Popcorn is a healthy snack - great artice!

AmyRhubarb
AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Scientific Proof That Popcorn is Healthier Than Fruits and Vegetables: http://gizmodo.com/5896393/scientific-proof-that-popcorn-is-healthier-than-fruit-and-vegetables
Next time you're stuffing your face with popcorn, don't feel guilty; a new scientific study shows that, far from being junk food, popcorn packs a better nutritional punch than fruit or vegetables. Kind of.

The study, conducted at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania, shows that popcorn has more antioxidants in it than fruit or vegetables. Not just that, but those pesky little husks—the ones that get stuck right between your teeth—contain incredibly high concentrations of both antioxidants and fiber. "Those hulls deserve more respect," explains Joe Vinson, one of the researchers. "They are nutritional gold nuggets."

Check the link for the whole article - interesting info! And I feel better about my daily popcorn addiction! :bigsmile: I pop kernels in a brown paper bag in my microwave & add a bit of butter and coconut oil - good stuff!

Replies

  • kaetra
    kaetra Posts: 442 Member
    Yep, this new study is all over the news today. Hubby asked me if I saw it when I got home, and I hadn't so I went and looked it up at http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-500368_162-57404129/popcorn-packed-with-antioxidants/

    This is great news to me! I love popcorn! I snack on a big bowl of the stuff for very few calories and it has fiber and a bit of protein too!
  • leannems
    leannems Posts: 516 Member
    I eat popcorn ALL THE TIME. Either air-popped or on the stove top with veggie oil. I use the Pam flavored butter spray, but I read in a forum about spraying vinegar and adding salt - I have GOT to try that!

    I love popcorn, but the hardest part has been not eating it at the movies. I dunno what they do to movie popcorn but it's stats are a billion times worse than the stuff I make at home.
  • good2bthaking
    good2bthaking Posts: 325 Member
    I love it, it's one of my favorite evening snacks!!
  • jarrodc
    jarrodc Posts: 102
    This study doesn't surprise me in the slightest, popcorn is just corn kernels popped (thanks captain obvious, yeah I know) so I'm not sure why anyone would assume it's unhealthy in the first place? Of course, adding salt / butter / sugar to them it at the cinemas is going to make it unhealthy..........

    Something that this article fails to mention which is also obvious to me is that like almost all grains, it still has roughly 4 calories to 1 gram, which makes losing weight difficult if your diet consists of foods that are mostly this 4:1 ratio. Hence I eat grains as little as possible (even though I love rolled oats!!!).
  • NaeNaeJanae
    NaeNaeJanae Posts: 261 Member
    Yay!! Popcorn is my favorite evening snack!! :)
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    This study doesn't surprise me in the slightest, popcorn is just corn kernels popped (thanks captain obvious, yeah I know) so I'm not sure why anyone would assume it's unhealthy in the first place? Of course, adding salt / butter / sugar to them it at the cinemas is going to make it unhealthy..........

    Something that this article fails to mention which is also obvious to me is that like almost all grains, it still has roughly 4 calories to 1 gram, which makes losing weight difficult if your diet consists of foods that are mostly this 4:1 ratio. Hence I eat grains as little as possible (even though I love rolled oats!!!).
    Um, protein is also 4 calories per gram, and fat is 9 calories per gram. If you avoid all foods that have a 4:1 ratio or worse, you will never eat anything and die of starvation. :huh:

    So no, eating foods that consist of 4 calories per gram will not make weight loss difficult, as ALL foods are AT LEAST 4 calories per gram.
  • jarrodc
    jarrodc Posts: 102
    This study doesn't surprise me in the slightest, popcorn is just corn kernels popped (thanks captain obvious, yeah I know) so I'm not sure why anyone would assume it's unhealthy in the first place? Of course, adding salt / butter / sugar to them it at the cinemas is going to make it unhealthy..........

    Something that this article fails to mention which is also obvious to me is that like almost all grains, it still has roughly 4 calories to 1 gram, which makes losing weight difficult if your diet consists of foods that are mostly this 4:1 ratio. Hence I eat grains as little as possible (even though I love rolled oats!!!).
    Um, protein is also 4 calories per gram, and fat is 9 calories per gram. If you avoid all foods that have a 4:1 ratio or worse, you will never eat anything and die of starvation. :huh:

    So no, eating foods that consist of 4 calories per gram will not make weight loss difficult, as ALL foods are AT LEAST 4 calories per gram.

    How many calories in 100g of water?

    Zero, because it has no macro nutrients.

    How many calories in 100g of watermelon?

    Roughly 30, because it's mostly water.

    How many calories in 100g of low fat cottage cheese?

    Something like 75.


    Food is not 100% macro nutrients. There for you cannot conclude that what you put in your mouth is a minimum of 4 calories per gram. If you're still convinced I'm wrong, you should read nutrition labels when you shop, it's an invaluable skill.

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