One of the most popular snacks amongst people young and old is popcorn!
Unfortunately, over the last decade or so popcorn lovers haven’t had a reason to rejoice.
The microwaveable popcorn industry was hit hard when it was revealed that a popular butter-flavoring agent called diacetyl caused lung damage. Basically, the fumes given off from the popcorn after cooking, over-time, could cause ailment.
More recently, chemicals known as PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid), found in the lining of popcorn bags has been linked to infertility according to a study done at UCLA.
Oh, and don’t even get me started on the calories and fat in movie theater popcorn!
Now, even though food producers have finally wised up and removed these dangerous chemicals from their bags, you may still want to avoid any unforeseen health dangers by staying away from microwaveable popcorn!
But, there’s still good news for you popcorn lovers out there!
There are healthy ways to prepare your favorite treat! Not only that, there are many health reasons as to why you want to consume popcorn, as well.
First of all, a study conducted at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania found that popcorn contains large amounts of polyphenol, an antioxidant believed to lower the risk of cancer as well as other diseases.
Plus, popcorn is low in calories and high in fiber, which makes it a perfect snack for those looking to lose or maintain their weight.
Healthy Popcorn
If your still a little leery of preparing microwaveable popcorn you can rest easy as there are still other ways to pop your favorite treat. 
Here’s a simple recipe for popping some of the healthiest popcorn around!
- Cover the bottom of a medium to large-sized pot with a thin coat of extra-virgin olive oil.
- Add all natural kernels, like Paragon Popcorn, and swirl the pot around in a circular motion to coat the kernels with olive oil.
- Place lid on pot and turn heat to medium.
- As the frequency of popping starts to lessen remove the pot from heat. Be sure to keep the lid on to allow the last remaining kernels to pop.
- Transfer popcorn to a large bowl or bag and lightly spray with olive oil and season with either pepper, cayenne pepper, lemon zest or lightly sprinkle with salt. And don’t be afraid to get a little creative! One of my favorite popcorn treats is to lightly spray with olive oil and sprinkle with cinnamon and stevia and shake.
Calories in popcorn
1 cup of air-popped popcorn = 31 calories
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