Why is microwave popcorn labels so hard to read???

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adthomas218
adthomas218 Posts: 11 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I just consumed an entire bag of microwave popcorn, and I always figured it was 100-110 calories for the Light Butter. But I'm starting to wonder.....
I'm actually a pretty smart girl, but I sometimes have trouble with math, so if someone could calculate for me that would be wonderful!!!

Here's what the label reads:

Pop Weaver LIGHT BUTTER - 24 Bags

Serving Size 2 Tbsp (about 28g) Unpopped,
(About 5 cups Popped)
Servings Per Bag about 2.5
Serving Per Box about 60

Calories in 1 cup popped = 20


Please help me figure out the amount in 1 bag!!

Replies

  • LittleSpy
    LittleSpy Posts: 6,754 Member
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    Seems to me like there maybe 250 calories in a bag, since there's 100 calories a serving and 2.5 servings in the bag.


    Works out the other way, too. 60 servings in the box = 6000 calories in the box. But there's 24 bags, so 6000/24 = 250 calories per bag
  • weaklink109
    weaklink109 Posts: 2,831 Member
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    It says they consider a serving to be 5 cups, then it says 1 cup = 20 calories, so 1 SERVING= 100 calories, (5 x 20)
    but one BAG's calories will be 100 x 2.5 (because their are 2.5 "servings" per bag) so ...

    EACH BAG = 250 calories !!! :grumble: sorry about that.:sad:

    BTW, there are a couple of microwave popcorns that come in bags that actually are 100 calories per BAG...so take another look next time you are in the store.

    Good luck:flowerforyou:
  • mitch16
    mitch16 Posts: 2,113 Member
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    5 cups/serving x 2.5 servings/bag x 20 calories/cup = 250 calories/bag
  • LittleSpy
    LittleSpy Posts: 6,754 Member
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    BTW, there are a couple of microwave popcorns that come in bags that actually are 100 calories per BAG...so take another look next time you are in the store.

    Yep! The bags are a lot smaller but it's plenty of popcorn. And then you don't have to worry about what to do with all that leftover 1.5 servings of popcorn (I mean, it goes stale in like 2 hours. I guess you're supposed to have 1.5 friends there to share the bag with you :wink:).
  • adthomas218
    adthomas218 Posts: 11 Member
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    Thanks so much!!! You all made it seem so easy, and now I feel foolish:blushing: ....especially for eating 250 calories in popcorn!!! :sad:

    Maybe that's why I wasn't losing anything for a couple weeks about a month ago....the microwave popcorn!!!

    Now I know not to eat the entire bag!!

    Thanks again for your calculations!! :wink:
  • AwMyLoLo
    AwMyLoLo Posts: 1,571 Member
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    BTW, there are a couple of microwave popcorns that come in bags that actually are 100 calories per BAG...so take another look next time you are in the store.

    Yep! The bags are a lot smaller but it's plenty of popcorn. And then you don't have to worry about what to do with all that leftover 1.5 servings of popcorn (I mean, it goes stale in like 2 hours. I guess you're supposed to have 1.5 friends there to share the bag with you :wink:).

    I love stale popcorn!
  • cherie2304
    cherie2304 Posts: 632 Member
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    So funny I came across this post...someone in the office has just popped some popcorn and it smells soooooooooooo good.
  • MadWorld
    MadWorld Posts: 200
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    I almost posted a question just like this a few weekends ago.... but, I chickened out and just hoped that I had it calculated right. I too, have been eating a whole bag at a time... haha.:blushing:

    I'm so glad this has been cleared up.

