Confused About Popcorn

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akaMrsmojo
akaMrsmojo Posts: 762 Member
in Food and Nutrition
So Oprah was talking about the amount of popcorn she can eat, 3 cups to 9 chips. Of course, I had to run out to get it.

I am reading the label. Why is it more calories for eat unpopped popcorn. And who the heck eats unpopped popcorn? Or am I reading it wrong?

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  • beccadaniixox
    beccadaniixox Posts: 542 Member
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    Bump!
    I'd like to know this answer.
    My friends and I were talking about this yesterday while I was trying to figure out which popcorn brand to buy. :laugh:
  • HLimpert25
    HLimpert25 Posts: 5
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    http://www.livestrong.com/article/323301-calories-in-unpopped-popcorn/
  • akaMrsmojo
    akaMrsmojo Posts: 762 Member
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    That makes sense, but seriously why even put it on the label. I have never had a sudden urge to eat unpopped popcorn.
  • carlypreiss
    carlypreiss Posts: 91
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    Bump
  • HLimpert25
    HLimpert25 Posts: 5
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    yeah unpopped doesnt appeal to me but I know someone who eats it.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    That makes sense, but seriously why even put it on the label. I have never had a sudden urge to eat unpopped popcorn.

    I make my own popcorn all the time - It's easier (for me) to measure 2 TBL of seeds and just use those calories. Measuring popped stuff (1 cup at a time) seems silly. But yeah - who cares if there is a "slight" difference?
  • sailorsiren13
    sailorsiren13 Posts: 460
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    i just had a question about that myself i air popped some for lunch it measures a 1/2 cup un popped then i figure i ate about 3 cups popped and still had probably 2 leftover i guess
  • FitKate
    FitKate Posts: 169 Member
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    that can not be good for there teeth!
  • SouthernArt77
    SouthernArt77 Posts: 265 Member
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    I make my own popcorn all the time - It's easier (for me) to measure 2 TBL of seeds and just use those calories. Measuring popped stuff (1 cup at a time) seems silly. But yeah - who cares if there is a "slight" difference?

    Well, I'm having an ah-ha moment now and feel kinda dumb...I've always been frustrated by the NI being for the unpopped kernels, but it never occurred to me that the calories don't really change once you pop them! Am I understanding that correctly? If so, that makes figuring my regular popcorn snack much easier!
  • hdrussell
    hdrussell Posts: 13 Member
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    That is the way I've always understood it. 3 tbsp at 130 cals pops into however many cups it end up being and that's still 130 cals. That being said, depending on if you use air popper or do it in some oil in a pan, you would need to consider those calories
  • jms1985
    jms1985 Posts: 58 Member
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    Aaaaaand, now I want popcorn.
  • Tammysueless
    Tammysueless Posts: 166
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    or just get the 100 calorie bags and enjoy!!! :bigsmile:
  • flyawaybyebye
    flyawaybyebye Posts: 250
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    Popcorn loses a tiny bit of water weight when it pops (the water becomes steam when heated, the steam causes the kernel to expand and pop, and the water evaporates when it escapes the kernel), but essentially, the calories in unpopped popcorn correspond directly to the calories in the same amount of popped popcorn. The most accurate way to figure out your popcorn calories is to measure it by weight, because a cup of popcorn is going to contain a vastly different amount of popcorn if you pack it firmly vs. leaving it not packed down. When I make popcorn (that doesn't come in a 100 calorie bag), I weigh out the amount I'm putting in the popper. After I pop it, I weigh out the unpopped kernels and subtract that number from the initial weight. The difference is the amount of popcorn I consumed (assuming I didn't share, which is a pretty safe assumption - I love popcorn!)

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