Eating popcorn is an easy way to add more whole grains to your diet. Whenever I smell popcorn it creates an intense craving that I struggle to control until I'm home where I can make popcorn in a hot-air popper. Maybe this popcorn-making urge is buried deep in my genetic code.
Surprisingly, popcorn dates back to prehistoric times. Peruvians ate popcorn more than 6,000 years ago by sticking corn cobs in open fires. Today, there’s no need to start a bonfire; you can purchase Popcorn Cobs that cook in your microwave oven...
Surprisingly, popcorn dates back to prehistoric times. Peruvians ate popcorn more than 6,000 years ago by sticking corn cobs in open fires. Today, there’s no need to start a bonfire; you can purchase Popcorn Cobs that cook in your microwave oven...
Another simple microwave method for popping corn involves using a brown paper lunch bag and a quarter cup of popcorn. Follow these simple directions and be sure to stop the microwave as soon as the popping slows down to 5 seconds (or less!) between pops:
The benefit of popping corn using these methods is that you control the type and amount of toppings in addition to the portion size. Purchasing plain popcorn is much less expensive than buying packets of manufactured microwave popcorn and, not surprisingly, plain popcorn is much healthier. Often microwave popcorn packets are loaded with artery-clogging trans fat. And after reports of “popcorn lung” (i.e, lung scarring resulting from inhaling vapors of a buttery-tasting chemical that some manufacturers add to their microwave popcorn), it's best to use other microwave and air-popping methods that are safer and healthier.
If you decide to continue eating butter-flavored microwave popcorn from store-bought packets, you can lower your potential risk of inhaling the flavoring by allowing the bag to cool before you open it and using your stove top exhaust fan or opening a window for ventilation. There's no way to get rid of the trans fat however.
There are some folks who swear by the “old school” method of cooking popcorn on a stove top by using a large pan (3 quarts or larger), 3 tablespoons of cooking oil and 1/3 cup of popcorn (white or yellow). You just cover the pan with a lid and shake gently over medium high heat, allowing steam to escape from the popping kernels. Remove the pan from the heat immediately when popping stops or it will quickly burn.
Perhaps because I was often stuck scouring the (burned) popcorn pan when I was growing up, I prefer using an air popper that doesn’t require washing. I melt butter in a small microwave-safe dish instead of using the cup on top of the air popper. And yes, I do add butter and salt for seasoning, although not much of either one.
You have control over the way popcorn is prepared in your own kitchen and yet what can you do when it’s available elsewhere? Movies and popcorn always went together for me until I started reading about movie theater popcorn many years ago. After going to the movies I often would not feel well, probably because of the popcorn cooking oil used at theaters. I have since switched to eating a few pieces of hard candy instead of munching on popcorn at movie theaters. This took a fair amount of discipline (remember my intense craving!) until I was eventually successful .
If you decide to continue eating butter-flavored microwave popcorn from store-bought packets, you can lower your potential risk of inhaling the flavoring by allowing the bag to cool before you open it and using your stove top exhaust fan or opening a window for ventilation. There's no way to get rid of the trans fat however.
There are some folks who swear by the “old school” method of cooking popcorn on a stove top by using a large pan (3 quarts or larger), 3 tablespoons of cooking oil and 1/3 cup of popcorn (white or yellow). You just cover the pan with a lid and shake gently over medium high heat, allowing steam to escape from the popping kernels. Remove the pan from the heat immediately when popping stops or it will quickly burn.
Perhaps because I was often stuck scouring the (burned) popcorn pan when I was growing up, I prefer using an air popper that doesn’t require washing. I melt butter in a small microwave-safe dish instead of using the cup on top of the air popper. And yes, I do add butter and salt for seasoning, although not much of either one.
You have control over the way popcorn is prepared in your own kitchen and yet what can you do when it’s available elsewhere? Movies and popcorn always went together for me until I started reading about movie theater popcorn many years ago. After going to the movies I often would not feel well, probably because of the popcorn cooking oil used at theaters. I have since switched to eating a few pieces of hard candy instead of munching on popcorn at movie theaters. This took a fair amount of discipline (remember my intense craving!) until I was eventually successful .
I’m glad I made the change because there's also a movie theater popcorn super-sizing problem (in addition to super-sized sodas and candy). Since we tend to eat what's in front of us (even in the dark!), I stopped purchasing snacks at movie theaters altogether. A small buttered popcorn and small soda adds up to nearly 1,000 calories, which is about half of the average adult's daily caloric allotment. I'd rather spend my "calorie salary" on other foods or wait until I get home to make my own.
Home-prepared non-manufactured popcorn is better for you and it's a good source of fiber. A 4-cup serving of popped corn contains about 7 grams of dietary fiber (the recommended daily value of dietary fiber is 20 to 35 grams for a healthy adult). Depending on how popcorn is prepared, it's a snack that can be part of a healthy diet.
Be Well,
Mary
P.S. Please ignore the text box below; your comments are always welcome here.
Home-prepared non-manufactured popcorn is better for you and it's a good source of fiber. A 4-cup serving of popped corn contains about 7 grams of dietary fiber (the recommended daily value of dietary fiber is 20 to 35 grams for a healthy adult). Depending on how popcorn is prepared, it's a snack that can be part of a healthy diet.
Be Well,
Mary
P.S. Please ignore the text box below; your comments are always welcome here.
RSS Feed
