Calories in microwave popcorn?

ATHFat2Fit
ATHFat2Fit Posts: 62
in Food and Nutrition
I'm sure this has been asked and answered before but I wasn't able to find it but my question is how many calories do I consume if I were to eat a full bag of microwave popcorn. The label really confuses me.

Here is an example:
Calories
2 TBSP Unpopped: 180
1 Cup Popped: 35

For ease of calculation let's say that a bag is two servings so if I eat the entire bag does that mean I've consumed 360 calories or 70 calories? And if only 70 where do the other calories go? Why are there so many calories in unpopped but not popped?

Thoughts/comments/opinions?
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Replies

  • _noob_
    _noob_ Posts: 3,306 Member
    360. I cup popped is about how much I eat in one handful.
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    Are there 2 tbsps unpopped in the bag. Not sure how much that makes when you pop it. The brand I buy tells you how much one bag popped is.

    You'd either have to measure before or after popping and do the math.
  • losingdreamie
    losingdreamie Posts: 34
    It would only be 360 if your eating the kernels unpopped hence the unpopped calorie total. If you had a bag that was two servings popped then you had 70 calories.
  • DrBroPHD
    DrBroPHD Posts: 245 Member
    You shouldn't cook anything in the death box
  • djc315
    djc315 Posts: 585 Member
    It would be 70.

    You would go by the cooked calories, unless you are eating the kernels unpopped.
  • xaMErica
    xaMErica Posts: 284 Member
    This gave me a headache last night!! I had an entire bag of popcorn yesterday.. I have no idea if whats in my diary for it is right or not. =|
  • toaster6
    toaster6 Posts: 703 Member
    If you are consuming popped corn, you use the calorie count for popped corn rather than un-popped-- calories are lost when the corn is popped.
  • _noob_
    _noob_ Posts: 3,306 Member
    You shouldn't cook anything in the death box

    dang, forgot what tinfoil hat chemical you have to watch out for in microwave popcorn too. It's something that is typicaly used in polymers. Mind says acrylamide, but that's french fries.
  • Sharla_G
    Sharla_G Posts: 72
    I think the cup of POPPED corn has a lot of AIR in between the fluffy, popped pieces. No calories in the pockets of air.
  • dym123
    dym123 Posts: 1,670 Member
    I go by unpopped kernels - 1/4 cup = 110 calories.
  • Jude_V
    Jude_V Posts: 72 Member
    Blimey...it's about volume, people.

    How many kernals can you get into a cup? Lets say it's 200...

    How many POPPED corns can you get in a cup...lets say 20....

    Once you've popped it, I would suggest transferring into your bowl cup by cup and count how many cups...

    I'm thinking it might be as many as 20 cups...so MY guess is the bag is about 500 to 700 calories...but that's really just a guess.

    Alternatively...open the bag prior to popping and count out how many Tablespoons full of kernels there are in the bag???

    Hope I helped

    :)
  • sharleengc
    sharleengc Posts: 792 Member
    I just buy the 100 calorie bags!
  • alychil820
    alychil820 Posts: 219 Member
    Switch to kernels in the jar instead of in the bag. Just measure out how much you want - you can add your own butter and salt if you really want, and you know exactly how much you're adding.

    And it's pretty.

    Popcorn.jpg
  • joy5877
    joy5877 Posts: 168 Member
    I just buy the 100 calorie bags!

    ME TOO! This post made me dizzy!
  • ATHFat2Fit
    ATHFat2Fit Posts: 62
    I'm glad to see I'm not the only one that this confuses. The answers on here are about the same as what I've been able to Google lol
  • losingdreamie
    losingdreamie Posts: 34
    The extra calories is the hard puddle of goo that makes it pop, you know the gritty goop thats stuck to the sides and bottom of the bag. Not to mention the liquid ooze that leaks out of the top crack when you shake it.
  • ATHFat2Fit
    ATHFat2Fit Posts: 62
    The extra calories is the hard puddle of goo that makes it pop, you know the gritty goop thats stuck to the sides and bottom of the bag. Not to mention the liquid ooze that leaks out of the top crack when you shake it.

    Ummm.... you sure don't make it sound very appetizing lol
  • wcso911mn
    wcso911mn Posts: 68 Member
    I've always wondered why they put both unpopped and popped information on a bag of popcorn. I've thought to myself "Do people actually eat unpopped popcorn?" Or is there something I'm missing? :ohwell:
  • princessdracos
    princessdracos Posts: 125 Member
    I've always wondered why they put both unpopped and popped information on a bag of popcorn. I've thought to myself "Do people actually eat unpopped popcorn?" Or is there something I'm missing? :ohwell:

    My favorite part is the semi-popped kernels in the bottom of the bag. It's like a treat of a few Corn Nuts with your popcorn :-)
  • favreervaf
    favreervaf Posts: 54 Member
    Read the label on the box or bag.
  • JoRumbles
    JoRumbles Posts: 262 Member
    I had half a bag of "cinema sweet" yesterday and it came in at 202 cals. It was on the box- what's so complicated?

