Popcorn calories

treehopper1987

Why is it that popcorn has 2 different ways of calculating calories: popped vs. unpopped. This for some reason is so confusing for me to calculate, because the numbers usually don't add up for the bag. Can somebody please help me clear this up?

s1lence

Probably because there are a few different ways in which to pop it- the butter/oil version or the air pop. The air pop would be less calories because you have no extra just the corn itself where as if you do the traditional route then you have to account for that.

firedancer8780

Thank you for posting this. I was having a popcorn crisis last night. I purchased some light butter popcorn that says a serving size is 2.5 tablespoons unpopped (5 cups popped). Then it said serving size is 2.5 with 15 servings per package. The package part makes sense to me since there is 6 bags in the box, but the actual amount per serving of popped popcorn makes no sense. Is one bag 5 cups popped? Is one bag 2.5 servings of popped or unpopped? Does a popped bag really make 17.5 cups popped? I suppose I could have just measured it, but instead I finally just gave up and had some pretzels instead....

I will be very thankful to whoever can clarify this!

treehopper1987

This is the type of popcorn that comes in the microwaveable bags.

emom3boys

My microwave popcorn bag is the light butter kind - not the 100 cal mini bags. It makes around 5 cups popped, and each popped cup is 30 calories. I think they have to tell you the total amount it will make on the outside of the box since it's the entire package with individual bags inside in case you are planning on popping it all up at one time, but as for a cup of popcorn my kind (Raley's store brand) seems to be pretty consistent with what's in the database here for a cup of popcorn. I hope this helps.

firedancer8780

Thank you for posting this. I was having a popcorn crisis last night. I purchased some light butter popcorn that says a serving size is 2.5 tablespoons unpopped (5 cups popped). Then it said serving size is 2.5 with 15 servings per package. The package part makes sense to me since there is 6 bags in the box, but the actual amount per serving of popped popcorn makes no sense. Is one bag 5 cups popped? Is one bag 2.5 servings of popped or unpopped? Does a popped bag really make 17.5 cups popped? I suppose I could have just measured it, but instead I finally just gave up and had some pretzels instead....

I will be very thankful to whoever can clarify this!

I made a bag last night and it made 10 cups popped. They are standard size bags.