61 Calorie Popcorn Recipe
When you think of popcorn, you may think of the buttery movie-theater variety - heavy on trans fats and calories. However, you can make popcorn in your own home that tastes just as good - without all the extra fat.
This is a recipe from the book "YOU:On a Diet" by Michael F. Roizen, M.D., and Mehmet C. Oz, M.D. (A great book, in my opinion, for the recipes alone).
You need:
- 1/2 cup popcorn kernels
- Flavored cooking spray (butter, olive oil, garlic)
- Garlic salt or cinnamon
Place the popcorn in a two-and-a-half quart microwave safe bowl, microwave for four to five minutes (don't burn it!) Pour it on to a baking sheet, coat with spray, and follow with the garlic salt or cinnamon. The nutritional breakdown for this is 61 Calories, fat - .8 g, carbs - 5 g, protein - 1 g, and sodium - 0 g.
Make sure you use about 1-2 seconds of spray at most - with Pam, that's 14 calories. If you use 1/3 second, I really doubt you'll cover the popcorn.
I recommend using olive oil spray for the garlic variety, and butter spray if you're using cinnamon.
Enjoy!
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Sounds great. but popcorn still has high carbs.
Reply61 calories! That's a pretty sweet low-cal snack. :)
ReplyI've known about this one for a LONG time. I LOVE air-popped popcorn with Pam spray and sprinkle-herbs. It's really very satisfying and it's so much lower in calories than traditional popcorn.
ReplyI have a plastic container that makes microwave popcorn with no fat added. I'm sure you can find it any store that sells tupperware-type things.
ReplyWow - only 61 calorie - incredibly, we should try in the next week
ReplyAm I missing something? Most popcorn, whether plain or butter flavor, is only 80 calories for 2 cups popped.
Other than a few extra calories, what's the difference here?
ReplyDon't you have to cover the bowl that the popcorn is in while microwaving?
ReplyI'm imagining popcorn bouncing and flying all over my microwave.
Fuzzy, you do. That is the part that is seriously wrong with this recipe. You either use a plastic container with a tight closed lid on it, like the one I use, or you place the popcorn kernels in a brown paper bag, glue it shut (don't try stapling it, believe me... been there done that), and pop it like microwave popcorn but without any oil.
Most microwave popcorn contains trans-fats, the oil tends to be hydrogenated, so that is the big deal.
ReplyTo hold a bag shut while microwaving popcorn, we found bag clips made completely of plastic - no metal at all
We found them in our local 'dollar store'
Also, both Wal-mart and Target sell microwave popcorn bowls with lids ... about $8 - $9
ReplyAlso you do NOT want a TIGHT lid on a dish. It will pop as the air in the dish expands.
ReplyYou want a loose lid that breaths and will release built-up pressure
I love popcorn! It's a whole food! I worry about whether it is genetically manipulated, but I still eat it. I air pop it. Jan! I used to brown bag it in the microwave, but a couple of times(I'm a slow learner:-)
ReplyI ran it a little too long cause I always had a lot of unpopped kernels left over, and almost burned the house down!! I definitely toasted one fine Ammana microwave!
Thanks for the explanation. I didn't catch the difference the first time.
Replyi know seriously
ReplyDr. J, I almost did that too. That is why I invested the $2 on the microwave air-popper container, hahahah.
ReplyI vote for 30 cal per 1 cup air popped. That's with nothing else added.
ReplyWhat is wrong with carbs??? Sheesh!
ayse
Reply...who has maintained a 50 pound weight loss while eating lots of carbs
Hey guys, I'm so sorry about the calorie mishap - The 61-calorie count is for a 1/2 second spray of Pam, I believe - but then I advised using 1-2 seconds, which is 7-14 extra calories, so the count would be 68-75.
ReplyAgain, the 61 calories is what the book listed, so I can't be sure if it's accurate.
This is a nice idea, but you know, if you have to go to this trouble to make popcorn low fat/carb, you probably shouldn't be having any. I LOVE popcorn - the saltier the better. But it's one of those generally "off limit" foods...so if we're going to splurge, I'd rather have my regular 'ol Homestyle popcorn than try to make it "healthy". Viva regular popcorn!
ReplyI've checked on this -- I'm very sure 61 cals is for two cups popped.
