Why do they make calories so confusing? Help!

Tiernan1212

Jesus Christ just buy some pretzels!

I know, right?! :laugh:

Mr_Knight

The label isn't even consistent with itself. One serving is either 180 calories if you measure by the tablespoon method, or 140 calories (4 * 135) if you measure by the cup method. So one bag is either 540 or 420 calories.

Ridiculous.

zamphir66

Just eat it and let God sort it out.

_Terrapin_

Orville Redenbacher 3tbsp(120 calories) 1 cup(approximately 14 tbsp) or 560 calories. If I used some of the entries in MFP's database I'd be eating 1 cup at 150 calories. Tricky tricky.....

GothyFaery

I usually just break out the measuring cups and measure it out. Most the popcorn I buy (because it chages with every brand) is about 10 cups per bag.

I feel like measuring is better than going with the "about 3 per bag" because 1) what exactly is "about" and 2) most the popcorn I buy lists serving per box, not per bag.

But I agree, just tell me how much is in a bag!

Tiernan1212

The label isn't even consistent with itself. One serving is either 180 calories if you measure by the tablespoon method, or 140 calories (4 * 135) if you measure by the cup method. So one bag is either 540 or 420 calories.

Ridiculous.

I noticed that too. I'd rather go on the high end, and the serving size that I can measure in grams. Measuring popcorn by the measuring cup is seriously inaccurate.

GothyFaery

So me and my girlfriend are trying to figure out how many calories are in a bag of popcorn and we...yeah. We had a hard time for a second there lol why the heck doesn't it just simply say how many calories popped per bag? Craziness! How many calories is it for just a bag? I think stuff like this is easily responsible for people miscounting cals and confused about lack of weight loss


http://i.imgur.com/IRHyzo1.jpg

Posting the pic made it too big so here's just a link

|||||||||||||||||to answer the riddle lol|||||||||||||||||||||||

I would focus my attention on the unpopped states because they seem more reliable....

2tbs per serving
3 servings per bag
180calories per serving

2x3x180 = 1080 calories for 1 bag

You wouldn't multiply the 2, that's just how the serving is measured. It would be 3(servings per bag)x180(calories per serving)=540

LeslieTSUK

ok
2tbsp =33g of unpopped popcorn
once that has been popped it makes 4 cups

there is 3 servings per bag
so 3x4 cups

basically
if you eat a full bag unpopped it is 3x180 = 540 cals
if you eat them popped it is 3 x 4 cups, which = 12 cups, 12 cups @ 35cal each = 420 cals per bag.

likitisplit

There are three servings per bag. Each serving is 2tbs kernels, which makes 4 cups popped. So there are 12 cups popped per bag.

You need to multiply the unpopped calories by 3, or popped by 12. This will give you the range of calories per bag which is somewhere between 420-540. I'm assuming their popped calories already takes into consideration average amount unpopped, bag residue (etc) which is why it is lower. 420 is the minimum I would log, or the 540 to be on the safe side.

The front of the box should say how many grams of kernels there are per bag.

From a quick google, it looks like one bag contains 99g of kernels. (Double-check your box!)

So one bag contains 3 "servings" (lol) of popcorn.

33g of unpopped kernels has 180 calories.

Therefore each bag has 180x3 = 540 calories.

(This assumes all kernels pop... but honestly, you're hardly going to be left with that many that don't pop. Really what you should do is start with 540, then weigh the unpopped kernels at the end. Say you have 11g unpopped kernels at the end... that means that 60cals worth of kernels did not pop, so the total amount in the bag was 540-60 = 480 calories.)

This would be the most accurate method.

That would be a huge bag of popcorn - I think the estimate of 4 cups popped is more in line with the average popcorn bag size.

shireeniebeanie

If you measure 2 tablespoons of popcorn kernels and pop them on the stove or in a paper bag, it only produces a few cups.

Ignore the unpopped measurement--that's where they're inconsistent and where everyone gets confused.

It clearly states there are 3 servings per bag and 17 servings in the whole box. 1 serving is 1 cup popped and only 35 calories.

The funny thing is that these "low fat" bags of popcorn aren't much lower in fat than the "regular" popcorn. It's all marketing.
All popcorn is >90% "fat free" because it's mostly air.

