- Ins and
Outs of Popcorn
- BY KAREN COLLINS, MS, RD,
CDN
- AMERICAN INSTITUTE FOR CANCER
RESEARCH
Many people
who are trying to eat more healthfully switched to popcorn for
snack time. Then came reports that the popcorn sold at movie
theaters can contain as much fat as three to five Big Macs.
Confusion now reigns: “Is popcorn a health food, or is
it as bad as chips and cookies? Will popcorn help me lose weight
or make me gain it?”
Popcorn itself
is a nutritious snack choice, containing more fiber than snacks
made with refined flour. In the standard three-cup serving (the
size of a small mixing bowl), air-popped popcorn contains just
93 calories and less than 1.5 grams of fat. But don’t be
fooled by pre-popped products labeled “air-popped.”
Although they aren’t cooked with fat, they may be sprayed
with fat afterwards, bumping up a three-cup serving to about
170 calories and more than 10 grams of fat.
The confusion
really begins when we look at the many kinds of microwave popcorn
available. The brand popcorns lowest in fat, like Healthy Choice
and Orville Redenbacher’s “Smart Pop” or “Light
Natural,” have just 45 to 60 calories and one to two grams
of fat in a three-cup serving. But if you choose the “theater
style” or “ultimate butter” types, don’t
try to convince yourself it’s health food. A three-cup
serving (usually a third or less of the bag) of this type of
popcorn has 120 to 135 calories and 8 to 12 grams of fat. And
keep in mind that the saturated fat listed is not the only part
of the fat that hurts your health. Trans fats raise blood cholesterol
and may have other undesirable effects, but they are not specifically
listed on the label.
If you eat
three cups of sugar-coated popcorn or caramel corn, you’re
getting about 400 calories. There may be more nutrition in those
calories than in the same calorie equivalent of fat-free cookies,
but 400 calories is probably more of a snack than most adults
need.
Nutritional
information is not widely available about the popcorn sold in
movie theaters. A few years ago, one report said that the smallest
portions (often six cups, or double the standard serving) contain
about 20 grams of fat. The large buckets reportedly contain
80 grams of fat, or almost 130 grams if served with added butter.
If true, the fat content in that snack would be comparable to
three to five Big Macs or six to 10 candy bars.
Whether the
popcorn is eaten in the theater or at home, the size of your
portion is the major health issue. The nutrition information
on boxes of microwave popcorn is often listed by the cup, or
is based on a standard three-cup serving. If you eat the whole
bag, equal to three to five of these standard servings, the lightest
popcorns provide a moderately reasonable 145 to 300 calories.
Eating the whole bag of high-fat versions makes the impact greater,
of course: 400 to 500 calories and 35 grams of fat.
Make popcorn
a healthy choice by choosing a low-fat version. Air-pop regular
popcorn; if you can’t get used to it plain, spritz it with
one or two sprays of a non-fat, butter-flavored cooking spray.
If you prefer microwave products, sample different low-fat options
to find the one you like best. Regardless of what you choose,
limit your portions. Pour an appropriate amount in a bowl and
seal up the rest if you’re not sharing. Or, look for the
smaller packages that are sometimes available. When you go to
the movies, get the smallest order and share it. Or, better
yet, be kind to your wallet and your health by simply concentrating
on the movie without snacking your way through it.
_______________________________________
Author:
The American
Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) offers a Nutrition Hotline
(1-800-843-8114) 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday-Friday. This free
service allows you to ask questions about diet, nutrition and
cancer. A registered dietitian will return your call, usually
within 48 hours. AICR is the only major cancer charity focusing
exclusively on the link between diet, nutrition and cancer. The
Institute provides education programs that help millions of Americans
learn to make changes for lower cancer risk. AICR also supports
innovative research in cancer prevention and treatment at universities,
hospitals and research centers across the U.S. The Institute
has provided more than $65 million in funding for research in
diet, nutrition and cancer. AICR’s Web address is www.aicr.org. AICR is a member
of the World Cancer Research Fund International.
____________________________________
ARTICLE POSTED
DECEMBER 2, 2002 |
WHAT'S NEW?