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Don't Blow Your Healthy Habits at the Movies This Weekend

FitSugar — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:00:53 -0800

It's a big movie weekend, for sure. With New Moon finally out, I've already committed myself to spend an afternoon at the theater - the only complication is that I'm not so fond of the movie-theater fare. It's an admittedly challenging place to stick to healthy food choices, since there usually aren't any to begin with. Just in case you don't believe me, recent research is revealing just how unhealthy movie popcorn can be - and it's probably a lot worse than you think.

An article from WebMd highlights the Center for Science in the Public Interest's findings on the state of popcorn, which claims movie theater popcorn is just about as bad for you as "a pound of baby back ribs and a scoop of Haagen-Dazs ice cream or maybe two Big Macs" - and that's before you even add the butter. For the study, researchers sent samples of popcorn and toppings from three different movie theater chains and compared their findings to the chains' own nutritional information. What they found is likely to make you rethink how you view your movie treat.

The study's results show that the calorie count of movie theater popcorn ranges from just about 400 to 1,200 calories, and contains an alarming serving of saturated fat that's equivalent to three days worth of your daily recommended portion, and anywhere from 200 (in the smallest 6-cup size serving) to 1,500 milligrams of sodium. Additionally, the study revealed that both AMC and Regal theaters pop their popcorn in coconut oil, which has a saturated fat content of a whopping 90 percent. Cinemark theaters, which pops their popcorn in canola oil, earns the rep as the healthiest chain, with a significantly lower saturated fat content - ranging from 2 grams in the 420-calorie small size to 5 grams in the 910-calorie large popcorn bucket. But, keep in mind that popcorn is usually just a part of the order - add a soda or your choice of candy, and your order is easily nearing 1,700 calories.

To learn about healthier options at the movies read more.

To avoid a serious caloric overload on your movie outing, the solutions are simple. Opt to share a small, unbuttered popcorn, and request that it be popped without salt (according to the article, these chains will happily oblige), or knosh on something healthy before you head out. If you can, bring a small bag of almonds or a piece of fruit along. Be smart about your choices, and don't let one afternoon at the movies spoil your healthy habits. It's totally fine to indulge every now and then, but a 1,200-calorie serving of popcorn that packs more saturated fat than you need in three days is hardly a treat for your bod or health.

October Is National Popcorn Poppin’ Month

FitSugar — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 03:30:06 -0700

It's that time of the year again . . . popcorn month! Did you know that Americans eat 16 billion quarts of this popular snack every year? Take my quiz and test what other popcorn trivia you know.

Take the quiz

Popcorn Hopping With Antioxidants

FitSugar — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 09:00:14 -0700

The list of super foods just got a little snackier: popcorn is loaded with antioxidants. We have known for a while now that blueberries and broccoli contain high amounts of disease-fighting micronutrients, but whole grains are also high in polyphenols that can help in the nutrition fight against cancer and heart disease. Even whole grain foods like cracker and cereals - especially those with added cinnamon and cocoa, which are both known for their beneficial antioxidant content - are high in polyphenols. The key word here is "whole grain."

Surprisingly, popcorn ranked highest in antioxidant content among snack foods. It can be considered a healthy snack if it's not coated with butter. It's still important to eat your veggies, since they're loaded with other nutrients as well. Go for a well-balanced diet and keep your carbs whole grain.

Popcorn Breakdown

FitSugar — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 10:15:00 -0700

Popcorn is delicious, satisfying, crunchy, and fun to eat. It's nature's snack food.

There are so many different ways to make and flavor popcorn, but unfortunately, some of those tasty methods turn this healthy snack into one loaded with sugar and sodium.

So let's look at the nutritional breakdown of 1 cup of each to see how they compare.

