Popcorn a healthy snack

When you think of a snack, the first thing that always comes to the mind is something tasty. MMM chocolate, chips, candy. But no, this is not the right way to think, we need to consider the calorie counts it has and what nutritional value does it bring.

Almost all the snacks we think about are high in calories as well as unhealthy amounts of fat. This means that if you are watching your weight no more unhealthy snacks for you (dame, l love Cadbury chocolate, one square (or should l say block, lol, is never enough). But, there are is one healthy snack that also tastes good and it is POPCORN!

Popcorn is a whole grain food which means that it is a complex carbohydrate. In layman's terms it means that the popcorn is a good source of fiber and low in calories, as mentioned on healthandfitness.com. The number of calories in an unbuttered popcorn cup is only about 30-55. If we compare it to compare to a Hershey's chocolate bar, it was over 200 calories, or a small packet of chips can have 200 calories. And we can eat these in a matter of minutes and still be hungry.

As mentioned on calorieking.com to burn the calories in popcorn you could do any of the following:

9 mins of walking
4 mins of jogging
3 mins of swimming
5 mins of cycling

Whereas to burn the chocolate you would require:

63 mins of walking
26 mins of jogging
19 mins of swimming
35 mins of cycling

Well there is a big difference it what you need to do, but to think about it the chocolate bar would take me less time to eat. So next time you reach far that chocolate bar as a snack, just think about all the exercise you need to do to burn off all those unwanted calories.

An apple which is about 50 calories as well, so this makes the popcorn a healthier snack and rembember they have no preservatives or if you pop them yourself!

Popcorn was initially considered by the tribals and native Americans to be spirits trapped inside the kernel and there were times when the heat made them popped. This set the tribals thinking that the popping was a result of the spirits getting angry. Well thank God for that, otherwise the world would have been without this tasty snack.

Here is a different recipe for popcorn that l found interesting with only 59 calories per serve.

Pizza Popcorn

Serves: 6 person(s)
Preparation Time: 5 mins
Cooking Time: 3 mins

Ingredients:

1/3 cup popping corn

1 Tbsp pizza seasoning

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 Tbsp butter

Directions:

Place butter and popping corn in a large covered saucepan or wok and cook over a high heat, shaking vigorously for approximately 2 minutes, or until all corn has popped.
Sprinkle with seasoning and cheese. Portion into paper cones or bags and serve immediately.

Variations: If you're watching your cholesterol levels, but still want a tasty treat, substitute margarine for butter and omit parmesan cheese

A lot of companies have now specialized popcorn manufacturing facilities which cater to the variety of popcorn loving people. Just remember if you are watching your weight, check the amount of fats present in each packet.

Also popcorn has been made famous as a snack for the moviegoers. We all can't watch a movie without eating popcorn at the same time. They go together hand in hand.