09/29/2006

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Chow Line: Snack on popcorn, but watch portions (for 10/8/06)

Writer:

Martha Filipic
filipic.3@cfaes.osu.edu
614-292-9833

Source:

Sharron Coplin, Human Nutrition

I love popcorn as a snack, and I like that it's a whole grain. But is it nutritious?

Popcorn can be a great snack, but you have to watch your portions and the toppings. And frankly, "Nutrition Facts" labels on popcorn can be confusing. So here are a few kernels of truth.

According to The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, one official serving of popcorn is three cups. That amount gives you the equivalent of one ounce of whole grains. The Dietary Guidelines recommends consuming at least three ounces of whole-grain products each day. Snacking on a few cups of popcorn can help you achieve that. The key is "a few cups." Three cups of popcorn fills a large cereal bowl or small serving bowl. Compared with the tubs you get at the movies or the bags you pop in the microwave, it's not all that much.

Nutrient-wise, popcorn offers protein and fiber (about three grams each per serving) and a small amount of iron and other nutrients -- not a lot, but more than what's in your average snack food. Traditional yellow popcorn also has lutein and zeaxanthin -- carotenoids that help eyesight.

Calorie-wise, though, popcorn is all over the board. Here's where studying "Nutrition Facts" labels (and a little math and some measuring) comes in. Serving sizes listed on popcorn labels range from two to three tablespoons of unpopped kernels, and those amounts (according to labels) result in anywhere from four to seven cups of popped corn. Luckily, popcorn Nutrition Facts labels also have a column with information "Per 1 Cup Popped." That makes comparisons easier.

Most microwave popcorn has 35 calories per cup -- that's 105 calories per three-cup serving. Some "lite" versions have 15 per cup, or 45 for a three-cup serving. For a larger serving, multiply the "per-cup" calories by the number of cups you eat.

If you pop your own, try a hot air or microwave popcorn popper that doesn't require oil. Again, measure how much you end up eating -- portion control is key. The National Nutrient Database says a cup of plain air-popped popcorn (about one-quarter of an ounce) has 31 calories, but labels on "gourmet" popcorn, whose kernels pop fluffier (and thus have more air), say a cup of their air-popped has only 15 calories.

If you pop kernels the old-fashioned way, calories will vary with the amount of oil you use. The standard is 147 calories per ounce of popped corn.

And don't forget to count the toppings. One tablespoon of regular butter contains 100 calories.

Chow Line is a service of Ohio State University Extension and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center. Send questions to Chow Line, c/o Martha Filipic, 2021 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH, 43210-1044, or filipic.3@cfaes.osu.edu.

This column was reviewed by Sharron Coplin, registered dietitian and nutrition associate for Ohio State University Extension and the Department of Human Nutrition in the College of Education and Human Ecology.

To receive a PDF file of Chow Line via e-mail, contact Martha Filipic at filipic.3@cfaes.osu.edu.