    It was good, I love popcorn
  • OffTheBeatenPath
    OffTheBeatenPath Posts: 10 Member
    I have a microwave popcorn popper and I just make my own. I prefer to know what is being put on my popcorn. I think it tastes better without all the extra crud anyway.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    Switch to kernels in the jar instead of in the bag. Just measure out how much you want - you can add your own butter and salt if you really want, and you know exactly how much you're adding.

    And it's pretty.

    Popcorn.jpg

    That's very pretty .... how does it taste?

    I've had black popcorn (yummy ... tastes like white popcorn). I much prefer white popcorn over yellow. White popcorn is more tender (I think).
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    I have a microwave popcorn popper and I just make my own. I prefer to know what is being put on my popcorn. I think it tastes better without all the extra crud anyway.

    Is it the Presto Popper? Love mine....... it's so good.
  • OffTheBeatenPath
    OffTheBeatenPath Posts: 10 Member
    I have a microwave popcorn popper and I just make my own. I prefer to know what is being put on my popcorn. I think it tastes better without all the extra crud anyway.

    Is it the Presto Popper? Love mine....... it's so good.


    Yes, mine is a Presto Popper and I absolutely LOVE mine. It makes the most awesome popcorn ever.

    What I don't understand is they say that a bag of microwave popcorn is 70 calories. My Presto Popper pops 1/3 cup at a time. The popcorn bags that I have says that 3 tablespoons is a serving of un-popped popcorn. When I make my popcorn I am popping basically just a little bit under two servings of popcorn. If that is 240 calories (rounding it up to two servings to make it easier) then how can a bag of microwave popcorn that makes about the same amount of popcorn only be 70 calories? I mean the microwave bag popcorn has all that extra junk, butter and everything else. Mine is JUST the popcorn nothing else, there is NO way the microwave popcorn can have less calories than mine.

    I mean are they getting their popcorn from a magical popcorn fairy that removes the calories? I mean if they do I want to know where the hell this fairy is!!!
  • NewMnky1
    NewMnky1 Posts: 264
    I buy a box that only has 100 calorie bags in it, so I don't have to try and figure it out. Yes they are smaller but at least I know exactly what I am getting.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    I have a microwave popcorn popper and I just make my own. I prefer to know what is being put on my popcorn. I think it tastes better without all the extra crud anyway.

    Is it the Presto Popper? Love mine....... it's so good.


    Yes, mine is a Presto Popper and I absolutely LOVE mine. It makes the most awesome popcorn ever.

    What I don't understand is they say that a bag of microwave popcorn is 70 calories. My Presto Popper pops 1/3 cup at a time. The popcorn bags that I have says that 3 tablespoons is a serving of un-popped popcorn. When I make my popcorn I am popping basically just a little bit under two servings of popcorn. If that is 240 calories (rounding it up to two servings to make it easier) then how can a bag of microwave popcorn that makes about the same amount of popcorn only be 70 calories? I mean the microwave bag popcorn has all that extra junk, butter and everything else. Mine is JUST the popcorn nothing else, there is NO way the microwave popcorn can have less calories than mine.

    I mean are they getting their popcorn from a magical popcorn fairy that removes the calories? I mean if they do I want to know where the hell this fairy is!!!

    LOL! I know what you mean .... no way a bag of popcorn is 70 calories. One cup of air popped popcorn is 30 calories ......so a 70 calorie bag must be really small.
  • pinkledoodledoo
    pinkledoodledoo Posts: 290 Member
    You have to look at how many cups are made by each unpopped serving (should say it on the bag) then multiply the number of cups by how many servings in the bag then multiply the number of total cups in the bag by the amount of calories in 1 cup popped. It should come out to 350-400 calories per full sized bag, depending on brand/flavor.
  • aprilsibley
    aprilsibley Posts: 13 Member

    My favorite part is the semi-popped kernels in the bottom of the bag. It's like a treat of a few Corn Nuts with your popcorn :-)

    They sell these now! It is a brand called "Half Pop" and they sell them at The Fresh Market! I LOVE THEM! :love:
  • fatfudgery
    fatfudgery Posts: 449 Member
    What I don't understand is they say that a bag of microwave popcorn is 70 calories.

    No, nobody says that. At least nobody who knows what they're talking about.

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