Popcorn: Economical – and Healthy – Snacking!

Popcorn

Holiday Eating is Over…Popcorn to the Rescue!

My holidays were filled with family and friends…and lots of food. Good food. Food that I don’t eat as an everyday thing. Cookies, Fruitcake, Candy…Eggnog, a variety of breads, lots of cheeses and other rich cream-based goodies. There were potlucks and formal sit down dinners. All filled with things I don’t eat on a normal basis. And this is where popcorn enters the picture…

I’ve said before I don’t make resolutions. But that does not mean I don’t find myself needing to pare back from the overindulgences brought on with the holidays as an excuse. Even if I tried to deny it, my scale tells no lies. So it is back to eating more salads and less breads; drinking more water and less wine; dessert is back to an occasional indulgence. However, this does not mean I cannot have snacks or tasty morsels to munch on.

Popcorn: Easy, Cheap AND Tasty

Popcorn is one of my easy-to-make, go-to snacks. And it is economical. All I need is organic popcorn (you can often buy it in bulk in the grocery store; you don’t have to use organic), a brown paper lunch bag, and whatever seasonings you prefer. You heard me correctly…I said ‘brown paper lunch bag’. I do not buy those prepackaged bags of microwave popcorn. When you do it yourself you save money and you know what is going into your body. I’m telling you, this method is just as easy as the prepackaged stuff!!

My microwave has a popcorn setting on it which works perfectly for this easy snack. You may have to experiment with the settings on yours if your microwave doesn’t have one. I measure out 1/4 cup of kernels into the bag, fold over the top a couple of times to close it, then stick it in the microwave on the popcorn setting. In less than a couple of minutes it is done. You will know it’s ready when the popping between kernels slows way down.

At that point I take it out of the microwave, open the bag and drizzle with a little olive oil – you can also use melted butter, coconut oil, or other oils of your choice – then close the bag again and shake to evenly coat the popcorn. After that I add in salt or parmesan cheese…maybe some chipotle powder or garlic salt…mix again and pour into a bowl. The bag gets thrown away, so clean up is easy, too!

There you have it: my healthy, easy, economical snack.

Do you make your own popcorn? How do you flavor it?? I’m always looking for new ways to kick things up!!

 

 

Please share with your friends, thank you!

12 thoughts on “Popcorn: Economical – and Healthy – Snacking!

  1. I love popcorn! I use to get the microwave bags of popcorn but I started getting loose popcorn in bags and put in my new air popper that I got for review. Of course I douse it with butter and sometimes add the cheese!

  2. I am so doing this! I love popcorn for a healthy snack, but so much of what you buy is loaded with sodium, fat, and who knows what! I’d read that you can pop it in the microwave but forgot about it until reading your post. I’m pinning it so I can remember to give it a try.

  3. I LOVE popcorn! The problem is (at least around my waistline) that I love it with lots of butter. I try to fool myself into thinking that the fact it’s butter from grass-fed cows makes it healthier and acceptable. I didn’t know until reading your post that you can make your own microwave popcorn. The pre-packaged stuff at the store is SO unhealthy. It’s good to know you can pop it up in a jiff with a paper lunch bag; no fuss, no mess. Thanks for the tip!

  4. Oh, I love popcorn! I typically use just butter and salt, and I have a counter-top, movie style popcorn popper, which means I use a little oil in popping, and then also add butter. It might not be quite as healthy, but it sure tastes good that way! As long as its an occasional treat I don’t think the butter and oil are really much of a problem.

    1. Ooh, that sounds fancy!! I like it!! Would have been a fun to have a movie-style popper for the Golden Globes last night… 🙂

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