What Is The Healthiest Popcorn To Eat
The healthiest popcorn to eat would be air-popped, unsalted, and unsweetened popcorn. Such popcorn does not contain any additives or toppings which may take away from the health benefits of natural popcorn.
So, if you are looking to eat healthy while still enjoying one of your favorite snacks, air-popped popcorn is the best option for you.
Homemade Potato Chips Add Fiber And Potassium
People tend to consider potato chips off-limits when it comes to keeping high cholesterol under control and indeed it’s best to avoid the traditionally made grease- and salt-covered, fried snack we all know and love if cholesterol is a concern. But potatoes themselves are low in calories, high in fiber, and filled with potassium, a mineral helpful in keeping blood pressure under control. Stick to baked versions of potato chips and, if you can, prepare your own at home. Season them lightly with heart-healthy, extra-virgin olive oil and herbs like rosemary before popping them in the oven.
Is Skinny Pop Whole Grain
Popcorn is a whole grain, so Skinny Pop does contain whole grain. However, Skinny Pop also contains sunflower oil, which is a processed ingredient. Therefore, Skinny Pop does not count as a whole food overall.
Also, remember: Popcorn is a puffed grain. This is one of the less-healthy kinds of whole grains. Thats because puffed grains are digested more quickly than in-tact grains. They spike blood-sugar levels more for many people.
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Nutritional Value Of Popcorn
Popcorn is a whole grain food and contains high amounts of several important nutrients. 100 grams of air-popped popcorn serves with 387 calories of energy, 13 grams of protein, 78 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of fat, 15 grams of fibre, 7% vitamin B1 , 12% vitamin B3 , 8% vitamin B6, 18% iron, 36% magnesium, 36% phosphorous, 9% potassium, 21% zinc, 13% copper and 56% manganese.
Is Bread Bad For Cholesterol
When planning meals for your cholesterol-lowering diet, its important to select whole grain bread, pasta, and cereals and to avoid refined, processed grains, which are found in foods like egg noodles, white bread, pastries, muffins, and crackers. But that doesnt mean you have to take all the fun out of eating!
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Is Skinny Pop Low Sodium
Skinny Pop is relatively low in sodium. Compared to Boom Chicka Pop, Skinny Pop contains around half the sodium . Compared to microwave popcorn or movie theater popcorn, Skinny Pop also has less salt.
That said, Skinny Pop is still a bit salty. So if you eat a whole big bag of Skinny Pop, the sodium content will still add up to hundreds of milligrams . Exercise awareness and portion control.
Wasabi Soy Sauce Popcorn
Serves: 8Nutrition: 79 calories, 5.5 g fat 347 mg sodium, 6.8 g carbs, 1.4 g fiber, 1.2 g protein
Wasabi is best known for its enjoyable burn that usually comes paired with Asian cuisines. But this little paste actually has some health benefits, too! It comes from a root vegetable that has heart strengthening properties and helps reduce bad gut bacteria. Topped on popcorn with a little low-sodium soy sauce and you’ve got your Chinese takeout, minus all the MSG!
Get the recipe fromBrooklyn Farm Girl.
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Jolly Time The Big Cheez
“It contains a long list of ingredients that don’t seem necessary given that there are plenty of microwaveable popcorn options with just a few simple ingredients,” says Martin. “I also try to stay away from artificial flavors when possible, and many microwaveable popcorn options are free of them.”
“This popcorn is low in protein and fiber, and high in saturated fat,” says Valdez.
Educate Yourself About High Cholesterol
There are two types of cholesterol : HDL and LDL . Need an easy way to remember it? Look at the first letter. You want the good cholesterol to be high, while the bad cholesterol should be lower. Cholesterol can also affect the level of your triglycerides, which is the amount of fat in your blood. Drinking alcohol can raise your triglycerides, and too much alcohol can cause high blood pressure, which creates a potentially deadly cocktail for heart disease.
What numbers should be your goal? The Centers for Disease Control provides this useful information:
Total cholesterol Less than 200 mg/dLLDL Less than 100 mg/dLHDL 40 mg/dL or higherTriglycerides Less than 150 mg/dL
If your cholesterol is too high, try lowering it by:
- Maintaining a healthy weight
- Making exercise a regular part of your day-to-day activities
- Eating healthy foods and limiting some of the offenders listed above
- Limiting your alcohol use
- Quitting smoking
- Speaking with your doctor about medication
Need more information? Visit the Centers for Disease control website for extensive educational materials on cholesterol, and speak with your doctor about what you can do now for a healthier heart later.
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Some Toppings And Preparation Methods Are A Bad Idea
Despite all of popcorns healthy qualities, the way it is prepared can greatly impact its nutritional quality.
When air-popped, it is naturally low in calories, but some ready-made types are extremely high in calories.
For example, a report by CSPI found that a medium-sized popcorn at a popular movie theater chain had a whopping 1,200 calories even before factoring in the buttery topping!
Varieties bought from movie theaters or stores are often smothered in unhealthy fats, artificial flavorings and high amounts of sugar and salt.
These ingredients not only add a significant amount of calories, but some of them can also be bad for you in other ways.
