Air popped popcorn

So I love to sit down with my family and watch a film (daughter is obsessed with pirates of the Caribbean at the mo), we always have a laugh and with me and my husband working full time and our daughter now in nursery I value our time together more.
Anyway....we always have a snack of some kind we can all pick at.
Now we all love popcorn but my god some of it is soooo bad (obviously it’s the added flavourings).
I was speaking to my father in law about it and he said he had a popcorn machine that just used hot air.
I was intrigued so borrowed it and tonight we got our film ready (pirates obvs) and made our popcorn using the popcorn maker.
When I searched online for the calorie amount of air popped popcorn I found it to be around 31calories per cup 🙀🙀
Maybe it’s common knowledge to others but it was a real shocker for me.
My daughter loves helping to make it and with no added crap on it I feel a little easier when she eats so much lol
I don’t think I’m gonna give it my father in law back!! No more microwave crap or paying for skinny popcorn that’s still covered in sugar.
On Sunday night we are gonna make popcorn and I’m going to use my pb2 as a topping 😁 or maybe even a sprinkling of whey protein powder.
Just thought I would share this as I’m still pretty shocked how low in calories it is.
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Replies

  • Running2Fit
    Running2Fit Posts: 702 Member
    Yes! Popcorn is one of my all time fav snacks!! I don’t have a microwave so I’ve been making it on the stove for forever. I have to use a little oil but it’s still way less calories (and better tasting) than the microwave!
  • frenchiesgiirl
    frenchiesgiirl Posts: 6 Member
    Yes! I love me some air popped popcorn. I love using Braggs Liquid amines or a small amount of coconut oil melted and poured on top. When I want to indulge I'll melt some vegan butter and add nutritional yeast to make it cheesy. So good!
  • Teabythesea_
    Teabythesea_ Posts: 559 Member
    I have air popped popcorn almost every night before bed because I sleep better with food in my stomach. Sometimes I’ll sprinkle ranch seasoning (the kind you mix with sour cream for veggie dip) on it. A few other favorite toppings are old bay, nutritional yeast, powdered peanut butter and cocoa powder and good ol’ butter with some light butter. 👍🏻
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 9,950 Member
    If your father in law wants the popper back, you can air pop popcorn in the microwave by just putting the kernels in a paper bag (I use the brown paper bags sold as "lunch bags" in the U.S. -- turn it on and listen for when the popping slows so there is a second or two between pops. (Or some microwaves have a popcorn setting that, I believe, works by measuring humidity inside the microwave.) Bonus: you don't have to clean out the popper, you don't risk burns when you lift the top off to try to get the last few popped kernels that didn't come out of the popper, and you don't have to find space to store an appliance that only does one thing. Downside: you may not be able to pop as big a batch as you want in one bag -- but it's pretty quick to do another bagful, and you can always look at it as ensuring that the popcorn is really fresh. :smile:
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,971 Member
    Use,to make popcorn in a wok w/a couple of tbsps of oil. Min cals but a bit of a hasle.

    Bought an air popper for $10 at a clearance store and it is so much easier. Also hel0s that it's oiless as well. :)
  • wilson10102018
    wilson10102018 Posts: 1,306 Member
    OK, I have popcorn every day. I find air pop distasteful. Like styrofoam. I use the Whirleypop $19 stove top popper. I have experimented over and over and have found that 7g (1/2 tbsp) of peanut oil will cook every kernel in a 50g (unpopped) portion. Add powdered popcorn salt and its good to go. 210 calories.
  • twdlove89
    twdlove89 Posts: 95 Member
    My father in law never uses it so will keep hold of it and buy one on payday.
    Never knew or even considered popcorn as part of healthy eating, thought it was an indulgent snack.....how wrong was I 🤣
  • j010219
    j010219 Posts: 20 Member
    Yes! Popcorn is one of my all time fav snacks!! I don’t have a microwave so I’ve been making it on the stove for forever. I have to use a little oil but it’s still way less calories (and better tasting) than the microwave!

    I cook it on the stove too, and I actually don't put any oil and it works just as well.
  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
    i have an air pop
    i add different flavors. it's a good snack.
  • Kalex1975
    Kalex1975 Posts: 427 Member
    crazyravr wrote: »
    All you need for that low calorie popcorn are these things.
    71vml%2B6aUuL._SL1500_.jpg

    And a microwave. No oil or butter needed.

    I have what looks exactly like that microwave popper but the brand is HOTPOP - works great.