Want to see, then read more

	Calories	Fat (g)	Sodium (mg)	Carbs (g)	Sugar (g)
Air popped popcorn	31	0	1	6	0
Stove-top with oil & salt	55	3	97	6	0
Orville Redenbacher's Microwave popcorn (ultimate butter)	55	3	40	3	0
Orville Redenbacher's Microwave popcorn (light, butter)	40	1	35	4	0
Newman's Own Organics Microwave popcorn (butter)	46	2.6	54	4.9	0
Popcorn Indiana Kettle corn	60	1.8	48	11	5.5
Movie theater popcorn with butter	83	7	-	4	-
Smartfood (cheddar cheese flavored)	162	10	294	14.2	3
Cracker Jack with peanuts	240	4	140	46	30
Crunch and Munch (buttery toffee with peanuts)	128	4.6	147	21	12
Poppycock (cashew lovers)	280	12	180	42	24
Fiddle Faddle (Honey nut)	260	7	480	48	30
Caramel Corn	243	12	357	34	26

Fit's Tips: The sodium and sugar content of movie theater popcorn was impossible to find, so that makes me think it's even worse than I imagine. So the next time you go to the movies, forget about buying over-priced, unhealthy snacks - why not bring your own? I always pop my own popcorn and bring it along in my purse with a water bottle. That way I won't be tempted to buy the movie theater popcorn when I smell the fake, yet mesmerizing, buttery aroma. I also like to pack some dark chocolate, almonds and dried cranberries.

Since movie theaters make most of their profits by selling overpriced snacks, you gotta keep your homemade treats on the down low. Wait until the lights go dim before enjoying your tasty snacks.

Source

Newman's Own Organics

FitSugar — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 10:15:00 -0700

What doesn't Newman's Own Organics make? I swear, every time I go to the grocery store, I see a new product. Of course I have to try it because everything they make is so darn delicious.

Not only are these products organic, benefiting you and the environment, but Paul Newman and the Newman's Own Foundation donate all profits and royalties, after taxes, to educational and charitable purposes. They have donated over $200 million to thousands of charities worldwide since l982.

So let's get to the food. There is a special place in my stomach for their Bavarian pretzels. I love they're Salt and Pepper Pretzels too. They're baked, not fried, so they make a great snack, especially dunked in hummus. Plus they make Spelt Pretzels that are really high in fiber.

I also love their Ginger O's. They remind me of the Oreos I used to devour as a kid, but they're made with ginger cookies instead of chocolate. Not only that, they contain no hydrogenated oils, trans fat, or cholesterol. Not into this flavor? They make other flavors like Chocolate filled with chocolate creme, and Hint O' Mint.

Speaking of chocolate, I love theirs. They make bars of Sweet Dark, Butter Toffee Crunch, and Milk Chocolate with Crisp Rice which are all delicious. They also make a line of chocolate cups filled with peanut butter, caramel, and mint.

Newman's Own Organics also makes popcorn, coffee, dried fruit, Alphabet cookies, Fig Newmans (cute little pun, huh?), fresh produce and even pet food.

As you can see, they make just about everything. If you haven't tried any of their wonderful organic products yet, you simply must. I'm a HUGE fan. I do want to point out though, that even though these products are organic they are still snacks and they still have lots of calories, so enjoy them in moderation (just like you would do with Oreos).

Cheesy Nutritional Yeast

FitSugar — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 02:00:00 -0700

You either love it or hate it. Nutritional yeast has a very yellowish color, vegans who often miss the taste of cheese often add it to food. Which is smart since the meatless dairyless vegan diet can be low in B12 and nutritional yeast is a great source for that vitamin.

You can find it in most health food stores, sold in shaker containers, or in bulk. Some brands, like Red Star make special formulas to support the dietary needs of vegans and vegetarians.

It's an inactive food yeast grown on a molasses solution, and comes in powder or flake form. It's not to be confused with brewer's yeast, which is an active yeast used to make beer.

What do you do with it? Sprinkle some on popcorn, pasta, baked potatoes, salad, steamed veggies, or bread to add a little flavor. You can also add it to dishes like stir fries, soups, gravy, or pasta sauce. Vegans also make a sauce with it to make a mock macaroni and cheese.

Fit's Tips: Looking for unique ways to use nutritional yeast? Check out The Nutritional Yeast Cookbook available through Amazon for $9.95.

Snack Attack: Oscar Night Popcorn

FitSugar — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 12:00:00 -0800

Whenever I curl up on the couch in front of a good movie, I have to have a bowl of freshly popped popcorn. So the same goes for the Oscars - a night celebrating all the movies we love. Now I'm not talking about microwave popcorn here, there's way too much garbage in it.

