So, at the outset, I am going to tell you all that you need to go out and buy an air popper. They are great, and they make wonderful, fluffy popcorn that is irresistable. Next, I will tell you to stop buying that microwavable stuff. I don't care if it is zero calories or non-fat or garlic favored or whatever. Don't buy it. It does not taste good. For those of you who have had nothing else, get an air popper, pop some popcorn, then throw that other stuff in the microwave and have a taste test. I will win.
Having said that, I hate to say it, but no one--well, maybe Michael Phelps, but no one else--should be eating movie popcorn. The other day, my wife and I were going to the movies, so I looked up movie popcorn to see if I could eat anything. I found an old article on Well from November 2009. I could not believe what I was reading (read the article here). According to this study that was done for the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a large tub of popcorn has 1,200 calories, almost a full gram of sodium, and 60 grams of fat. Adding a tablespoon of butter (which, let's be honest, no one does, it is usually more like 6 tablespoons of butter) bumps the calorie content to 1,340. The average man is supposed to consume about 2,000 calories a day. I am trying to hit about 1,800 a day.
The article states, and I quote, "plain air-popped popcorn is low in calories and free of saturated fat. Movie theater popcorn, however, is popped in oil--often coconut oil, which is 90 percent saturated fat." This proves my point about air-popped popcorn, but provided no consolation when I couldn't eat any popcorn at the movies the other day. Emily, my thin-as-a-rail, super-metabolizing wife, on the other hand, took care of a medium-sized bag of the stuff without my help.
Check out the original study, in full color and ready-for-the-public format, from the Center for Science in the Public Interest here.
No comments:
Post a Comment