Not All Popcorn is Created Equal

Popcorn- it's served at movies, it's made in offices across the country as an afternoon snack, it's mooshed into balls with marshmallow creme and food coloring to make.. popcorn balls. Heck, in some places, it's used to decorate Christmas trees. It's a very versatile food.

You can air pop it, microwave it, pan/pot fry it, make it in a kettle-- the varieties are endless. Some swear by cooking it one method over another. Me, I just want to eat it. Pop it in the microwave, coat it with caramel, mix in some chocolate chips, douse it with movie butter (can't get much better than the synthetic butter they serve at movie theaters), add some powdered flavorings, whatever- I just want it in my belly. Too much talking, not enough popping!

Random idea- making popcorn in all of the above ways (pan/pot, microwave, air pop) and see if I can tell the difference, because I honestly don't think I could. Have lots of flavoring on standby. Someone have a kettle I can borrow??

On Weight Watchers, popcorn has always been trumpeted as a good-for-you snack food. When you read the fine print, you realize they are talking about the 94% fat free version, AND a serving size is not the entire (big) bag- it's 4 cups. When you break it down, it's about a point a cup. And, it *is* filling. Popcorn contains more than 40 different nutrients, and has more iron than eggs, peanuts or spinach. It also has the most protein of any cereal grain and has more fiber than potato chips or pretzels. AND, you can find B complex vitamins, vitamin E, Riboflavin and Thiamine in popcorn kernels. Popcorn is even recommended as a snack for hyperactive children, since there are no additives or sugars involved. BAM. Healthy power food.

Problem is, those stats are for the healthy, oil free/ fat free versions. I haven't found a 94% fat free version I really like- all of it is dry and gets stuck in my teeth (and on the roof of my mouth. How does a kernel get lodged up there EVERY SINGLE TIME I eat popcorn?!). 

If I air pop it, I put some sprays of butter on the kernels. That seems to help a bit. But, I want some flavor, too. The powdered flavorings seem ok in theory for points, but a serving size is 1/4 TEASPOON (0 fat, 0 fiber, 0 carbs, 0 protein). Who are they trying to kid?! Especially when the serving size of popcorn is THAT much larger. Measure out a quarter of a teaspoon. Go ahead. Try it. It's just a little bigger than a "dash" of seasoning. If I'm going to season the popcorn, I want to *taste* the seasoning. Try a quarter-cup of seasoning (ok, that may be too much... but you get the point). eHow suggests seasoning it with "Nutritional yeast"- that sounds utterly disgusting. It also suggests topping your popcorn with agave nectar (which is like $6/bottle). I'm looking for ways to enhance my popcorn eating experience that isn't a waste of time or a waste of calories.

But I did learn that *cough cough* adding crushed red pepper flakes *cough* to popcorn *cough* like eHow suggests is a bad idea when not measuring it out. I think there's a red pepper flake permanently lodged in my nostril.