Bottom Line:
Commercially prepared popcorn varieties can be extremely high in calories and unhealthy ingredients.
Can Diabetes Eat Movie Popcorn
Diabetes patients are advised to take 3cups of popped corn and ensure it has not been cooked with added fat like butter or oil. This is a disadvantage for diabetes patients because it reduces the value of nutrients of the popcorn.
Much ready-made popcorn and the ones sold at stores contain many sugars, hydrogenated fats, and salts, same with movie popcorn. This is why movie popcorn is not good for diabetes patients.
It is safe to get the kernels and pop it yourself, either using a stove or heating it in the microwave. Add a little salt to it, sprinkle garlic and use onion powder instead of flavor. You can also use a mixture of thyme, basil, and other herbs to season your popcorn.
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Vegan Sour Cream And Onion Popcorn
Serves: 3Nutrition: 151 calories, 1.8 g fat , 66 mg sodium, 30.8 g carbs, 8 g fiber, 1.5 g sugar, 9 g protein
In search of a salty treat that’s not going to bust the button off your pants? Look no further, this popcorn tastes just like the sour cream and onion flavored snack chip and no added oil. Just combine ingredients and grind down to a fine powder before topping your popcorn. Effortlessly simple and oh-so-delicious!
Get the recipe fromIt Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken.
Is Skinny Pop Low In Cholesterol
Skinny Pop contains 0mg of dietary cholesterolso it is definitely low in cholesterol. In addition, Skinny Pop is also low in saturated fat , which is a type of fat that raises LDL cholesterol levels.
Heres an interesting fact when it comes to dietary cholesterol: It is only found in animal-derived ingredients. If you ever see dietary cholesterol in a product, you should know immediately that its not vegan.
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Can You Get Microwave Popcorn Without Chemicals
Although there are a few brands of microwave popcorn that advertise that theyre free from PFOA liners in the bag, unfortunately with most store-bought shelf-stable microwave popcorn, you need some type of lining on the bag to keep the oil from seeping through.
So even though many companies avoid PFOA liners, they replace it with another kind of liner that may be just as bad for your health, but isnt as well researched yet.
Luckily, there are several simple and easy alternatives to popcorn without having to get the microwavable kind.
Is Popcorn Cholesterol
According to the American Heart Association, popcorn is considered a whole grain, and as such, it is high in fiber and can help lower your cholesterol. When you eat a smart serving size and avoid butter and salt, popcorn is cholesterol-free and can be quite a healthy snack for you.
Popcorn itself does not have any cholesterol, but you can add cholesterol to it by preparing it with butter and oil. To avoid this, consider eating air-popped popcorn that is free of additives and toppings.
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How To Prepare Popcorn
When youâre not at the movie theater, popcorn is easy to prepare and enjoy at home. Start with about a half cup of popcorn kernels. Make sure you have a fairly large pot with a lid so that the kernels have room to expand.
Heat your pot over medium heat and pour in the kernels. If desired, add 1 to 3 tablespoons of a light oil. Place the lid on the pot. You’ll soon start to hear the kernels popping.
When the pops are only occurring every few seconds instead of continuously, turn off the stove burner and let steam escape from the lid. Then, remove the popcorn and coat with additional oil or salt as desired. Make sure you coat the popcorn with oil while itâs still hot, and then follow up with any dry ingredients.
Add-ons for your popcorn can include:
- Light butter or olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Saturated Fat And Sugar
The white cheddar flavor is actually fairly healthy compared to other varieties. Caramel and cheddar Smartfood popcorn contains butter, corn syrup, brown sugar, salt and artificial coloring. One serving is smaller only one and a half cups but it still has 140 calories and 8 grams of fat. Three grams of that total is saturated fat, the kind that raises your bad cholesterol.
The caramel and cheddar flavor also has 6 grams of added sugar per serving. Sweet and salty kettle corn Smartfood has 12 grams of added sugar.
According to a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine in April 2014, there is a significant relationship between added sugars and the risk of death from heart disease. Not to mention that added sugars cause weight gain, and excess weight is linked to a variety of health problems, including type II diabetes and some types of cancer.
The American Heart Association recommends limiting your intake of saturated fat to less than 6 percent of your total calories. If you eat 2,000 calories per day, that’s about 13 grams. But less is better.
The same goes for added sugar, which the AHA says should be limited to no more than 100 calories per day for women and 150 calories per day for men. Sugar has 4 calories per gram, so that’s a daily limit of 37 grams for men and 25 grams for women. One serving of sweet and salty kettle corn Smartfood would provide one-third to nearly one-half of that amount.
Read more:10 Ways to De-Junk Your Diet
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Worst Foods For Your Cholesterol
LDL cholesterol is known as bad cholesterol, because high levels of it in your blood stream may increase your risk for heart disease. Higher levels of HDL or good cholesterol lowers your risk of heart disease. A healthy diet can help prevent or lower high LDL cholesterol. The foods that raise LDL cholesterol tend to be high in saturated fat, and trans fat.
