than corn on the cob; this results in a lower calorie density, so you’ll have to consume more popcorn to get the same number of calories as corn on the cob. It turns out that the corn we consume is not the same as the kernels that form popcorn. Zia mays Evert is the only maize variety that will make it. Even though it looks like a regular corn kernel, this kind is the only one that can pop and convert into a tasty snack Salt or sodium is commonly found in premade popcorn. Too much sodium in the diet can contribute to high blood pressure and other health problems. Some brands also have a lot of sugar in them. Popcorn can become unhealthy when butter, sugar, or salt are added.
Some Additional Factors
Microwave popcorn is, in general, the least healthful alternative. Because of the large serving size of most bags, it often contains a lot of salt, artificial flavorings, and people tend to overeat. Serving size varies depending on the type of popcorn consumed, but one cup of plain popcorn contains roughly 30 calories. Keep in mind that the calorie count quickly rises as you add toppings.
Buttered popcorn is a popular snack, but it contains chemicals and calories that are not readily apparent. If you really must have it, start with 2 to 3 teaspoons and gradually take it out. A chemical is added to the food when you buy buttered or extra buttered popcorn at a movie theatre. You’ll get at least one and a half times the standard butter serving if you add extra butter. However, if you consume movie theater popcorn with butter, the damage is almost certainly done. “I don’t think it makes that much difference if it’s a very occasional treat and you order a little one,” Jeffers adds.
Conclusion
Popcorn is a timeless pleasure with surprising health advantages. It has more antioxidants than many fruits and vegetables, has high fiber content, and is a complete grain. What more could you ask for from America’s most popular snack? On the other hand, popcorn is frequently coated with butter, salt, sugar, and unidentified compounds. Even if you stay away from the obvious nutritional problems and empty calories, you’ll have questions about the healthiest methods to cook and consume food.
Purchase popcorn with no more than a single popped kernel, as the product becomes less healthy when more ingredients are added. Sweet popcorn contains artificial sweeteners, which we all crave from time to time. Instead of truffles or cheese, truffle oil and cheese powders are made with chemical and artificial flavorings. Check the labels at the grocery store to be sure you know exactly what’s in the box.
