Air Popped Popcorn Vs. Oil Popped

Popcorn makes a tasty and nutritious snack.

Packages filled with empty calories line the snack aisles of the grocery store. Pick popcorn kernels you can prepare at home, and you'll get a healthy whole-grain snack, regardless of whether you pop it with hot air or in oil.

Calorie Counting

Air-popped popcorn contains 31 calories per cup, while oil-popped popcorn contains about 64 calories per cup (amount will vary depending on type of oil used). Either way it's prepared, popcorn is a good source of dietary fiber, according to the CondeNet-owned website Nutrition Data.

Air-Popped Considerations

Dry seasonings do not stick well to air-popped popcorn. Tossing the popped kernels in butter or oil before adding your salt or other seasonings will help them adhere.

Oil-Popped Considerations

If you use a flavorful oil like peanut or coconut in the popping, you could be satisfied without the additional calories of butter. Note, however, that different oils contain different amounts of saturated fat and calories, affecting the overall health value of your snack.

Seasonings

Creative seasonings add flavor to popcorn.

If you use a little imagination, you can come up with some new ideas for flavoring your popcorn. Try sprinkling it with soy sauce, malt vinegar or salsa, adding a spice like chili powder, or dusting it with cinnamon and nutmeg for a sweet treat.

Fun Fact

Americans eat 16 billion quarts of popcorn each year, an average of 52 quarts per person. Most popcorn is sold for home consumption during the fall.

References

• Popcorn Board
• Nutrition Data: Popcorn Snacks