I actually enjoy popcorn as a favorite snack of mine. As long as you don't gobble it down too fast I think it's a great alternative to a myriad other junk foods.
ReplyRight on. I love carbs and I think they love me back. I've never gone low-carb to lose the 100+ pounds I lost - unless you call going from a 65% carb diet to a 55-60% diet "low-carb".
I don't really like popcorn that much, but I regularly snack on sugar-free candy corn. It is only 70 cals for 3 cups, and much more fun than having a cereal bar.
ReplyCall me crazy, but 'regular popcorn' is air popped plan with nothing on it. Then we irregular it. Has popcorn become the new pizza?
ReplyI only like the airpopped kind anyways...the oil popped stuff is too greasy for me.
Jan-I used to have one of those microwave popper bowls too. It was so awesome, but it got lost when we moved and I got an airpopper for my wedding, so I use that instead.
ReplyI use my "potato chip maker" more than I use the popcorn thing though. I'd rather eat chips.
ReplyI eat tons of light popcorn and that comes out to 50 calories per bag (20 calories per serving with 2 1/2 servings per bag). Much more convenient in my mind. And cheap.
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ReplyYou can pop popcorn in your microwave without buying a 'microwave popper' or any other air popper. I am always trying to find ways to save money and have discovered a super efficient(high pop/low burn)and very low cost means of preparing popcorn in your microwave. Buy a bag of plain popcorn kernels, put 1/3 cup of kernels into a plain paper lunchbag. Do not add anything else, just the kernels. Fold the open ends over neatly twice. Place 1(one) staple in the centre of that fold. Place popcorn in microwave on High. You will find your own popping time, but mine takes a little over 2 minutes until it stops popping for 5-6 seconds. Remove the bag by the fold. Open carefully(it's hot!).What I have found is a full bag of popped corn with almost zero waste. The staple is too small to spark or burn the bag. Then you can eat plain as is, or with any desired flavouring. Haven't calculated the cost exactly, but I am sure it is less than a nickel a bag!
how can you use a staple?? If i put metal in my microwave it turns into a spark show in there....i think the bag would catch on fire. lol
ReplyKaren, I used to make it like that, but I feel that paying 1.50 for a washable container versus using disposable bags is better, in terms of convenience, and for the environment.
ReplyJan--
Where do you find this SUGAR FREE candy corn??
I didn't know it was even an option since candy corn is like alllllll sugar!
I'd be in heaven if I could find some!
(i know this is a super late post!)
ReplyI just discovered plain air-popped popcorn as a snack and I'm sooo excited about it! I pop some plain kernels, then add a about a dozen squirts of "I can't believe its not butter" spray (granted the spray isn't really fat free as the label claims, but I figure its only about 12 extra calories and it makes the popcorn a zillion times more DELICIOUS!!!) I can gobble it down guilt free and I'm full for hours. One thing, I read that it interferes with the absorption of vitamin B???
ReplyQuestion--
this says 1/2 cup kernels. my bag of popcorn kernels says 2 Tablespoons of unpopped kernels makes about 5 cups and is 100 calories. so how can 1/2 cup of kernels be only 61 calories?
Replysome kernels have been soaked in oil and then dried, so you may have that type
Replywow!!
Replyi can't believe i can have my favorite snack with only 61 calories.
Air pop into huge bowl. Stir and takes the lightest pops off the top. Squirt generously with Bragg amino acids or the usual soy sauce. Finish with any number of things to put on top. (The sauce/aminoes helps things stick.) Black pepper, cumin, cinammon, or even nutritional yeast.
ReplyI make popcorn in either an electric skillet (350 F) or a pot on the stove -- glass lid is best. Be sure to keep shaking skillet or pot taking care not to burn. I use only about 1 tablespoon to 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil to a 1/2 cup of popping corn. I LOVE this with no salt or "chemically" fake stuff and really adore having it as I had to radically reduce my sodium and butter. I have high blood pressure, high cholestrol -- plus I also have diabetes. (Off topic but for the REAL chocaholics out there who can't eat sugar -- unsweetened baking chocolate is FABULOUS if it's really the chocolate you crave and not the sugar -- this is rare as most people are actually hooked on the sugar.) All my health conditions have improved and I'm SO grateful to have the popcorn and the chocolate that is now good for me and not bad for me as the sugar and butter are GONE and I don't miss them! :)
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