How much calories/fiber do we actually consume in popcorn? How to read confusing nutrition label?

BungeeBunny1
BungeeBunny1 Posts: 1 Member
edited December 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
Nutrition Label: i.imgur.com/ixzzV0a.jpg?1




I'm confused here, it says Serving Size is 2 Tbsp Unpopped and makes 3.5 popped. And 3 servings. So 1 bag = 10.5 cups? But who eats popcorn unpopped? So, to calculate how much one consumes do I ignore the first column completely and use the 2nd column?

For calories in one whole bag, would it be 30 x 10.5 (d/t 3.5 popped x 3) = 315 calories? Since we only use the popped column? Is that correct? If we use the first column (unpopped) the calories in whole bag turns out differently = 450? So, if I consume the whole bag would I consume 450 kcals (unpopped) or 315 (popped)? But my thought process is to use
the 2nd one as no one eats unpopped kernels.


Also would it have any dietary fiber? As when it says 2 Tbsp unpopped (first column) it says it has 2g of dietary fiber? But on the 2nd column it says 0% fiber in 1 cup popped. Would that mean there is no fiber in the whole bag when all popped? And if I consume the whole bag did I consume 0% fiber?



Same question for iron (2% DV unpopped vs 0% DV popped)? Thank you!

So how much fiber, calories, iron would I have consumed if I eat the whole bag?

Replies

  • wtliftchick
    wtliftchick Posts: 84 Member
    I have no answer for you. only a comment. I'm glad I'm not the only one that finds microwave popcorn nutrition labels confusing. I think they do it intentionally lol! Sorry I can't help.
  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,619 Member
    The labels are way too confusing. Why cant they just put nutrition per serving, this bag contains X servings? Just like all other packaged food we eat... I've tried to figure it out. I think I figured one out, the one I liked the best, and then just kept using that entry that I made up. Maybe just get the 100 calorie pop bags. Much simpler...
  • SugarySweetheart
    SugarySweetheart Posts: 154 Member
    Buy the 100 calorie individual bags. No confusion there. Orville Redenbacher makes a couple of really good flavors.
  • alyssa0061
    alyssa0061 Posts: 652 Member
    I don't have any help for you on the microwavable bags; I pop my own popcorn and weigh the kernels first, then log that. I feel like the serving size information on pre-popped bags of popcorn is off too. It says there are approximately ten 1 cup servings in the bag but it seems like it's never more than four or five.
  • aussie_girl_del_runner_5
    aussie_girl_del_runner_5 Posts: 303 Member
    edited June 2016
    The reason there are 2 is because it's more accurate to measure the amount of un-popped corn kernels as not all kernels actually pop and the ones that do aren't in equal size. So if you start with 32g of unpopped kernels, you could end up with 3, 3.5, 4, or 4.5 cups of popped corn. Just how exactly you do that with microwave popcorn I have no idea seeing as you can't weigh the kernels....

    It really comes down to how accurate you want to be in your logging. For some, having 3.5 cups of popped corn is accurate enough regardless of how many kernels it took to make up the end result. For others, they want to know what the initial kernels and however many popped; well that's what they get to enjoy.

    Try scanning it into MFP and see what the results bring up there.

    EDIT: You could weigh the bag initially, pop the corn then moved the popped corn to a bowl leaving any unpopped kernels in the bag. Weigh the empty bag with the un-popped kernels and then you'll your initial starting point. From there you can work out if a whole bag is worth it or not.

    Also, I think the fibre/iron thing is a typo; try googling the product online and see if you can find a better result.
  • minizebu
    minizebu Posts: 2,716 Member
    edited June 2016
    Two tablespoons of unpopped kernels weigh 32g.

    Do you have a food scale?

    If so, then weigh the serving that you serve yourself (if it is less than the whole bag) and then you can enter the weight of the serving into MFP. So, let's say that you decide that you are only going to eat half the bag, then put your bowl on the scale, tare the scale, pour half the bag of popped popcorn into the bowl and note the weight.

    Let's say that half the bag comes out to 45g. 45/32= 1.40625 servings.

  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    SugarySweetheart wrote: »
    Buy the 100 calorie individual bags. No confusion there. Orville Redenbacher makes a couple of really good flavors.

    This is what I do. The big bags are around 450 calories I believe.
  • mgobluetx12
    mgobluetx12 Posts: 1,326 Member
    I had the same problem and loved the big bags, but that came out to 450 calories so I switched to the 100 calorie bags and just eat two.
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,106 Member
    I've always used the net weight (weight of contents) as described on the package, divided by the weight of the unpopped serving, and log the bag as that many servings of the 2 Tbsp unpopped. (e.g., 76 g bag, divided by 35 g in 2 Tbsp serving = 2.17 servings. The 2 Tbsp serving is 170 calories, so the bag is 2.17 X 170, or 369 calories.) Yes, it's probably an overestimate, since not all the kernels pop, but it seems better than using a cup measure for a solid, and if I crunch on a few not-fully-popped kernels, or scrape some salty, buttery goodness from the inside of the bag, I don't have to worry -- it's already accounted for.)
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