Is Popcorn Healthy?

Popcorn is an in between food. For a lot of people, it isn't really clear whether or not popcorn is a healthy choice. There's infographics showing the calories, salt, and fat in a movie theater popcorn bucket, but there's also talk about how popcorn is a healthy whole grain. So which is it?

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3 Ways to Flavor Homemade Popcorn

Making popcorn at home is super fun, plus you get to flavor it however you like! Here are 3 different ways to flavor your homemade popcorn. [x_video type="16:9, 5:3, 5:4, 4:3, 3:2" m4v="" ogv="" poster="" hide_controls="" autoplay="" embed='' no_container="true"]

Option 1 - Traditional

Butter + Salt

Option 2 - Spicy

Butter + Chilli Powder + Garlic Powder + Cayenne Pepper

Option 3 - Sweet

Butter/Coconut Oil + Honey + Cinnamon

How to Make Popcorn 3 Ways

Popcorn can be a great snack or movie night food, but the microwaveable bags are full of chemicals and artificial junk. You can make your own popcorn at home and flavor it how you like without any of the fake stuff. Plus, it's easy and fun! I'm showing you 3 different ways to make popcorn at home, so there's sure to be an option that works for you. [x_video_embed type="16:9"][/x_video_embed]

Stovetop Popcorn

Ingredients

3 tablespoons unrefined coconut oil

1/2 cup popcorn kernels

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat.
2. Once oil has melted, add 2-4 popcorn kernels and wait for them to pop. These are tester kernels to let you know when the oil is hot enough.
3. Once the tester kernels have popped, quickly add the rest of the unpopped kernels to the pot, cover with the lid, and shake back and forth to coat the kernels in oil.
4. Remove the pot from the heat for 30 seconds. This allows the kernels to heat up in the oil close to their popping temperature so they will pop at relatively the same time when placed back on the heat.
5. Put the pot back on the burner and allow the kernels to pop until the popping slows down with a few seconds between pops.
6. Remove the pot from the heat and pour the popped popcorn into a bowl.
7. Season as desired and eat!

Air Popper Popcorn

Ingredients

Popcorn kernels (quantity according to air popper's instructions)

Directions

1. Make sure to follow the directions that come with your air popper. Generally, you will add the kernels to the popper, place the spout over a bowl, turn the popper on, and run the machine until only a few unpopped kernels remain.
2. Season as desired and eat!

Microwave Paper Bag Popcorn

Ingredients

1/4 - 1/2 cup popcorn kernels

Directions

1. Place kernels in a paper lunch bag. If you use a small bag, use less popcorn and if you use a large bag, use more.
2. Fold the top of the bag down 3 or 4 times to close it.
3. Place the bag in your microwave and set the timer for 4 minutes.
4. Allow the kernels to pop until the popping slows down and there are a few seconds between pops. Then, remove the bag from the microwave.
5. Carefully open the bag and pour the popcorn into a bowl.
6. Season as desired and eat!

NNMC Whole Grains: Get Poppin' (with popcorn)

Believe it or not, popcorn is a whole grain. However, it gets a lot of flack because it’s usually covered with too much salt and butter. It’s a situation we see quite often, where the food itself is not unhealthy, but the preparation method or toppings take it to a bad place. As with any food, the best way to eat popcorn is to start as close to the raw ingredient as possible so you know what’s going into it. I prepare my popcorn using an air popper. If you don’t have one, they are quite affordable. Mine cost me about $20 and if you eat popcorn often, you will save money in the long run because you will only be paying for the unpopped kernels rather than all of the processing and packaging that goes into microwave varieties. Plus you only need a small amount of kernels (about 2 tablespoons) for a hefty serving. Then, you can add your own toppings like your favorite herbs and spices or grated parmesan. Here’s to healthy snacking!