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The snack food aisle in ~ the grocery store store appears to prosper every week as brand-new items appear. Ns constantly amazed at this market -- who buying this stuff?? -- and also I’m additionally stunned by the price the a bag that chips. This gained me thinking about an old-fashioned snack we had actually as kids.

You are watching: 1 oz of popcorn in cups

Popcorn.

Though it"s been a treat because that ages, popcorn reflects no sign of going out of style. The nationwide Popcorn Board estimates the each human in America spend 204 cups of popcorn each year. Plus, it turns out the 70% of that number comes from popcorn consumed at home.

From a nutritional perspective, popcorn can be head and shoulders above other snack foods. ~ all, 1 cup of level air-popped popcorn has just 31 calories, 1 gram the protein, 6 grams of carbohydrate, 1 gram of fiber, and also just a trace of fat. Furthermore, popcorn is a whole-grain food. This way that it"s loaded through fiber and also none that its nutrients have been stripped away.

The calorie in popcorn deserve to vary based on exactly how it"s prepared. For example, cooking popcorn in a tablespoon the oil on peak of the stove can double the calories! right here are the calculations...

Popcorn pops to 40 time its initial size.One ounce (2 Tbsp of kernels) makes about 4 cups of popcorn.Four cups of popcorn have actually 125 calories.There room 120 calorie in one tablespoon of oil.Oil-popped popcorn, therefore, has about 245 calories. That"s about 60 calories per cup.

Now let"s look in ~ microwave popcorn.

Each kind of microwave popcorn has actually its own included ingredients, which virtually always encompass fat, sodium, and sugar. In fact, these arrays have too many added ingredients, so ns skip them. If you have actually your heart set on microwave popcorn, study the nutrition labels very first and pick an option that"s low in calories, heavy fats, sodium, and added sugars.

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Making your very own popcorn at home gives you control over the ingredients and also can aid you conserve money too. Ns calculated the those 2 tablespoons of popcorn kernels cost roughly 10 cents (that’s 4 cup of popped corn). Compare that to the 80 cent it expenses to get the same amount of already-popped popcorn. Or compare that price to the 33 cent it costs to gain 4 cup of popped microwave popcorn.

It"s easy to make your own microwave popcorn there is no any added ingredients!

Here"s exactly how I perform it.

Place 2 tablespoons the unpopped popcorn kernels in a microwave-safe bowl and also cover.Microwave top top high till the popping slows. This normally takes around three minutes, however it"s important to hear for it and also stop the microwave as soon as you count a couple of seconds in between pops.Uncover the popcorn and serve.

Now let"s talk food safety.

This is not the time to leaving the kitchen! as the popcorn pops, it i do not care drier and also may even capture on fire if left in the microwave as well long. Oh, and also be certain to skip brown paper bags. This bags space not authorized for microwave use and also may not be safe because that foods. Bags can easily record fire and also unknown chemicals or other materials on or in the bags might come in contact with the food.

The national Popcorn board recommends storing popcorn in a tightly close up door container in a cool location. However don’t save the kernels in the refrigerator or freezer, together this may reason them to loosened moisture.

See more: Why Is Chocolate Better Than Vanilla ? Chocolate Vs

So gain out there and also get popping!

By Cheryle Jones Syracuse, MS, Professor Emeritus in ~ The Ohio State University

Here"s a totally free handout with the basics about popcorn. Download it today and share it through your clients!

And don"t miss out on these great materials native the Nutrition education and learning Store!

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Whole grain Poster
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MyPlate Plastic key Set
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Elementary Nutrition Workbook

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