POP  IT !

If you are a movie fanatic or at least experienced to go to a movie house then maybe you know what a popcorn is. It is a famous snack inside the cinemas. Before it is just served plainly with salts but these days it comes on many varieties and flavors. Though sometimes it is considered as a junk food, do you know that popcorn has some good health benefits that you may want to consider.

Foods that are lower in calories can help you control your weight because they satisfy your hunger without putting you over your calorie limit. Yellow popcorn is relatively low in calories because after you pop the kernels, they are filled with air. This means they have a large volume but still only a few calories, especially compared to other snack foods. A single serving of popcorn has only 110 calories.

An important benefit of popcorn is its fiber content. Insoluble fiber helps make you feel full, reduces your appetite, enhances digestive health and decreases the risk of colon cancer. Popcorn is high in insoluble fiber, with almost 4g, or 16 percent of the RDA, per ounce.

Popcorn contains essential minerals. Its iron content is of particular interest because iron deficiency is one of the most common nutrient deficiencies in the United States and world. As an added bonus, popcorn is low in sodium. A serving of popcorn has 5 percent of the RDA for iron, 10 percent each for magnesium and phosphorus, and only a trace amount of sodium.

 Popcorn is high in antioxidants, most notably, polyphenols – a group of natural plant chemicals that have a variety of health benefits. Polyphenols are the same group of compounds that give red wine, tea, olive oil, and chocolate their beneficial properties. Not only do they scavenge free radicals and protect against cell damage, they’re being investigated for their anti-cancer properties and heart protective properties.

I also want to share a recipe on how you can enjoy popcorn in a more delicious way.

Almond honey popcorn recipe

Recipe ingredients

§  Softened butter

§  1 1/4 cups sliced almonds

§  4 quart popped popcorn

§  1/2 cup butter

§  1 1/2 cups honey

§  1/2 teaspoon salt

§  1 teaspoon baking soda

§  2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Butter a large bowl with softened butter.

In the bowl toss together the almonds and the popped popcorn.

In a saucepan with high sides, melt the butter.

Add honey and salt.

Bring to a boil, stirring constantly and allow to boil for 5 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in baking soda and vanilla extract.

Pour over popped popcorn and stir to coat.

Place on large cookie sheet and bake at 300 degrees F for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.

Remove from oven, loosen from pan and cool.

The health benefits of popcorn will shine through when this tasty, whole grain snack is prepared properly. If you prefer to put salt on your popcorn, don’t put too much. Salty popcorn is not that healthy.