YES, popcorn makes you fat but you have to know that those we buy in the cinema or to do in the microwave do not fatten the same as those we do naturally. Many people wonder how much you can get fat eating popcorn and the truth is that the answer will vary greatly depending on the type you consume: if you go to the movies, the portion of calories is much higher than if you prepare the popcorn yourself in a pan or in a saucepan because, let's not forget, popcorn is corn that explodes. Therefore, if we do not add any extra to the preparation, we can enjoy a healthy and beneficial snack for the body but without excesses!
In this article we are going to answer your question about whether popcorn gets fat by discovering which are the most fattening and how you can do to enjoy this snack without your body suffering excessively.
The popcorn that DOES make you fat: those in the microwave
As we have already said, popcorn makes you fat but we have to qualify this statement a lot because they are not, at all, the same calories we take with a bag of popcorn for the microwave as those we cook ourselves in a pan. So, let's start talking about the popcorn that makes you fat the most so that you can limit your diet and opt for another healthier alternative.
Packaged popcorn that is prepared to explode in the microwave is the worst you can consume, both for calorie issues and health issues; in fact, this product is included among theworst health foods, so be very careful about it! Why?
- They are very rich in saturated fats since additives and flavorings are added to enhance their flavor
- They are very rich in salt and, remember, excess salt prevents proper blood circulation and contributes to fluid retention
- It has trans fats: in fact, 30% of these popcorns are fats arriving. In this other article we tell you what trans fats are
- Very high in calories: for every 100 grams of this snack, you are consuming around 500 calories! A lot compared to the few nutrients it gives us
Therefore, it is recommended that you avoid the consumption of this type of popcorn and, failing that, choose to cook them yourself at home to avoid all these additions that affect their nutritional quality.
The popcorn of the cinema, also very caloric
The popcorn of the cinema also fattens, in fact, its caloric contribution is more or less similar to that of microwave, therefore, we must avoid them to the maximum if we want to maintain the line but, also, improve our health. In addition, as you already know, movie popcorn is of different sizes and, therefore, its range of calories can vary according to its size: the small ones can have 400 calories while the super ones provide about 1200 calories so be very careful!
As with microwaves, movie popcorn also contains ingredients that are very harmful to health, such as alarge amount of saturated fat (they can contain up to 60 grams!), a lot of sodium and, of course, a lot of calories.
Therefore, we must avoid the consumption of this type of popcorn as much as possible because, as you can see, they can seriously affect our health. Of course: if you go to the movies and you cannot resist one of them, we recommend that you buy the smallest ones and accompany them with water, instead of a sugary soft drink, because this way you will avoid increasing even more the consumption of calories, fats and sugars.
What about sweet popcorn
If you are more of sweet popcorn than salty you should know that you should also be careful when consuming this product because, instead of providing us with so much sodium, they provide us with a large dose of sugars and, therefore, can alter our health seriously. In this other article we clarify why it is bad to consume sugar.
The best popcorn: homemade!
But beware! If instead of eating popcorn from movies or microwaves, you eat them homemade, things change a lot! Do not forget that popcorn is corn that explodes when put at high temperatures, therefore, if we prepare them ourselves, we will not use harmful ingredients such as preservatives, flavorings, excess salt, etc. and, on the contrary, we will be taking an ingredient that is quite healthy for the body.
So, YES, popcorn gets fat but homemade ones NOT SO much. In fact, it is more beneficial to eat a little homemade popcorn than chips or other processed snacks since, as we have said, corn gives us many health benefits.
Homemade popcorn allows us to enjoy the flavor of popcorn but without the excess of saturated fats or cholesterol. The only thing is that instead of having them ready in 3 or 4 minutes, they will take a little longer to do (about 8 or 10 minutes) but think that that little difference will save you from taking a lot of elements harmful to health so it is worth it, don't you think?
How to make homemade popcorn
To be able to make this homemade popcorn, you will only have to buy the raw popcorn, a large pot with a lid and a splash of olive oil (much better than butter). Now, you just have to follow these steps:
- Place a splash of olive oil in the saucepan (without going over the amount because we do not want to fry).
- Add the corn kernels and light the fire at a high temperature.
- Quickly cover the pot for corn do not leave its interior and, little by little, you will see how with the heat they begin to explode
- Leave the pot covered and turn off the heat when you hear the grains break with a margin of 30 seconds between them.
- If you want, you can sprinkle a little salt and you're good to go!
With this, you can enjoy this whim but without it being as harmful as the previous ones mentioned. Of course: we recommend that you do not overdo it with its consumption and that you take it as something punctual.
The calories of this type of popcorn are usually 200 calories per 100 grams, less than half that of packaged or cinema!
