Part of trying to live a healthy lifestyle is finding alternatives to ready-made snacks that are usually full of added sugars, preservatives, and unwanted chemicals. We have found some alternatives that have been “life-savers” when you are having one of those “craving moments.” Does anyone else love popcorn like we do?
Well, if you are reaching for the movie theater popcorn, beware. One large “buttered” popcorn at the typical movie theater contains about 1,220 calories, San Francisco Chronicle restaurant critic Michael Bauer reminds us, quoting a decade-old survey: “You would have to swim 162 minutes to burn off that popcorn—longer than your average motion picture.”
Oh, and don’t forget the fat content. A large popcorn has about 80 grams of fat, more than 50 ofDiet Trash them saturated. That’s almost three day’s worth of saturated fat, or what you’d get from six Big Macs! And that’s if you skip the “butter.” Succumb to the “butter” on your large popcorn and you’ll boost the fat to almost 130 grams, or two more days worth, plus four day’s worth of cholesterol. But what’s another two Big Macs when you’re already up to six?
I’m sure that’s not what you want to hear as we head into the weekend and you may be off to catch a new flick. And if you are thinking about sneaking microwave popcorn into the theater, be careful of which one you are choosing. Many types of loaded with butter and trans fat as well.
Our favorite thing to sneak into the theater (shh! Don’t tell anyone because we know you do it too!) is our homemade Sea Salted Kettle Corn. We cook it in Coconut Oil, a healthy fat, and only add sea salt. It’s delicious and you won’t even miss the butter. Try it out this weekend and let us know what you think! It only takes about 3-4 minutes to make…close to the same amount of cooking time as microwave popcorn but without all the unnecessary additives!
So we want to hear from you! What is your favorite snack to sneak into a theater?
Sea Salted Kettle Corn
- Coconut Oil: enough to cover the bottom of a large pot or kettle
- Popcorn kernels: enough to cover the bottom of a large pot or kettle
- Sea salt
Place large pot or kettle on a burner and turn on High. Put coconut oil into the bottom. Right after the oil has melted, cover the bottom of the pot with popcorn. Sea Salt all the kernels generously. Place lid on kettle. The lid will trap steam inside and help to pop the corn. Let sit for 1-2 minutes as the kernels begin to heat up and pop. Use two oven mitts or potholders, hold sides of kettle and slightly shake to agitate kernels at the bottom of the pot. This will prevent them from sticking and burning. Continue this until you hear the popcorn stop popping. Immediately remove from heat and pour into a bowl. Add more sea salt and stir through if needed. Enjoy your guiltless, chemical-free popcorn!!
