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Ah, popcorn. What’s not to love? It’s delicious, nutritious, and you can eat copious quantities of it without the slightest feeling of guilt. Click the video below for a nutritional comparison of a few leading brands of microwave popcorn.

*Notes:

• Popcorn is a whole grain—all the more reason to help yourself to a bowl.
• Some brands of microwave popcorn tend to be high in sodium, so be sure the check the nutrition label before purchasing your next box. I like to aim for 10% of RDA or less per serving.
• TBHQ (tert-Butylhydroquinone) is a preservative often added to popcorn. There are mixed feelings regarding this compound due to its association with stomach tumors and DNA damage in animal testing. However, these negative health effects have been observed only when TBHQ is ingested in high doses; most foods contain trivial amounts. You may have also heard of this compound in relation to McDonald’s chicken McNuggets in The Omnivore’s Dilemma.

Brands mentioned in this video:

Pop Secret (94% fat-free)

Pop Weaver (with canola oil)

Newman’s Own Organics (light butter)

Arrowhead Mills kernels

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Snack Mix Suggestions

Coco-berry Popcorn Mix:

• 4 cups air-popped popcorn
• 2 T. cocoa-roasted almonds
• 2 T, dried mixed berries (such as blueberries, cranberries, and raspberries)

Cinnamon-Sugar Popcorn Mix

• 4 cups air-popped popcorn
• 1/2 cup Cascadian Farm Cinnamon Crunch cereal
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 T. walnuts
• 2 T raisins

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Peanut Butter-Pretzel Popcorn Mix

• 1/2 bag Newman’s Own Organic Light Butter popcorn, popped
• 10-15 peanut butter-filled pretzel nuggets, crushed

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Happy snacking!

Filed under: Product Review