

And while air-popped popcorn doesn’t contain saturated fats or trans fats (again, more on those momentarily), it does contain some heart-healthy unsaturated fats. In fact, it’s technically a ‘whole-grain’ in the sense that it’s nothing but corn kernels that have been steamed open.”īeing a whole-grain, air-popped popcorn also provides a solid dose of dietary fiber, which essentially keeps your intestinal system running smoothly - or in simpler terms, it helps you poop.

“It also doesn’t have all the saturated fats, trans fats and sodium that comes along with other popcorn on this list. “This is the healthiest, since it has very few calories,” Hunnes explains (again, one cup contains only about 40 calories). ġ) Air-Popped Popcorn: You probably expected this to be first, and rightfully so. That being the case, I asked Hunnes to help me rank popular popcorn flavors and styles by how healthy they are - from ultimate snack to pop your clogs. So as with almost anything ( except energy drinks ), popcorn may or may not be healthy, depending on what you - or that stoned dude working at the movie theater - put on it. It won’t necessarily feel that satiating, because it’s a lot of air, but you’ll be chewing on it so long that either your mouth or your stomach will feel full before you put in too many calories.” “One cup only has about 40 calories or so - and a lot of fiber. “Popcorn is a very low-calorie treat when it’s air-popped without a bunch of added butter and oils,” she said.

That said, when I recently asked Dana Hunnes, senior dietitian at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, about healthy snacks that can be consumed in large amounts, she immediately mentioned air-popped popcorn (which is basically the purest form of popcorn without any extra ingredients). Last week, in a New York Times article appropriately titled “ Stephen Curry Has a Popcorn Problem ,” the Golden State Warriors sharpshooter shamelessly admitted to being a “popcorn addict.” In fact, the basketballer loves the buttery-salty snack so much that he even ranked the popcorn served at all 29 NBA arenas, grading them on freshness, saltiness, crunchiness, butter and presentation (apparently, the American Airlines Center in Dallas serves the best popcorn - you’re welcome).Ĭurry does recognize that popcorn can be an unhealthy snack, which is especially true when you drench it in butter and salt.
