Thursday, July 31, 2014

Pop Smart

Snacks tend to constitute a "fourth meal" these days. Additional calories mean additional pounds, so the term "healthy snacking" tends to be an oxymoron. Always remember to budget your munchies into your daily caloric intake and make smart snack choices. Do-it-yourself snacks are usually the better choice, especially when it comes to popcorn. Even with close reading of the Nutrition Facts labels on the microwave popcorn packages, the plain DIY popcorn is still only 124 calories and 0.2g. fat per serving (about 2 T. of un-popped kernels). The average "butter" style microwave popcorn yields 180 calories and 2.5 g. saturated fat. To add buttery flavor to the DIY popcorn, add a little butter-flavored olive oil cooking spray and and a pinch of salt.