Is popcorn or ice cream healthier?

One cup of ice cream, 6 homemade chocolate-chip cookies and even a typical peanut butter and jelly sandwich all have nearly twice the calories of the 8 cups of air-popped popcorn that take far longer to eat.

healthyeating.sfgate.com - Does Eating Popcorn Make It Easier or Harder to Lose Weight?

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Watching movies and eating popcorn go hand-in-hand, but losing weight and eating movie-theater popcorn do not. A large serving at a movie theater can contain 540 calories of saturated fat and a total of 1,200 calories, about three meals’ worth of calories on many women’s diets. Making your own popcorn at home is a healthier alternative that can help rather than hinder weight loss.

Saves Calories and Saturated Fat

Per cup, movie-theater popcorn can contain 27 calories of saturated fat and 60 total calories. An equal amount of air-popped popcorn contains 0.5 calories of saturated fat and 31 total calories. Eating the same amount of air-popped popcorn as the large size at the movies saves you 530 calories of saturated fat and 580 total calories. Eating fat-free microwaveable popcorn instead of the microwaveable movie-theater versions also results in a considerable reduction of saturated fat and total calories. For instance, one serving of one brand of movie-theater popcorn contains 67 calories of saturated fat or trans fat, and 180 total calories. One serving of that brand's 94 percent fat-free variety, however, has 4.5 calories of saturated fat, no trans fat and 110 total calories. The average American adult consumes less than half of the Recommended Daily Amount of fiber, which is 25 to 30 grams. In other words, adding fiber to your diet makes it easier lose weight. Air-popping one-quarter cup of uncooked kernels makes about 8 cups when popped--enough food for an entire night of movie viewing--and contains 9.6 grams of fiber, about a third of the RDA. Microwaveable types of popcorn made at home contain virtually the same amount of fiber per cup, but those using butter and oil have significantly more saturated fat and calories, mitigating the benefit of the fiber.

Substitutes for Higher-Calorie Snacks

Eating air-popped popcorn as a snack not only helps you lose weight because it’s relatively high in fiber, but also because it can replace other higher-calorie snacks. Eight cups of air-popped popcorn contain only 244 calories, yet require a considerable amount of time to eat. Eat just 17 plain potato chips and you'll consume the same number of calories yet be done in no time, making it more likely that you'll eat more chips or another snack. Calorie-for-calorie comparisons do air-popped popcorn even more justice if you consider other typical after-supper snacks it can replace. One cup of ice cream, 6 homemade chocolate-chip cookies and even a typical peanut butter and jelly sandwich all have nearly twice the calories of the 8 cups of air-popped popcorn that take far longer to eat.

Healthy Homemade Popcorn

Popcorn doesn’t need to be unhealthy to be delicious -- there are many ways to make plain, air-popped popcorn more flavorful without blowing your diet. One of the simplest ways to dress plain popcorn is with olive oil and a dash of sea salt. Simply adding a couple of teaspoons of high-quality olive oil to a bowl of popcorn brings a lot of flavor for just 40 calories per teaspoon; you can also add a dash of sea salt or use a bit of pepper to give it some zip.

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