What is Popcorn?
As the name suggests, popcorn is made from corn, or maize, which is the same stuff that you eat when you eat corn on the cob or sweetcorn. When these kernels are dried, they can be heated to make them pop and their centres explode outwards, which is what gives popcorn.
As the name suggests, popcorn is made from corn, or maize, which is the same stuff that you eat when you eat corn on the cob or sweetcorn. When these kernels are dried, they can be heated to make them pop and their centres explode outwards, which is what gives popcorn.
How Nutritional is Popcorn?
The corn kernels from which popcorn is made are naturally high in fibre, which is good for helping the digestive system to function. The kernels are also low in fat and contain no sugar, which means that overall they have very little calorie value. There is also no sodium in corn kernels, so you don't have to worry about popcorn's salt content. This means that overall popcorn should be considered a relatively healthy snack. The trap which many people fall into is that they then forget all about the things which are added to the popcorn in preparation which can drastically alter this.
The corn kernels from which popcorn is made are naturally high in fibre, which is good for helping the digestive system to function. The kernels are also low in fat and contain no sugar, which means that overall they have very little calorie value. There is also no sodium in corn kernels, so you don't have to worry about popcorn's salt content. This means that overall popcorn should be considered a relatively healthy snack. The trap which many people fall into is that they then forget all about the things which are added to the popcorn in preparation which can drastically alter this.
If you buy pre-prepared popcorn in a bag from the supermarket then the added butter and salt make it a surprisingly unhealthy snack. In fact unless you opt for the low-fat versions which are available then it is possible that up to 60% of the calories in the bag will come from fat, which is a rather unhealthy percentage.
By far the more healthy way to make your own healthy popcorn is to make it from scratch, and then you can be sure of what is going in it. Although this may be a little fiddly with a pan, a popcorn machine will make your life so much simpler, and these are relatively cheap to buy.
How to Make Healthier Popcorn
If you are considering popcorn as a healthy snack as well as something which tastes great then one of the most important features that you need to look for on any popcorn machine that you are considering purchasing is how the corn is popped.
If you are considering popcorn as a healthy snack as well as something which tastes great then one of the most important features that you need to look for on any popcorn machine that you are considering purchasing is how the corn is popped.
Some popcorn makers actually use oil to pop the corn, and this can then give you popcorn which is actually not that healthy. In this type of popcorn machine the popcorn is higher in calories, and more importantly, up to 45% of the calories in the popcorn will come from fat. If you instead opt for a hot-air popcorn machine this will use only hot air to pop the corn, and so the snack you get is much lower in calories, and only 5% of them will come from fat - that is much better for your waistline!
If you think that dry popcorn is not for you then there are still some toppings which you can add to make it go down a little easier and won't add too much fat or sugar. Most popcorn machines have a little tray somewhere which lets you melt butter. Try using a low-fat spread instead, and this will have the same effect as butter in softening the popcorn. You could also try drizzling a very small amount of honey over the popped corn to give a natural alternative to using white sugar or toffee.
UK author who is meeting a need for website reviews of the best kitchen and cooking equipment by publishing several sites including Popcorn Machine [http://www.popcornmachine.org.uk] and Popcorn Maker [http://www.popcornmaker.org.uk]
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrew_Emerson
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