There's two ways I make it:

1. The old-fashioned way:

Take a 1 quart size saucepan and pour enough canola oil on bottom just to cover it with a thin layer. You can also use olive oil, but I don't think it tastes as good.
Now pour 1/4 cup loose popcorn kernels in, shaking the pan a little to coat them with the oil.
Turn the burner on between medium and high. Place a top on the pan and shake it constantly from side to side over the heat. You get to work your arms a little bit too.
You'll start to hear the kernels begin to pop. Once the popping slows down a great deal, take the pan off the heat and pour the popcorn into another bowl.
Allow it to cool off a bit before sprinkling it with salt.

Want to know an incredibly easy way to make popcorn without the oil? Then read more

2. Fat-Free Popcorn: When my dad was on the Pritikin Diet, he couldn't eat any fat, and we used to make popcorn like this all the time. Here's what you do.

Take a small brown bag, the kind you use for lunches, and open it up.
Pour enough popcorn kernels in to cover the bottom of the bag.
Close the bag by folding the opened end tightly 3 times.
Place the entire bag in the microwave, with the folded side on the bottom.
Cook for about 2 1/2 minutes, or until the popping slows down. If it cooks for too long, you'll have yourself a bag of burnt popcorn.
The popcorn tastes just like it came out of an air popper. Add salt for more flavor.

Got a great (and healthy) snack to share? Join the Snack Attack Group and tell us all! I may even feature your snack right here on FitSugar!

LesserEvil KettleCorn, Yummy and Low-Cal

FitSugar — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 04:00:00 -0800

My good friend Yum recently paid a visit to the Fancy Food Show in San Francisco and she brought me some great low calorie products to try and pass on the cream of the crop to you.

I must say that in many cases I was less than thrilled with the tastelessness of this year's low calories buzz. One product that exceeded my expectations was LesserEvil KettleCorn (depending on where you shop, they sell for a little over $1.00 per bag). This sweet (and salty) popcorn only packs in 120 calories in the bag, and the bag is big in comparison to most 100 calorie snack bags out there. It taste just like the kettlecorn I remember eating as a kid, but the LesserEvil KettleCorn:

is All Natural
is Low Fat
has No Trans-Fats
has No High Fructose Corn Syrup
has No Artificial Colors
has No Artificial Flavors
has No Preservatives
is Gluten Free
is Whole Grain

Sounds like it should have zero taste either, but it really does taste good. Keep a bag around for those times when you're looking for a sweet (and salty) treat to satisfy some serious snacking needs. Buy it online from LesserEvil.com.

What's Your Movie Theater Diet Killer?

FitSugar — Tue, 26 Dec 2006 11:24:22 -0800

Movie Theater Food Breakdown

FitSugar — Tue, 26 Dec 2006 09:45:00 -0800

This holiday season many of us will be flocking to the movies to see the latest and greatest hitting the theaters.

Unfortunately we may not realize that the snacks we are paying WAY too much for have WAY more calories than we may realize. So to help you through, I've broken down some movie theater favorites:

Large Buttered Popcorn (20 cups): 1500 calories, 116g fat, 90g carbs
Hot Dog (1 dog with bun): 305 calories, 4.5g fat, 23g carbs
Nachos with Cheese (large, 4 oz): 1101 calories, 59g fat, 131.5g carbs
Soft Pretzel (large): 483 calories, 4.5g fat, 99g carbs
Cotton Candy (2.5 oz): 300 calories, 0g fat, 74g carbs
Junior Mints (3 oz): 320 calories, 5g fat, 68g carbs

There's lots more, so read more

Milk Duds (3 oz): 340 calories, 12g fat, 56g carbs
Sno-Caps (3.1 oz): 360 calories, 16g fat, 60g carbs
Raisinets (3.5 oz): 380 calories, 16g fat, 64g carbs
Gummi Bears (4 oz): 390 calories, 0g fat, 90g carbs
Goobers (3.5 oz): 525 calories, 35g fat, 55g carbs
Twizzlers (6 oz): 600 calories, 4g fat, 136g carbs
M&M's (5.3 oz): 735 calories, 31.5g fat, 105g carbs
Skittles (6.75 oz): 765 calories, 9g fat, 166.5g carbs
Reese's Pieces (8 oz): 1200 calories, 60g fat, 138g carbs
Starburst (24 pieces): 480 calories, 10.5g fat, 99g carbs
Coca-Cola with ice (large, 3 pints, 18.9 fl oz): 353 calories, 0g fat, 88.4g carbs