Popcorn Health Essay

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Unlike many other popular snack foods, popcorn nutrition is very high as long as you prepare it properly. As a matter of fact, popcorn is a whole grain. The U.S. Dept of Agriculture and the Dept. of Health and Human Services recommends that half of your daily grain intake be from whole grains. That’s because whole grains have been shown to reduce the risk of such conditions as high cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes, obesity and several types of cancer. Popcorn is a low glycemic carbohydrate, which means that it is released slowly in the blood making lower blood sugar levels. Whole grains also are full of fiber which can rid the body of toxins and slow the digestive progress, making you feel fuller for longer periods of time so you eat less. The government recommendations for whole grains mean that you should eat no less than three servings of whole grains every day and popcorn is a great way to meet this requirement. Popcorn is a low-calorie snack as well with only 30 calories a cup if air popped. When popped using oil, there are 55 calories per cup, and if you should add a light amount of butter, popcorn would still only have between 90 and 120 calories in each cup. The problem is that many people ruin popcorn nutrition by the way they prepare it or with the amount of butter and fat they add after it’s cooked. For instance, if you buy microwave popcorn and you pick the theater style or extra butter types, there will be on average 135 calories and 8-12 grams of fat in less than half a bag. It may also include saturated and trans fat which are the worst kinds when it comes to cholesterol and artery-clogging fats. The popcorn that is made and sold in movie theaters can be the worst popcorn--nutrition-wise that you can buy. Tests have shown that the smallest serving, usually around six cups has 20 grams of fat, and that large bucket sizes may have between 80

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