Popcorn is a popular treat all over the world with both children and adults. Not a single trip to the cinema is now complete without him. And at home, with friends or watching a movie, this product brightens up your leisure time. The assortment pleases with its variety: traditional, salty, caramel, with different flavors. At first glance, it seems that there can be more harmless popcorn. But here, too, there are pitfalls regarding the benefits of use and the acceptable amount. After all, the calorie content of popcorn directly depends on the composition, which can harm the figure and provoke a number of diseases.

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Composition and calorie content

Popcorn is made from corn, but not all plant varieties are suitable for this. Since the grains should not burst immediately, the shell needs to be denser in order to keep moisture inside for a long time. Under influence high temperature The steam accumulating inside has time to be evenly distributed and during a micro-explosion, the tender pulp sticks out. If you try to make popcorn from regular corn, then this effect does not occur.

Today, manufacturers are trying to diversify the assortment of snacks by introducing various food additives: sugar, salt, fat and flavorings. For this reason the nutritional value and calorie content (KBZhU) varies. On average, 100 grams of product contains about 60-70 grams of carbohydrates, 15 grams of fat and 8-9 grams of protein. The following types are more common on sale:

• Sweet: is the most popular among consumers. Caramel is obtained from it, which has a richer taste and characteristic crunch. An ideal dessert, but very rich in calorie content: about 500 kcal per 100 grams.
• Salty: suitable as a snack with beer and various side dishes. Calorie content - 300-330 kilocalories.
• Cheese: the composition contains artificial inclusions with a cheese flavor. The approximate number of calories is about 400.

Along with these, there are others with an attractive multi-colored color: chocolate brown, berry red. In such a variety, the calorie content is kept within 400 kcal.

To accurately understand the calories eaten, you should roughly know how many calories are in the portions sold:

• small glass (50 grams) - about 180 kcal;
• medium (70 grams) - from 250 kcal;
• large (100 grams) - over 350 kcal;
• bucket (130 grams) - 470 kcal or more.

For one movie show, an adult eats the daily norm of the required number of calories. Despite the high calorie content, the snack consists of nutrients and vitamins. Thus, B vitamins have a beneficial effect on the structure of hair and nails. Calcium is essential for muscles and bones. Potassium helps the normal functioning of the cardiovascular system.

Vegetable fiber has a positive effect on digestion, prevents constipation. Eating in large quantities can significantly harm the figure, but in order to avoid this, preference is given to popcorn without any high-calorie additives and dyes.

Benefits from use

The benefits and harms of popcorn are interpreted depending on its composition. The greatest benefit comes from a pure product and no oil. Home-cooked in the microwave is preferable for health rather than sold in cinemas and shops. Considering beneficial features, you should rely on natural popcorn. It contains a lot of vitamins B9 and E, which are not lost even under thermal influence.

Another advantage of popcorn is its high nutritional value - only 50 grams is enough to satisfy hunger and energize for a long period. Therefore, nutritionists recommend replacing them with harmful snacks from sweets and flour products.

Home-cooked corn is safe for both adults and young children. The following useful properties of the beloved delicacy are noted:

• normalizes the digestive system;
• lowers blood sugar levels;
• has a positive effect on the skin;
• easily absorbed by the body.

Due to the high carbohydrate saturation, air flakes do not suppress appetite in any way. It is associated with rapid digestion and removal from the stomach. Thanks to vitamins B1 and B2, metabolism is improved, depression is eliminated and the energy resource is quickly restored. Therefore, in acceptable quantities, the product is indicated for athletes and people undergoing daily physical activity.

During pregnancy and diet

According to the latest research from the United States, popcorn has a high concentration of polyphenols. They have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the heart and liver, and also prevent the development of many serious diseases. If we talk about losing weight, then only a pure product is beneficial - without any flavors and oils. A minimum of olive oil, salt and herbal spices are allowed.

It is permissible to include it in diets or eat exclusively puffed grains, then the need for other food disappears. It is an ideal supplement in dietary meals based on vegetables, fruits and nuts. Then it is impossible to gain weight, and the benefits for the body will be maximum.

