Last Sunday, my family and I saw the fabulous film, Water for Elephants, starring Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattinson (the book was equally amazing, I highly recommend it). In the theater my kids asked me for popcorn. I said, no, I’m sorry. No theater popcorn allowed.

Why not?

Because I’m a strict mom, espeically when it comes to eating junk food, and I believe education is the most powerful tool to convince young people to eat healthfully. I told them the shocking truth behind movie-house popcorn, and after hearing it, they did not want any. I doubt they’ll ever ask me again. Mean, no. Caring, yes.

Here’s the deal. Crunching your way through a large tub  of movie-house buttered popcorn (there are about 20 cups in a large tub!) popped in coconut oil adds about 1,500 calories and 116 grams of fat to your day! That’s almost your entire daily allowance of calories and fat, especially if you’re a child. A small tub (about 7 cups) contains about 580 calories and 47 grams of fat. Also, avoid microwave popcorn brands as most contain partially hydrogenated oil. Best thing is air-popped popcorn.

Here’s the nutritional line-up for 4 cups of popcorn popped using three different methods:

• Air-popped popcorn: Calories = 114 cals; Cholesterol = 0 mg; Saturated Fat = 1.2 g; Total Fat = 1 g; Protein = 4 g
• Oil-popped popcorn: Calories = 222 cals;  Cholesterol = 0 mg; Saturated Fat = 12 g; Total Fat = 2 g; Protein = 4 g
• Buttered oil-popped popcorn: 291 cals; Cholesterol = 11 mg; Saturated Fat = 18 mg; Total Fat = 5 g; Protein = 5 g

Source: Eating for Lower Cholesterol: A Balanced Approach to Heart Health with Recipes Everyone Will Love.

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