    I find that dry seasonings/salt don't stick very well so I usually mist some water or vinegar on the popped corn to help them adhere. My favorite is to mist a tiny bit of water, vanilla, and a few drops of liquid sucralose and sprinkle with some salt - tastes just like kettle corn to me.
  • twdlove89
    twdlove89 Posts: 95 Member
    I’ve never had savoury popcorn other then salted I guess and you guys are all mentioning savoury flavourings so I must give that a go!
  • no1racefan1
    no1racefan1 Posts: 277 Member
    OK, I have popcorn every day. I find air pop distasteful. Like styrofoam.

    Ha, I had the same reaction when I got an air popper! But, if you've already tried it and liked it, it's definitely a great low cal/high volume snack!
  • Running2Fit
    Running2Fit Posts: 702 Member
    edited January 2019
    j010219 wrote: »
    Yes! Popcorn is one of my all time fav snacks!! I don’t have a microwave so I’ve been making it on the stove for forever. I have to use a little oil but it’s still way less calories (and better tasting) than the microwave!

    I cook it on the stove too, and I actually don't put any oil and it works just as well.

    Maybe it’s the kernels I buy or my pot or something but they burn every time without any oil.
  • lorirob64
    lorirob64 Posts: 3 Member
    Hi, I make popcorn in the brown paper lunch bags (the kind I used to take my lunch to school in way back when) : ) I just put about a quarter cup of kernels in and roll up the top of the bag and microwave for about 2 mins approx - until most stops popping and then I sprinkle some apple cider vinegar on it.
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 9,950 Member
    j010219 wrote: »
    Yes! Popcorn is one of my all time fav snacks!! I don’t have a microwave so I’ve been making it on the stove for forever. I have to use a little oil but it’s still way less calories (and better tasting) than the microwave!

    I cook it on the stove too, and I actually don't put any oil and it works just as well.

    Maybe it’s the kernels I buy or my pot or something but they burn every time without any oil.

    You would need a heavy pot to have any hope of this working, I would think.
  • BailTuck
    BailTuck Posts: 25 Member
    I have a glass air popper that's small and doesn't take up a bunch of space. It was pretty cheap, less than $10. Makes enough for 2 people. Or 1 teenage boy.
  • j010219
    j010219 Posts: 20 Member
    j010219 wrote: »
    Yes! Popcorn is one of my all time fav snacks!! I don’t have a microwave so I’ve been making it on the stove for forever. I have to use a little oil but it’s still way less calories (and better tasting) than the microwave!

    I cook it on the stove too, and I actually don't put any oil and it works just as well.

    Maybe it’s the kernels I buy or my pot or something but they burn every time without any oil.

    You would need a heavy pot to have any hope of this working, I would think.

    Maybe that's what it is.. my pots are thick and on the heavy side and my popcorn never burns. I have a gas burning stove and I go medium-high
  • lin_be
    lin_be Posts: 393 Member
    I just started adding ground black pepper to our popcorn and am amazed at how good it tastes! Spicy!
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    If your father in law wants the popper back, you can air pop popcorn in the microwave by just putting the kernels in a paper bag (I use the brown paper bags sold as "lunch bags" in the U.S. -- turn it on and listen for when the popping slows so there is a second or two between pops. (Or some microwaves have a popcorn setting that, I believe, works by measuring humidity inside the microwave.) Bonus: you don't have to clean out the popper, you don't risk burns when you lift the top off to try to get the last few popped kernels that didn't come out of the popper, and you don't have to find space to store an appliance that only does one thing. Downside: you may not be able to pop as big a batch as you want in one bag -- but it's pretty quick to do another bagful, and you can always look at it as ensuring that the popcorn is really fresh. :smile:

    I've never been able to make the brown bag thing work. High watt microwave, low watt microwave. Fresh kernels, old kernels. The small % of kernels that do pop are dry and hard....yuck.

    I use a microwave popper (Presto) with 1 teaspoon of oil. The oil gives the popcorn just enough moisture so the toppings stick. I like Kernel Seasons Popcorn Seasoning - ranch and nacho cheese are favorites. The kettlecorn was too bland, so I added cinnamon.
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 9,950 Member
    lin_be wrote: »
    I just started adding ground black pepper to our popcorn and am amazed at how good it tastes! Spicy!

    I like olive oil and black pepper and salt, but I guess the oil defeats the OP's purpose in air-popping.