Despite the many advantages of a snack, you should refuse it during pregnancy. The body of a woman during this period is especially sensitive and unpredictable. Given the specificity of popcorn production, even at home, it is best not to risk your health. The glutamate present in the composition, introduced by manufacturers to enhance taste, is prohibited for pregnant women. And all kinds of additives can harm the child and mother: salt destabilizes the water balance, and sugar destabilizes the pancreas.

Contraindications

Despite the benefits, popcorn has a number of contraindications for use.These include:

• individual intolerance;
• due to the presence of vitamin K in the composition, which enhances blood clotting, it is not recommended to eat people with thrombophlebitis and a predisposition to it;
• allergic reaction;
• diabetes;
• upset stomach;
• gastritis, stomach and duodenal ulcer.

The wrong way of preparing this dish can be harmful to health. In industrial production and in public leisure facilities, low-quality oil is often used, which contains the dangerous substance diacetyl. When exposed to high temperatures, this flavoring agent negatively affects the upper respiratory tract.

For homemade popcorn, a microwave is used for cooking. Until now, the degree of influence of microwaves on the human body has not been fully studied. Therefore, preference is still given to the traditional cooking method. In addition, all kinds of additives can trigger oncology.

Home cooking

It is recommended to prepare popcorn yourself at home, which allows you to get a healthy and healthy product. In addition, you can save a lot this way. There are several cooking options: in a microwave oven, on a conventional stove and in a special device.

The simplest and most common option is the microwave. To do this, it is enough to buy a finished piece in a bag and place it in the oven. According to the instructions on the package, set at maximum power and hold for 3 minutes. Readiness is determined by outgoing sounds: at first, frequent clicks are heard, which gradually become less frequent.

When the basis is not a portioned bag of popcorn (semi-finished product), but loose grains, they are placed in a high heat-resistant container. Refined oil, preferably olive oil, is poured onto the bottom. The grains are heated and poured, cover tightly with a lid. As soon as the characteristic pops subside, the treat is ready and can be turned off. The lid is removed when all the flakes have fully opened and stop firing.

Now, various household appliances have come to the aid of the hostesses, which greatly facilitate and speed up cooking. This includes a popcorn machine.

It is convenient in that the corn grains receive uniform heating and oil is consumed to a minimum. In this way, it is possible to make a lot of tasty and healthy corn in a short time, without additives. The only negative is the cost of the purchase itself and non-stick components, which are urgently needed. Otherwise, the added sugar will burn and quickly damage the equipment.

Corn popcorn is the perfect snack for any occasion. With the right approach to cooking and eating, the delicacy brings exclusively pleasure and benefit. When choosing this product, you should pay attention to the composition: the one without oil and other inclusions is considered harmless. Optimally purchased slightly salty or sweetened.

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There is a dangerous myth that it is low in calories because it is so light and weightless. But it is not!

Big bag of popcorn, which can be bought in almost any cinema contains 1,800 calories.Alas, many movie lovers don't even know about it. Experts believe that people have a right to know.

The UK Food Standards Agency believes popcorn bags, plastic cups of soda and ice cream should contain high calorie warnings, which are found on any other factory-made food products.

Nutrition experts are concerned that movie theater goers have recently been fed simply "horse" doses of so-called "junk" food. After all, one big bag of popcorn calories almost replaces the entire daily diet of an adult. But the feeling of fullness after taking this portion passes very quickly.

Experts estimate that one large serving of salted popcorn contains 1,779 calories. As much as three servings of pizza, garlic bread, or tiramisu.

Cinema owners justify themselves by saying that it is supposedly customary to share a large packet of popcorn. Alas, the viewer often eats it alone during a two-hour session.

Portions are growing all the time, now they are already selling incredibly large packs. I believe that they should be reduced. In addition, all packages should include a warning about the estimated calorie content per serving. But it's not just popcorn that we're worried about. A standard hot dog has 650 calories, a popular Mexican dish has 716 calories, and a large glass of Coca-Cola has 328 calories.

12.11.2015 admin

Popcorn It is ideal for a snack on a walk or in the cinema. The popularity of this snack came to us from the west, where a trip to the cinema is always accompanied by a portion of popcorn. At the same time, many people think that such a snack will not bring harm to the figure, because the popcorn itself is voluminous and light.