What To Do To Avoid The Cholesterol
No one can deny the convenience that comes with microwave popcorn. And indeed, manufacturers have put efforts towards reducing the health effects of some ingredients found in this type of popcorn.
You should select popcorn brands that do not include partially hydrogenated oils, especially if you’re into microwaveable options. Alternatively, you can make your popcorn on the stovetop or in an air popper – it’s quick and easy and costs next to nothing. Most importantly, it exposes you to minimal levels of fats.
However, it’s also clear that air-popped organic popcorn is the best choice as it contains little to no saturated fats that raise your cholesterol levels. A cup serving contains only 0.4 grams of saturated fats.
With air-popped popcorn, you can enjoy the health benefits of popcorn without exposing your body to cholesterol. For instance, quality popcorn contains significant amounts of fiber and whole grain – even higher than whole-wheat bread and brown rice.
According to experts, popcorn contains approximately 1 gram of fiber per cup, which means that eating just 3 cups of popcorn will provide you with more than 10 percent of the daily recommended intake of fiber, which stands at 25 grams.
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Dark Chocolate Popcorn With Sea Salt
Serves: 8Nutrition: 309 calories, 21.4 g fat , 134 mg sodium, 23.8 g carbs, 4.1 g fiber, 9.8 g sugar, 9.4 g protein
Warning: This snack may be habit-forming. With all the salty, chocolatey, crunchy goodness in this recipe, it’s bound to make your taste buds go wild. The almonds and pumpkin seeds add an extra bite that’ll boost your energy and keep you going. At a holiday party or as an after-dinner treat, this sweet and savory popcorn is one you’ll have a hard time getting yourself away from. To help with portion control, predetermine how much you’re going to eat by having your own personal bowl instead of just mindlessly picking!
Get the recipe fromWhat’s Cooking Good Looking.
Foods That Are Increasing Your Cholesterol
Raleigh Medical Group, P.A.Cholesterol, General Posts, Heart Disease, Heart Monitorheart disease
Cholesterol didnt inspire the phrase you are what you eat, but when it comes to lowering your risk of heart attack, the words still ring true. A healthy diet of lean meats and fresh vegetables is vital to reducing your cholesterol. While there are some important foods that should be a regular part of your diet, there are also foods that should be avoided because they have a bad track record where cholesterol is concerned.
What better way to celebrate National Cholesterol Education Month than with a list of the usual suspects that contribute to high cholesterol? If your numbers are high, youre not alone. More than 35 million Americans have cholesterol levels higher than 240 mg/dL, which means they are at higher risk for heart disease.
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Is Skinny Pop A Processed Food
Skinny Pop is considered a processed food, as it contains sunflower oil. In fact, more than half of the calories in Skinny Pop come from the processed oil. However, Skinny Pop also contains whole grain, and its sugar-freeso it is healthier than many processed foods.
In the real world, foods are not simply good or badtheres a whole spectrum of health, and many factors to look at. Skinny Pop is not really on the positive extreme of clean eating, but its not on the negative extreme of junk food, either. Its in the middle.
Most nutritionists would advise that it is fine to eat foods like Skinny Pop in moderation. However, it is best not to eat the whole bag in one sitting.
As popcorn is medium on the glycemic index, large portions can spike your blood sugar. Also, large portions can contain a lot of calories, sodium, and omega-6 fat from the sunflower oil .
But if you eat foods like Skinny Pop in a balanced, healthy diet with plenty of vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts and seeds, it shouldnt be a problem.
Health Benefits Of Popcorn And Its Side Effects
The common health benefits of popcorn are such that it improves digestive health. Popcorn is rich in antioxidants, helps in metabolism, and provides energy, reduces depression, supports healthy bone function. Popcorn controls blood sugar level, combats tumor cells, reduces the craving for food, prevents aging, lowers cholesterol levels, controls anemia, and helps in relieving constipation.
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What Kind Of Popcorn Is Good For Diabetics
The best kind of popcorn for diabetics is the one made with artificial sweetener. Diabetes patients can only eat 100 calories of popcorn that is of low fat. People with diabetes can make their own popcorn using the natural popcorn, mix thoroughly with onion and garlic powder.
While adding flavor to your popcorn, makes sure you dont use salt and butter, which is not good for diabetes management.
In its natural state, popcorn has a low glycemic index score food, which has fiber, fat, and protein like other food with a low glycemic index score, which slows down the bodys metabolism when food is absorbed.
Foods like popcorn are thought to be healthier because of their slow digestion and steady blood glucose levels. They are good for Type 1 diabetes and diabetes Type 2 patients and they help manage their glucose, fat, and insulin level.
Kettle con varieties popcorn is not good for diabetes because they have lots of sugar added to it. You can make use of artificial sweetener for your popcorn if you must make it sweet. Maintaining a beneficial diet is necessary for diabetes to reduce complications such as heart diseases, nerve damage, stroke, and heart attack.
Diabetes patients should also avoid adding many extras to the normal amount of popcorn being consumed. The best option for taking the best nutritious popcorn for diabetes is to choose plain, unbuttered and does not contain hydrogenated oil. This minimizes extra fats and calories and does not cause a blood sugar spike.