Popcorn !

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MIKE1SS
MIKE1SS Posts: 53
in Food and Nutrition
Every day I have Smart Balance pop corn its around 300 cal
I put balade light organic butter on it for flavor

I am looking to reduce the calorie of this snack and was thinking of getting an Popcorn maker (air Popped)

any ideas of the best popcorn kernels ?
where to get them ?

It looks like the nutritional values are way better

Replies

  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
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    Buy plain old popcorn and some brown paper lunch bags - put about 1/3 cup into the bag, fold the top down a couple of times and put in it your microwave. I use the popcorn setting on mine - works perfectly! Then you can add your butter, salt, or whatever seasonings you want! Much cheaper than buying the prepacked microwave stuff, and better for ya.
  • MIKE1SS
    MIKE1SS Posts: 53
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    Thanks im going to try it 1/3 is around the same as a microwave bag ?
  • shanahan_09
    shanahan_09 Posts: 238 Member
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    Every day I have Smart Balance pop corn its around 300 cal
    I put balade light organic butter on it for flavor

    I am looking to reduce the calorie of this snack and was thinking of getting an Popcorn maker (air Popped)

    any ideas of the best popcorn kernels ?
    where to get them ?

    It looks like the nutritional values are way better

    This is what I heard--no killing the messenger please, lol. My girl friends used to eat popcorn such as Smart Balance, or the similar ready to pop bags. They said that the bags themselves may be a carcinogen because they have something in the bag to keep the popcorn preserved. I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS TRUE...but curious as to how healthy they really are?

    With that said though...I'd go for the regular popcorn. I think going for the 'untouched' food so-to-speak is always a healthier option.
  • hsmithway
    hsmithway Posts: 191
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    I use an air popper. I can't use the tiny rice popcorn in it, because it's so small that the air tosses it out before popping it, but any of the normal-sized kernels seem to work just fine. Whether you like the yellow or the white is just personal preference, I think. Both are good, though they are different, and sometimes I'm in the mood for one or the other.

    Generally I just buy my popcorn at the grocery store. There;s a section of bags of plain popcorn right next to the boxes of microwave popcorn where I usually shop.

    After it's popped, I spritz it lightly with a butter flavored spray - just enough to get my popcorn salt to stick. IMO, it's totally worth buying the fine grained popcorn salt for popcorn. The larger salt grains just seem to fall off. Though it might be worth mentioning that since I have POTS, I have a higher sodium intake than what is desirable for most people, so I can go ahead and salt my popcorn as much as I like.
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
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    Thanks im going to try it 1/3 is around the same as a microwave bag ?
    I'm not sure - it's just the amount I've found that fits in the bag when it's popped without overflowing. :laugh: And it fills my big bowl & is usually enough for me, my hubby & my kid to all have some. Come to think of it, it's probably about the same as a store bought microwave bag, maybe a little more - I used the same bowl back then & the store bought stuff didn't fill it quite as full.
  • MIKE1SS
    MIKE1SS Posts: 53
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    I did hear the same thing about the microwave bags

    I use the butter from trader joes balade its pretty good on calories etc...

    so tomorrow I will hunt some popcorn kernels

    any supermarket is good ?
    or should I hit whole paycheck I mean foods
  • MIKE1SS
    MIKE1SS Posts: 53
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    Thanks im going to try it 1/3 is around the same as a microwave bag ?
    I'm not sure - it's just the amount I've found that fits in the bag when it's popped without overflowing. :laugh: And it fills my big bowl & is usually enough for me, my hubby & my kid to all have some. Come to think of it, it's probably about the same as a store bought microwave bag, maybe a little more - I used the same bowl back then & the store bought stuff didn't fill it quite as full.

    sounds good and I guess we figure the nutritional info thats right on the bag and what ever we add gets added

    I think im going to grab an air popper I had oen when I was little My kids will dig it too
  • shanahan_09
    shanahan_09 Posts: 238 Member
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    Craving popcorn now...Thanks, Mike :happy: Popcorn and movie coming up!!
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
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    Any supermarket should have it - but I found that my Target doesn't! They have some expensive jarred brand, but the shelf was empty last time I needed popcorn, and the price was over $4 anyway! :noway: You can get a bag of it (probably 1lb at least? not sure, I emptied my two bags into a big mason jar, so I can't check) at any supermarket for around $1.99. Go with the nutrition info on the bag or use what's in the database here. And then of course whatever you add to it - I usually melt 2Tbs of butter before I pop the popcorn so it's all ready to go when the popcorn is done.

    Now I want some. :tongue:
  • MIKE1SS
    MIKE1SS Posts: 53
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    Trader joes has a organic light butter balade its called and its only 54 calories per tbsp it tastes good and saves some calories

    Nutrition Facts



    Serving Size 1 tbsp (14g)







    Amount Per Serving




    Calories from Fat 50
    Calories 54






    % Daily Values*



    Total Fat 6g

    9%





    Saturated Fat 3g

    15%



    Cholesterol 5mg

    2%



    Sodium 70mg

    3%



    Total Carbohydrate 0g

    0%





    Dietary Fiber 0g

    0%





    Sugars 0g





    Protein 0g












    Vitamin A 4%



    Vitamin C 0%







    Calcium 0%



    Iron 0%







    *
  • MIKE1SS
    MIKE1SS Posts: 53
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    after doing the math on the organic popcorn kernels I found the calories are about the same the sodium is much better however bc there is none

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