Tricky Popcorn Calories =(

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MlleDee
MlleDee Posts: 90 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I find it amazing how deceptive popcorn companies can be. You really have to read carefully!

Example:

<img src= "http://c4.soap.com/images/products/p/dcs/dcs-2177b_2z.jpg"/&gt;

I have found so many people misread this label, you can even find it all over the food database here. The most common misconception is that the second row is the nut. facts for 1 serving popped, when it is actually for 1/3 of a serving popped or 1/10 of the bag.

So many people do not realize that a serving is 3 cups popped a bag has 10.5 cups popped. Eating the bag equals 450 calories, mostly all from the 36g of fat. I wish they would remove the popped/unpopped labels (especially since nobody is actually eating the kernels) and instead display 1 serving and 1 bag. Not 1 serving and 1/10 of the bag.

I've even had relatively intelligent people tell me that the nut. facts are listed as such since when the kernel pops you are mostly eating air so therefore less calories. NOT TRUE! Anybody else run into this?

Replies

  • mfp_1
    mfp_1 Posts: 516 Member
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    I agree.

    Labels should quote calories per weight. That's what they do in the rest of the world. The weight of popcorn doesn't change when you pop it.
  • SoonerVet
    SoonerVet Posts: 65
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    Yeah I just realized why I wasn't losing weight. I had an extra 250+ uncounted calories per day due to this trick. I thought 120 calories was a great snack, but then I realized my stupid mistake. 360 calories is more like it. More like a meal! Plus all that trans fat I had missed. I won't be eating popcorn from a bag again!
  • bdkato
    bdkato Posts: 4
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    Wow, thanks for the heads-up. I have been eating microwaved popcorn as a late night snack the past few weeks and thought this wasa great filling, tasty, low cal snack. Woops, wont be doing this for a while. Thanks again!
  • Meikmeika
    Meikmeika Posts: 108 Member
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    Holy Hell!!!! I've always thought popcorn labels were deceiving. I usually eat it on a day I'm not counting calories..hehe!
  • MelCox76
    MelCox76 Posts: 3
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    Do stove top with olive oil. It only takes about 15 minutes to cook. Cheaper, healthier and I think it tastes better. Throw some parmesan cheese on it while it's still hot. Yum!!!
  • Cupcakehippiemommy
    Cupcakehippiemommy Posts: 457 Member
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    Yes right there with ya on this! Although even the nutritional info on the box can be confusing, I now just buy the single serve bags...although I end up scorching them half the tim ._.
  • deviantcupcake
    deviantcupcake Posts: 136 Member
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    I air pop my own and although I have issues with whether the '1 cup' is popped or unpopped (I hate doing things by volume), the calories are still nice and low. I'm also lucky that I can't eat loads in one sitting before I get full or bored with it.
  • NuclearMosquito
    NuclearMosquito Posts: 39 Member
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    You can pop plain kernels in the microwave in a brown paper lunch sack. I put 1/4 cup unpopped kernels in, fold the top of the bag over twice, and close it with a single staple (it doesn't make your microwave explode, I promise). My weak microwave pops it in about 2-21/2 minutes, but you just stop it when there's a few seconds between pops.

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