Healthy snacking with popcorn

One of the biggest challenges to healthy eating is between-meal snacking. Popcorn, a whole grain food that’s low in calories, is a great snack food that’s economical and also fun to eat.

One cup of popped popcorn, eaten plain, contains:
24 calories
1 gram of protein
6 grams carbohydrates
1 gram fiber
“Popcorn is one of the best snack foods around. It’s low in calories and high in fiber which makes it a healthy, nutritious choice for between-meal snacking for kids and adults,” says Elizabeth M. Ward, registered dietitian and author of The Pocket Idiot’s Guide to the New Food Pyramids. Sprinkling popcorn with herbs or other seasonings is a fun way to add flavor without adding extra fat and calories. Children love to mix and match a variety of flavors to create their own healthy popcorn creations.

Ideas include:
• Spray popcorn with low-fat cooking oil such as Kernel Season’s Popcorn Spritzer, sprinkle with Kernel Season’s toppings such as flavors as White Cheddar, Nacho Chedder, Butter, Ranch and Kettle Corn.
• Add raisins and dried fruits for variation on trail mix.
• Sprinkle popcorn with Kernel Season’s Chocolate Marshmallow flavor to enjoy with a cup of hot chocolate.
• Consider popcorn as a healthy alternative to more fattening desserts by adding Kernel Season’s Apple Cinnamon, Caramel or Kettle Corn flavors.

Kernel Season’s, headquartered in Elk Grove Village, IL, is the number one popcorn seasoning in the country. The flavors are all natural blends made with real cheese and are offered at more than 20,000 movie theater screens nationwide as a free shake-on topping. They may be purchased for home use at more than 18,000 grocery stores across America including Wal-Mart, Target, K Mart, Blockbuster Video, Safeway and Food Lion. Kernel Season’s products and popcorn accessories can be purchased at NoMoreNakedPopcorn.com.