There is no fun in sitting through a movie or a television show if you don’t have a bowl of fresh, crunchy popcorn on hand.
The warmth, butteriness, and crunchiness of popcorn only add to the experience of watching a cinematic masterpiece. If you think about it, popcorn is actually a pretty good snack—it is reported that 17 billion quarts of popcorn are consumed every year in the United States alone.
Popcorn sales increase and stay high during the winter because of cozy nights indoors and drop during the summer and spring seasons when people opt for cool, refreshing beverages instead.
Into the World of Popcorn
Believe it or not, when it comes to eating popcorn daily, it all comes down to how they are made. This might have you wondering, what is the big deal about the way popcorn is made? Well, for starters, the popcorn that you have at the cinema is covered in butter, sugar, and other additives.
Maya Vadiveloo, an assistant professor at the University of Rhode Island, states that if popcorn is properly made, it can be considered a good and healthy snack choice, given the fact that it’s quite inexpensive and tasty as well.
No Prepackaged or Cinema Popcorn
Cinema and prepackaged popcorn do taste other-worldly, but they are also packed with additives and preservatives. They are delicious, buttery, and soft, and you can’t help but reach for more. At the cinema, you can choose from various choices of popcorn, including caramel, butter, and cheese – but do you ever stop to think about how many calories they actually contain?
A bag of popcorn that has 46 ounces of caramel in it equates to 1,340 calories, while an identical-sized bag of cheddar popcorn can go up to 2,070 calories. If you opt for simple butter popcorn, even though it’s not as bad as the other two, you’re still getting 1,090 calories. Yikes.
Making Healthy Popcorn
So, now that you know just how unhealthy prepackaged and cinema popcorn is, you can learn to make them yourself in a much healthier way and without using a single drop of oil! All you need to start with is heating a pot on medium heat before adding in a drop of water which should instantly sizzle.
This is an indicator that the pot is now at the right temperature and that it’s now time to add the popcorn kernels. Then, put on the lid and shake every 30 seconds until the popping sounds finally subside!
There you have it! Simple and delicious popcorn that is absolutely yummy and great as an everyday snack!
