Is popcorn healthy? Advantages, disadvantages and eating it every day [Beuzz]

Pop corn.

It’s light and chewy, salty and crunchy. Sometimes buttered, it can also be sweet or savory. Hot or at room temperature, it’s a late-night favorite at the movies and at home. More … than 17 billion liters are consumed by Americans every year. In fact, the global market size was around $5.2 billion in 2021.

Popcorn is a favorite for many, but is it a healthy snack or a guilty pleasure? To get all your popcorn questions answered, we spoke with Barbara Olendzki, associate professor of population and quantitative health sciences at UMass Chan Medical School.

Is popcorn healthy or unhealthy?

It may not be one or the other. While it doesn’t provide much nutritional value, it’s not calorie dense if you eat one serving and keep butter and salt to a minimum.

When asked if popcorn was healthy, Olendzki replied, “Not really, no. A cup has about 116 calories, 1 gram of protein, 6 carbs, and if you only put in about a tablespoon soup of butter and salt, you get 10 grams of fat.”

For context, most of us eat three cups in one sitting, says Olendzki.

She adds that because of the way popcorn is cooked to expand, “it will be quickly digested and turned into carbohydrates in the body, which is problematic for some.”

What are some of the disadvantages of popcorn?

Olendzki says one of the downsides of popcorn is that we can just keep eating it. And eat it. And eat it. Our brain/gut doesn’t tell us when we’ve had enough, so we keep eating it. She says that’s not the case with other foods, like carrots.

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Additionally, there has been controversy surrounding the butter flavorings. Although they are safe to eat, breathing in these chemicals, especially diacetyl, can damage your airways. However, most manufacturers have diacetyl removed of their products.

Is it okay to eat a lot of popcorn?

As mentioned above, popcorn is not the healthiest food out there. People also tend to keep eating it because of the calming, crunchy factor, says Olendzki.

“If you’re looking for more nutrition in your snacks, try crunchy vegetables or roasted vegetables or edamame! Edamame is very good and nutritious.”

What’s the healthiest way to pop popcorn?

“If you don’t want to overdo it, air-sauté it and don’t add salt,” says Olendzki. “You won’t be as tempted to keep eating it. Oh, and if you have diabetes, add the oil (or butter). It slows the absorption of carbohydrates into the bloodstream so your pancreas can handle it.