But in reality, you can easily gain a couple of extra pounds by overusing this crunchy treat.

What is popcorn?

The word popcorn translates from of English language as pop corn... And this is no coincidence, since white puffed flakes are obtained from corn kernels called popcorn, which, when heated, literally burst from the inside, as water evaporates, interacts with starch and breaks the shell of the grain.

For the preparation of this snack, a special variety of corn is used, whose shell is both thin and tough. Such a corn grain is capable of increasing its size tenfold. It is from this variety that the largest amount of popcorn is obtained at the output.

The history of this delicacy is very rich; it was invented to heat corn grains several thousand years ago. Historical sources say that this idea first came to the ancient Indians.

When they realized that maize grains could explode and turn into white flakes, popcorn immediately became an integral part of their diet. For them, he was a kind of fast food; they took his crushed grains with them on long hikes. It was ideal for them - it was not only light, tasty and satisfying, but also had the ability to retain all its properties for a long time.

Sometimes the Indians ate popcorn not only in its usual dry form, but also brewed it with hot water.

According to another version, Mexico is considered the birthplace of popcorn, which is rich in corn reserves. Popcorn was eaten anytime, anywhere, and its grains were even used as accessories for hair, clothing, and beads.

This product reached its peak of popularity during the Great Depression, popcorn was a cheap product available to everyone without exception. Its production flourished at this time.

By the way, today the Americans hold the record for the consumption of popcorn.

Types of popcorn

Today, there are a huge number of different types of popcorn.

You can see popcorn flavored with cheese, bacon, paprika, or colorful crispy flakes in caramel.

They can be relatively divided into three large groups:

• Salted popcorn (popcorn sprinkled with salt or a variety of salted seasonings);
• Caramel popcorn (popcorn, doused with a large amount of sugar syrup, which, when solidified, forms a caramel crust on the surface of the white popcorn flakes);
• Popcorn with various flavors (popcorn containing dyes, food additives and flavoring enhancers).

Vitamins, minerals and nutritional value of popcorn

Popcorn is a fairly high-calorie product, it contains mostly simple carbohydrates - 80 grams per 100 grams of product. The calorie content of popcorn is approximately 400 calories.

By itself, corn contains a huge amount of minerals and vitamins, an amazing property of popcorn is that after heat treatment they are stored in popcorn. There are B vitamins, vitamin C, PP, phosphorus, potassium, fluorine, molybdenum, copper, iodine, as well as useful fiber and polyphenols.

The benefits and harms of popcorn

Corn in its original form is much more beneficial than harmful:

• The composition of corn includes big number antioxidants - polyphenols, which are able to protect the body from premature aging.
• Popcorn is also rich in fiberIts benefit lies in the ability to provide fast satiety without increasing blood sugar. It is corn husks that are rich in fiber.
• Popcorn contains vitamins B1 and B2, magnesium, potassium, sodium and calcium. They are able to perform the protective function of bone tissue, nail plates and hair.
• Popcorn contains a lot of starchwhich nourishes nerve cells, stimulates growth muscle mass, contains vitamins B, PP (niacin) and E. Since popcorn contains a large amount of carbohydrates, it is able to supply us with a certain amount of energy.

There is no need to doubt the beneficial properties of corn, when consumed in reasonable quantities, it is able to provide the body with certain minerals and vitamins.

But popcorn made with lots of butter, sugar, or artificial additives is definitely not beneficial to the human body. But it is precisely this kind of corn that is most often found on store shelves and in cinemas.

Caramelized popcorn can easily cause an allergic reaction due to the huge amount of sugar in it, which can lead not only to dental problems, but also to the acquisition of diabetes. Various flavoring additives also have a harmful effect on health; salty popcorn almost always leads to fluid retention in the human body.

Moreover, after eating a serving of popcorn, you will definitely want to drink. It's good if you choose plain water, but in most cases popcorn is washed down with sweet soda water, which intensifies the negative effects on the human body. Frequent popcorn consumption can lead to a set excess weight and obesity.

