All Of The Reasons Microwave Popcorn Is Not A Great Choice
I get that many of us are at a point in our lives where convenience is key – and king. Popcorn is a great, easy, healthy snack that’s a sure crowd pleaser, and being able to pop it in just a few minutes in the microwave is an added bonus.
Once you read this article, though, you might agree that taking the extra time to pop the kernels yourself is totally worth it.
Here are a few big reasons to just say no, convenient or not.
The bag is lined with chemicals.
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More specifically, the bag contains PFAs, a class of synthetic chemicals that, in this case, prevent the butter flavoring from leaking out and making a mess.
The chemicals so leach into your popcorn, though, and then into your body. There they build up in your blood stream and take a pretty long while to break down.
You could potentially contract “popcorn lung.”
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The butter flavoring on the popcorn is just that – fake, and not butter at all.
What’s worse is that it often contains diacetyl, which some doctors consider basically a poison, and can lead to a condition called bronchiolitis obliterans.
This condition inflames the small pathways in the lungs, leading to coughing, shortness of breath, and can cause serious organ degeneration over time.
It’s full of saturated fat.
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Some popular brands contain up to 4 grans of saturated fat, like palm oil, in a single serving.
To put that in perspective, it’s 20% of your daily recommended intake – for a third of the bag, friends, not the entire thing.
There’s more than enough sodium, too.
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There’s a necessary balance between fat and salt, so all of that fat in the butter requires an equal amount of salt for people to be happy.
That adds up to around 250-300mg of sodium per serving (again, a third of a bag) which is 14% of your daily value.
And listen, it’s really not that hard to pop it yourself, all things considered. All you’ll need is a pot with a lid, a neutral oil, and unpopped kernels. You heat up the oil, pour in your corn, and let it go to town.
Once the oil is heated, it takes about the same amount of time a bag takes, although there is more cleanup to do.
On the plus side, you can have more fun with flavors and mix-ins – people love everything bagel seasoning, taco spice, or something sweet like caramel!
Have fun, y’all, and keep those chemicals out of your house whenever you can.
