Popcorn & Weight Loss
People who are following a weight-loss plan can soon find their progress derailed when it comes time to snacking. From chocolate to potato chips, snacks can contain more calories and fat than entire meals. Popcorn can seem like the perfect solution to this problem, but this light snack isn't always the key to keeping the weight off.
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At the Movies
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When choosing a snack at a movie theater, the popcorn can seem like a wiser choice over candy and pizza. However, movie theater popcorn can be just as unhealthy as other snacks. According to The Daily Plate, a small popcorn at the movies will add 630 calories to your day and 29 grams of saturated fat. If you're trying to lose weight and headed to the movies, opt for popcorn without butter or wait until you've left the movie to eat. Popcorn is only as healthy as how it was popped and the toppings put on it.
At Home
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When preparing popcorn at home, opt for air-popped popcorn. This can be made in an air popper or with specialized bowls that are placed in the microwave for the same effect. This popcorn is made with kernels you purchase and gives you full control over what goes on the popcorn. If you prefer to throw a bag of popcorn into the microwave for a quick snack, opt for popcorn that is not buttered or labeled as 94 percent fat free, which features about 25 percent less calories than normal light popcorn. Stay away from any popcorn that has been cooked in oil as this will quadruple the calories you're about to eat.
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Weight-Smart Toppings
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While air-popped popcorn on its own is a low-calorie food, and one that can help facilitate weight loss when it is used to replace higher fat snack foods, those who add other ingredients to their popcorn will soon lose an advantage popcorn might have. Half of a tablespoon of butter contains 50 calories and five grams of fat. Melt a stick of butter for a big bowl of popcorn and you've added 400 calories and 40 grams of fat to your snack. If you're looking to spice up your popcorn while keeping the calories low, use actual spices. Add a bit of cinnamon, which is fat free and will only add five calories per quarter tablespoon.
Benefits
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It may seem like a good idea to restrict snacking to just eating air-popped popcorn without any sort of toppings. While this is a low-calorie treat, it doesn't provide your body with the essential fats and proteins needed. Those who need to up their intake of fiber should look to popcorn which contains almost one gram of fiber per cup; but beyond fiber, popcorn won't keep you healthy.
Popcorn Diet
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Diet Bites featured a review of the Popcorn Diet, a weight-loss plan that promised a slimmer figure when followed. Because this diet focuses on just one food, namely popcorn, it has several downsides. First off, not all popcorn is created equal. Depending on how your popcorn has been made and the additional ingredients you've added, a cup of popcorn can be worse than eating a cup of potato chips. Also, like any diet, trying to only eat one food will leave dieters hungering for something different. Diet Bites concluded that popcorn can be an essential part of any weight-loss plan but should not be what the diet centers around.
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