Monday, December 1, 2008

Pop, Pop, Pop Me Some Popcorn


In my attempts to put my wallet on a strict diet plan this holiday season, I realized that I have a deep desire to give more sentimental gifts (and cost efficient might I add). I don’t know about everyone else, but many of my friends and family have been skipping trips to the movie theatres. At $9.00 per ticket, more and more people are opting to rent DVDs and watch them in the comforts of their own homes. Other benefits of dodging the movie theatre include being able to escape the temptation of the snack counter and its buttery, salty popcorn.

Popcorn is one of my favorite Brain Foods, but movie theatre popcorn can be detrimental to your health with the loads of butter and salt that is added to the kernels. If you make your own popcorn at home, you can leave the unhealthiness behind by popping a light snack to watch with your favorite movie. Popcorn is low in fat and a great source of fiber. A single serving is a mere 90-100 calories with only 2 grams of fat. Believe it or not, popcorn also actually aids in the digestive process. Avoiding popcorn that has trans fat is imperative when choosing healthier versions of this treat. Healthy popcorn recipes include: Garlic Chili Popcorn and Barbecued Popcorn. For the holiday season, popcorn baskets and popcorn tins make the perfect gift for popcorn lovers otherwise known as your family and friends (you can purchase these items from specialty stores such as The Popcorn Factory).

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Movie butter popcorn is very bad for your health! BUT, I do find that the healthier popcorn options are harder to swallow (they seem dry). Popcorn as a gift? That seems unconventional...but I think I might give it a try!

Anonymous said...

Movies without the popcorn is like cereal without milk. lol