Best Healthy Popcorn Recipes » LeelaLicious (2024)

FAQs

What is the healthiest popcorn to make? ›

Air popped popcorn uses no oil, meaning it has the fewest calories. “Popping it in oil, however, is a great way to consume a healthy portion of fat to control hunger,” Jeffers says. Not only can you manage serving size, but you can also make it in under 10 minutes in most cases.

Avocado oil boasts the highest smoke point, the healthiest nutrition facts, a great buttery creamy flavor, and overall, the cleanest quality of any oil on the market.

Ghee. Ghee, also known as clarified butter, is one of the most popular healthy alternatives to buttered popcorn. You can prepare it by heating butter or cream. It has a high smoke point with a nutty flavor- similar to what you might get from the trail mix.

If your popcorn has lots of salt on it, Smith says this can lead to water retention, causing high blood pressure. She also points out that eating too much popcorn can also negatively impact your oral health because unpopped kernels can damage teeth.

In addition to being high in fiber, popcorn also contains phenolic acids, a type of antioxidant. In addition, popcorn is a whole grain, an important food group that may reduce the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension in humans.

Worst: Lance's Movie Theater Butter Popcorn

"With 11 grams of fat 2.5 cups serving, Lance's Movie Theater Butter Popcorn is on the unhealthier side when it comes to bagged popcorn," says Megan Huff, RD, LD, Cardiac ICU Dietitian.

Then there's the nutritional comparison. Depending on how much oil you use, making your popcorn on the stove should save you a few calories compared to the microwave stuff. Plus, unlike with Pop Secret, you're not forced to make a whole bag's worth (and subsequently eat it in its entirety, because you're only human).

Oil: I've always used coconut oil for this recipe, which gives it a super-subtly-sweet undertone that everyone always comments on and loves. But avocado oil, olive oil, or safflower oil are good alternatives too.

What oil do cinemas use for popcorn? ›

Coconut oil: Some movie theaters use coconut oil for their popcorn, so this recipe does too. Clarified butter or ghee: Clarified butter or ghee gives the popcorn a clean, rich, buttery flavor. Salt: Finely ground salt sticks to the kernels best. Use popcorn salt or grind kosher salt into a powder.

Combine melted butter, paprika, lemon pepper, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl; pour over popcorn and stir until it is somewhat evenly coated.

There are a variety of Smart Balance options - ranging from Original, to Light, to Whipped, to Olive Oil, to "Heart Right". All contain less saturated fat (1.5-2.5 grams) than whipped butter does (3.5-4.5 grams), but about the same number of calories per tablespoon. This is a perfectly fine choice for spreads.

Given its name, a consumer might well think that SkinnyPop is lower in calories and fat, but it actually contains more of both than the other four popcorns have. On its website the company defines "skinny" not as diet-friendly but as "using the fewest, cleanest and simplest ingredients possible."

Nutritional Value

Approximately 31 calories and 1.2 grams of fiber are found in one cup of air-popped white popcorn, while 35 calories and 1 gram of fiber are found in one cup of air-popped yellow popcorn. Both varieties of popcorn are regarded as nutritious treats despite these minor variations.

Well, for starters, pre-popped popcorn contains much less salt than bagged popcorn. It also contains less sugar, grease, and calories. In past studies, microwavable popcorn was linked to harmful chemicals such as diacetyl.