30% of my husbands body is made up of popcorn. Therefore, he will be featured in the popcorn gallery in this post. If you have ever been to our house you know that Clay and I are huge snackers. The thing that we have found the most helpful when it comes to stocking our pantry is making sure we are filling it with healthy snacks. If you have crap around your house it is inevitable that you are going to consume that crap. So whats the solution? Keep healthy snacks around your house and that is what you will consume. Boom simple as that. One of our go-to snacks is popcorn. Popcorn can be a healthy alternative to processed snack foods that you find at your local grocery store. But when I say popcorn I mean go buy a bag of corn kernels and pop them yourself.

When you go to the store and buy the microwavable popcorn in prepackaged bags you are consuming popcorn in a form that is packed with excess fat, sodium, and sugar. For that reason it is important to make sure that you are preparing popcorn the right way. It can go from a healthy snack alternative to a junky treat if it’s prepared the lazy way. One of the joys of making popcorn is seeing kernels turn to popcorn. Popcorn is a special type of corn kernel that has water at the center. When heated it expands and causes the kernel to expand or "pop.”

A lot of people don’t know that popcorn is actually a whole grain food that is high in natural nutrients. Last night when Clay and I wanted to have a snack to enjoy while watching Batman, we popped some corn. I took a picture and thought “hey, i could do a post about popcorn that no one reads.” I hopped on the web and decided to do some research about our favorite night time treat. I found a study done at the University of Scranton that discovered that popcorn contains large amounts of polyphenols. AND GUESS WHAT?!?!?! Thanks to the good ol’ Masters program I’m in, I knew what those were!!!!!!!!!! Polyphenols are antioxidants derived from plant compounds that are associated with a lot of health benefits. Some of the most basic health benefits include:

Improved blood circulation
Improved digestion
Reducing the risk of diseases
Reducing cancer causing properties

Well call me pops mcgee because I’m sold. I’m going to be popping everydayyyyyyyyyy. JK. Popcorn is high in fiber. Fiber is the secret celestial key to good health. Fiber reduces the risk of heart disease, obesity, and diabetes. Fiber is also key in the pursuit of weight loss and improved gut health. Reason number 10,000 to stock kernels in your pantry for late night snacking.

A huge portion of the population associates popcorn with the microwavable crap sold at the store. This form of popcorn comes in a fake, synthetic, processed “convenient” package. Most microwave bags are lined with a chemical called perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), which has been associated with a variety of health problems ranging from ADHD, thyroid problems, and hypertension. Many brands of microwave popcorn are made using hydrogenated or partially-hydrogenated oils, which contain harmful trans fats. Studies have linked trans fats to an increased risk of heart disease and other serious conditions. Sooooooo now that I have dragged the trendy, ever so convenient, microwavable popcorn through the mud. I have to at least propose a healthy alternative. For starters, popcorn made on the stove or in an air-popper are going to be the healthiest options.

Here’s our simple recipe:

Ingredients

3 tablespoons of olive oil or coconut oil
1/2 cup of popcorn kernels
1/2 teaspoon of salt

Instructions

Place oil and kernels into a large pot and cover it.
Cook over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes or until the popping almost stops.
Remove from heat and pour into a serving bowl.
Lightly season with salt.
Or skip all of these steps and use an air popper.

Bottom line popcorn can be a healthy snack alternative when its prepared the right way. You shouldn’t have to cut out snacking because you can’t find healthy alternatives to the junk food in the grocery stores. BONUS TIP: Sometimes the best way to change up the popcorn that we pop is simply by adding different spices to it. I love to sprinkle some nutritional yeast on top of my popcorn for a nutty/cheesy flavor with the added bonus of getting extra nutrients. Another version of popcorn I love is the chili and lime combo. Drizzle lime juice and toss the popcorn in chili powder. Boom done. Easy, spicy, different version of popcorn. If you are feeling like a sweet version of popcorn sprinkle it with cinnamon! Don’t be afraid to try something new and get funky.

Let me know what flavor combos you try and which ones are your favorite!

References

Medical News Today. (2019). Is popcorn healthy? Nutrition, types, and weight loss. [online] Available at: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324763.php [Accessed 12 Nov. 2019].

Time. (2019). https://time.com. [online] Available at: https://time.com/4017226/popcorn-health/ [Accessed 12 Nov. 2019].

What's Poppin'?