Costco Popcorn vs Big Mac

danieljamesgullo
danieljamesgullo Posts: 1 Member
edited September 2022 in Food and Nutrition
The label on a bag of Costco Popcorn (and most popcorn for that matter) is confusing... at first.

Let's break it down...

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First, it says "Serving size 2 tbsp unpoped). Next, it says "Servings per bag about 2.5".

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For Calories, it says "190 for 2 tbsp (unpopped)". So, unpopped, the entire bag has about 190 x 2.5 or 475 calories.

Most people are going to pop their popcorn before they eat it. So, what's really MORE interesting is the nutrition for the popped corn. Which brings up the question: What happens when you microwave the bag of popcorn?

Well, water that was trapped inside the kernels is released as steam, which nutritionally and calorically neutral/insignficant. Some of the kernels don't pop. Much of the oil, salt, and other chemicals are left as residue in the bag. Which brings us to what the label says about the popped servings of popcorn.

2 tbsp "makes about 5.5 cups popped" is what the label says. However, they give the nutritional information by the single cup. Probably to make it seem like a lot less but also because you aren't going to get a full bag of popped corn since some of the kernels don't pop. Worst case, you are going to have 2.5 servings x 2 tbsp unpopped (which is 5.5 cups popped) = 5 tbs unpopped (13.75 cups popped). As far as calories, that's 35 calories x 13.75 = 481.25 roughly. We aren't dealing with laboratory conditions here, so let's call it 481.

Looking lower down on the label, it says "As popped, 1 cup provides 2.5 g total fat." So, 2.5 x 13.75 = 34.375 g fat / bag. "4g total carbohydrates" So, 4 x 13.75 = 55 g carbohydrates.

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Overall, the popcorn is ALMOST as bad as eating a Big Mac from McDonald's. In fact, it's worse because at least a Big Mac has some protein in it: cals 550, fat 30g, carbs 45g, protein 25g.

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Replies

  • glassyo
    glassyo Posts: 7,723 Member
    I always preferred Burger King's version of a Big Mac, the Big King, more.

    Wait. Not the point? :)

    I could probably demolish 13 cups of popcorn. At least it would take way longer to eat than said burger.

    At least the first post wasn't about the scanner! 😁
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,072 Member
    You're getting some bad rounding data by looking at nutrients for such a small amount of food (35 kcals). Corn, like all grains, does have some protein; but they're just rounding down to zero. 35 kcals of the Big Mac would only have 1.5 g of protein (based on the data you provided).

    Also, pop your own without added fat or buy a low-fat version if you want a different macro profile.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,319 Member
    I would just say, if I wanted the popcorn I'd have it. If I wanted a hamburger, I'd have that. I can always balance out my macros the next day. I do that all the time.

    Don't sweat the small stuff.
    It's all small stuff.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,147 Member
    What no butter....inconceivable.
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,138 Member
    sometimes I eats me a big mac (Actually I am lying: I eats me a mcdouble or fillet-o-fish at McD's though more often a bacon and egg or mcmuffin, but a teen burger at A&W--that one has just about the same calories as the big mac and would be a more likely "larger" burger for me).

    Sometimes I eats me a pop corn bag. Yes. it is always the whole bag. Like I am going to pop a bag and eat only some of it? I think not.

    observationally the 94% fat free orville is just about greasy enough for me in terms of microwave pop-corn. Skinny girl or boy or whatever it was left way more greasy residue which I didn't particularly appreciate. And butter or extra butter versions are a clothes washing nightmare once I finish wiping my greasy fingers on all my clothes! So 94% and the nuker is where I head to for pop corn!

    Can't say I do either the "big mac" or the pop corn THAT often. But it is far more often that a once a year thing.

    Can't say that when I am eating them I am either looking at or particularly concerned with their nutrient profile.

    When I happen to be thinking about nutrient profiles I tend to be in the mood for.... more finely tuned and balanced choices shall we say?
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,053 Member
    neanderthin wrote: »
    What no butter....inconceivable.

    Yes, I don't eat popcorn very often, but when I do, I bring on the butter. As far as I'm concerned, there's no point otherwise.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 33,742 Member
    I'm still stuck trying to imagine a world where the two food choices that seemed logical to me to round out a day's nutrition would be a Big Mac on the one hand, or 13 cups of plain popcorn on the other.

    I don't understand the point of this post. If anything matters, it's all-day nutrition and calories that matter, as averaged over a few days even then. I can see comparing two foods that might be alternatives or substitutions (meat vs. tempeh, broccoli vs. carrots, rice vs. quinoa, ice cream vs. cookies - that sort of thing). Comparing food A vs. completely different flavor/role food B doesn't make sense to me.

    Yeah, popcorn labeling is weird. If I eat some, I buy it in bulk (just kernels), pop it myself, use the USDA entries for unpopped corn to log it. Close enough. I haven't eaten a Big Mac since 1974, but I get that that's statistically unusual.

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