Calorie popcorn

During cooking, popcorn makers can supplement the corn with a variety of flavors, sugar syrup, or salt. In this case, its energy value increases, but not much. Regardless of the type of popcorn, its calorie content ranges from 300 to 500 calories.

Nutritional value of popcorn per 100 grams of product:

• 357 calories found in popcorn without additives;
• 401 calories found in sweet popcorn;
• 407 calories found in popcorn with salt;
• 506 calories found in cheese popcorn.

As you can see, plain popcorn is the lowest calorie option on offer, so this is another advantage over other popcorns.

Popcorn in the diet of those who follow the figure

Very often those who lose weight try to find an alternative to harmful chips and crackers; instead, they choose popcorn. Indeed, in their opinion, corn grains are useful and not high in calories at all, since oil is not used in the preparation of popcorn. But after analyzing the calorie content, we can safely say that popcorn in the diet of weight-watchers should not be a frequent guest.

An alternative is to eat homemade popcorn, which can be seasoned with a little salt or spices. Moderate consumption of such popcorn will do no harm at all. A small amount of corn is an ideal snack that can quickly remove hunger.

Among chocolate, chips, crackers, chocolate bars, popcorn is a very safe product for a treat.

But note that popcorn offered in a circus or movie theater contains a huge amount of artificial additives, salt and sugar. Sweet popcorn is not recommended for people prone to rapid weight gain and diabetes. In turn, salty popcorn retains water in the body and thereby disrupts its water-salt balance, harming the joints, spine and kidneys.

In addition, scientists have shown that popcorn is directly related to lung disease, since when corn kernels are heated, special substances are released.

Popcorn is one of the most popular snacks today. But if you follow your figure and your health, then choose popcorn without additives, which you can easily cook at home. It contains fewer calories and is rich in minerals and vitamins.

Remember that popcorn that is offered to us, for example, in a cinema or circus, contains a huge amount of flavors, salt and sugar, which means that its useful properties can be completely questioned.

Popcorn is a favorite delicacy of a huge number of people, especially when watching movies. It is obtained by heating the grains of special corn, which leads to their opening and increase in volume. Arriving at the cinema and ordering a bucket of delicious popcorn, few people think about its calorie content. This issue is especially important for people who monitor their weight, since such a snack can negatively affect the figure. The energy value of popcorn depends on the supplements used, as there are savory and sweet options today.

Properties and calorie content of popcorn

In principle, the benefits of this product is a rather controversial concept. Substances, which are in corn, pass into these air flakes, but there is one significant "but". The use of various fillers, dyes, flavorings and other harmful substances completely destroys any useful properties of corn kernels. Nutritionists say that popcorn is harmful not only in its high calorie content, but also in the fact that it literally clogs the stomach. As a result, problems arise with and with the work of the digestive system. And these, as you know, are the main causes of excess weight.

The most useful is popcorn without additives, the calorie content of which is at a low level. Such a product can only be prepared at home and exclusively from grains, and not from semi-finished products. In this case, to prepare 100 g of popcorn, you will need to use only 3 g of salt and 1 tbsp. a spoonful of vegetable oil, although you can do without it. In such a product, useful substances are stored that determine the following properties:

1. This popcorn contains useful carbohydrates that are digested for a long time, which helps to saturate the body for a long time and get rid of hunger.
2. Popcorn contains a large amount of fiber, which cleanses the intestines from decay products and normalizes its work.
3. Contains a large amount of B vitamins, which are necessary for the normal development and functioning of the body. They also have a beneficial effect on the work of the cardiovascular, digestive and nervous systems.
4. Rich in popcorn and potassium, which helps to flush out excess fluid, which in turn relieves swelling and helps regulate water balance. Potassium normalizes blood pressure and improves heart function.

Energy value varies depending on the fillers. The most popular options today are:

Now calculate how many calories you eat by grabbing yourself a large bucket of popcorn at the cinema. This is not a lot, not a little, but about 1300 kcal, which is the daily norm and this is just a couple of hours of pleasure. In addition, after eating any kind of popcorn, you always want to drink, and in such establishments people buy exactly sweet carbonated drinks, which are also very high in calories and are not at all useful for the figure and the body.