    I don't feel so alone anymore when it comes to reading popcorn labels... :) Why can't they just put the serving size... I mean are you really going to open the bag and measure out 2 tbsp of unpopped kernels??? :noway:

    Oh, and also... I decided to measure the bag one day-- cup for cup, and there was more in there than it said it would make. So, that kind of threw me off too. That happens with alot of foods....
  • epoeraven
    epoeraven Posts: 458 Member
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    Serving Size 2 Tbsp (about 28g) Unpopped

    Why do they even put this on the bag?? Who eats unpopped popcorn???
  • fitinyoga14
    fitinyoga14 Posts: 448 Member
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    i just ate a bag of microwave popcorn and then came to log it in and i saw this post! when i logged in that i ate 4 cups popped, the log came up with 140 calories. the box said 190 calories, but i was also really confused with what that 190 was referring to...
  • adthomas218
    adthomas218 Posts: 11 Member
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    :yawn:
    I almost posted a question just like this a few weekends ago.... but, I chickened out and just hoped that I had it calculated right. I too, have been eating a whole bag at a time... haha.:blushing:

    I'm so glad this has been cleared up.

    I don't feel so alone anymore when it comes to reading popcorn labels... :) Why can't they just put the serving size... I mean are you really going to open the bag and measure out 2 tbsp of unpopped kernels??? :noway:

    Oh, and also... I decided to measure the bag one day-- cup for cup, and there was more in there than it said it would make. So, that kind of threw me off too. That happens with alot of foods....



    I have felt that way for a looooong time....but I figured well why not ask, I'll finally have my answer!!
    I knew it was too good to be true....all of that popcorn for 110 calories.
    I did the same thing as you did- measured out the entire bag and discovered there was more popcorn in there than they claimed.

    Why must they print the nutrition labels with the amount in UNPOPPED??! Who actually eats popcorn kernels?? I don't get it!!
    Guess my "popcorn kick" is over as of now. Gotta start buying the 100 calorie bags :yawn:
  • katie517
    katie517 Posts: 159
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    [/quote]

    I love stale popcorn!
    [/quote]

    NO WAY! :noway: I thought I was the only one. Amy, it seems that you and I have weird things in common ... or maybe I am thinking of someone else on here.
  • amymeenieminymo
    amymeenieminymo Posts: 2,394 Member
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    I almost posted a question just like this a few weekends ago.... but, I chickened out and just hoped that I had it calculated right. I too, have been eating a whole bag at a time... haha.:blushing:

    I'm so glad this has been cleared up.

    I don't feel so alone anymore when it comes to reading popcorn labels... :) Why can't they just put the serving size... I mean are you really going to open the bag and measure out 2 tbsp of unpopped kernels??? :noway:

    Oh, and also... I decided to measure the bag one day-- cup for cup, and there was more in there than it said it would make. So, that kind of threw me off too. That happens with alot of foods....

    The reason you measured out more cups than it said is because what we think fits in a cup, isn't truly a cup. Popped pop corn is weird shaped and not very dense, so with all the space between the kernels, what "fits" is not indicative of how much a cup truly is. So they say that 2 tablespoons of unpopped kernels equals one cup popped because that shows the true measure....if you took the two tablespoons and then popped it, it wouldn't fit in a cup because of the shape issue.

    I find the best way to measure popped popcorn is to weigh it in grams on a food scale. In fact that is how I weigh most solid food to be accurate. For example shredded cheese....I don't know if 1/4 of a cup is just placing the cheese in the cup, or pressing it down so it is more solid and dense. Weighing in grams takes out that guess work.
  • DeeDeeLHF
    DeeDeeLHF Posts: 2,301 Member
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    I am happy to hear I am not the only one!! You should see me trying to help my son study for the Math section of his SAT's!:sick:
  • AwMyLoLo
    AwMyLoLo Posts: 1,571 Member
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    I love stale popcorn!
    [/quote]

    NO WAY! :noway: I thought I was the only one. Amy, it seems that you and I have weird things in common ... or maybe I am thinking of someone else on here.
    [/quote]

    HAHA! Like what else do you think we have in common?.......
  • MadWorld
    MadWorld Posts: 200
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    Haha... You should see me try to help my son with his 3rd grade math! :laugh:

    Times have changed a lot since I was in school... and man some of that stuff makes me feel flat out dumb! Ha!

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