Amanda4change

The bag if every kernel pops will make 4 cups of popcorn, EACH serving is 1 cup (they figure there are about 3 servings per bag, to account for the kennels that don't pop). So if every kernel pops (making 4 cups): the calories are 140 (35 X 4) (we all know this NEVER happens). So based on their rate of unpopped kernels (meaning the 3 cups) it would be 105 (35 X3) calories per bag. Yes I happen to be OCD and measure out each bag, which tends to be 3.5 cups of popcorn, which the calorie count is: 122.5 (35X3.5)

The 2 TBSP calories for unpopped are NOT multiplied by number of servings because the bag contains 2 TBSP of unpooped popcorn (seriously cut open the bag and measure it, it's 2 TBSP). The reason that the calorie number is higher there is because some of the oil (used to cook the popcorn in the bag) cooks off, plus the interior of the bag absorbs a lot of it. (seriously wipe your finger across the inside of the bag and feel the slime on your finger.

I would love to find a microwave popcorn that makes 12 cups of popped popcorn (seriously I would). It would make things much simpler here on my kids movie nights (unfortunately they like this kind of popcorn instead of the old fashioned air popped that I make).

TheVirgoddess

I'd chunk the popcorn and have a beer instead.

shireeniebeanie

The bag if every kernel pops will make 4 cups of popcorn, EACH serving is 1 cup (they figure there are about 3 servings per bag, to account for the kennels that don't pop). So if every kernel pops (making 4 cups): the calories are 140 (35 X 4) (we all know this NEVER happens). So based on their rate of unpopped kernels (meaning the 3 cups) it would be 105 (35 X3) calories per bag. Yes I happen to be OCD and measure out each bag, which tends to be 3.5 cups of popcorn, which the calorie count is: 122.5 (35X3.5)

The 2 TBSP calories for unpopped are NOT multiplied by number of servings because the bag contains 2 TBSP of unpooped popcorn (seriously cut open the bag and measure it, it's 2 TBSP). The reason that the calorie number is higher there is because some of the oil (used to cook the popcorn in the bag) cooks off, plus the interior of the bag absorbs a lot of it. (seriously wipe your finger across the inside of the bag and feel the slime on your finger.

I would love to find a microwave popcorn that makes 12 cups of popped popcorn (seriously I would). It would make things much simpler here on my kids movie nights (unfortunately they like this kind of popcorn instead of the old fashioned air popped that I make).

FTW

Tiernan1212

If you measure 2 tablespoons of popcorn kernels and pop them on the stove or in a paper bag, it only produces a few cups.

Ignore the unpopped measurement--that's where they're inconsistent and where everyone gets confused.

It clearly states there are 3 servings per bag and 17 servings in the whole box. 1 serving is 1 cup popped and only 35 calories.

The funny thing is that these "low fat" bags of popcorn aren't much lower in fat than the "regular" popcorn. It's all marketing.
All popcorn is >90% "fat free" because it's mostly air.

How are you seeing 1 serving = 1 cup popped??? :noway:

Amanda4change

basically
if you eat a full bag unpopped it is 3x180 = 540 cals
if you eat them popped it is 3 x 4 cups, which = 12 cups, 12 cups @ 35cal each = 420 cals per bag.

NO There are NOT 12 CUPS of popped popcorn in the bag! this is where you are making the mistake. The bag makes 4 Cups popped popcorn. that is why is shows a serving size of 1 cup popped with approx. 3 servings per bag (it's 3-4 servings per bag to account for the kernels that don't pop, as they have no idea of how many won't pop)

Tiernan1212

I'd chunk the popcorn and have a beer instead.

OMG I'm gonna need a beer after this thread! :drinker:

I'm out.

Amanda4change

If you measure 2 tablespoons of popcorn kernels and pop them on the stove or in a paper bag, it only produces a few cups.

Ignore the unpopped measurement--that's where they're inconsistent and where everyone gets confused.

It clearly states there are 3 servings per bag and 17 servings in the whole box. 1 serving is 1 cup popped and only 35 calories.

The funny thing is that these "low fat" bags of popcorn aren't much lower in fat than the "regular" popcorn. It's all marketing.
All popcorn is >90% "fat free" because it's mostly air.

How are you seeing 1 serving = 1 cup popped??? :noway:

Are you looking at the photo he posted it clearly says Amount per serving then 1 cup popped

dansls1

180*3 per bag or 540. If you split the bag, it is 270 each.

laurenjill

It clearly states there are 3 servings per bag and 17 servings in the whole box.

And if there are 17 cups of popped porcorn in the whole box, it's probably a five or six pack.

RunsOnEspresso

I've always been confused by the nutrition info on popcorn - had this conversation with my husband last night when he was trying to figure out calorie content of the Orville Reddenbacher's pour-over butter package. I can't do it. I'm good at math, I'm even a finance major. Time-value of money is nothing compared to this!

For me, I stick to the little 100 calorie bags. The one's that say: 1 bag = 100 calories.

Yah, I stick to the 100 calorie bags. So much easier.