Popcorn has a mixed reputation as a healthy food. Traditional movie theater popcorn floating in a salty sea of butter tastes great, but is a true nutritional horror. Air popped popcorn is healthy, low calorie whole grain. Sadly, it is is more likely to be appealing as a packing material than a snack.
Several varieties of microwave popcorn promise health, but a closer look shows these to be half-truths. Hundred calorie bags of popcorn often contain partially hydrogenated oil (trans fat) or boost their flavor with lots of extra salt.
The solution? Give air-popped popcorn a flavor makeover. With some creativity, you can cut the fat and that salt while keeping bumping up the flavor.
Getting Toppings To Stick
The first problem is that butter and oil add more than just flavor and calories. They bring holding power to the party as well. Without butter or oil, toppings have a hard time adhering to air popped popcorn. Strategically applied cooking spray can be a healthy alternative. A light spray of a neutral flavored cooking oil (such as Canola) will help things stick with very few added calories.
Now you can add the salt free toppings. Get creative. Try adding a light sprinkle of ground cayenne pepper or chili powder for a spicy kick. A quick trip down the spice isle at the supermarket will reveal several salt-alternatives you can sprinkle on. If you are in need of a sweet fix, try a sprinkle on sugar substitute mixed with cinnamon or other sweet spices. Want a truly unique sweet treat? Start by filling a refillable oil sprayer with vegetable oil spiked with a few drops of peppermint extract and then sprinkle on the sugar substitute.
Self-Adhesive Toppers
Another way to go is skip the oil altogether and opt for low-calorie sprays. Using a food-safe spray bottle, you can create a virtually endless variety of toppings. Simple fill a food safe spray bottle with your topping of choice. Low sodium soy sauce is a particularly nice treat. As an added bonus, you can use the same spray on your veggies or meats.
If you prefer a prepackaged solution, low calorie salad dressings have a lot to offer. There are a wide variety of flavor choices and while not all are suitable, but many are. Asian and Italian flavors work particularly well.
With a little bit of work, you can easily come up with flavors to fit your palette. The only remaining problem is the issue of storage. It is easy to pop up a fresh batch at home, but many people do the majority of their snacking on the job. Popped popcorn is bulky and does not store well for long periods of time. Most work places have a microwave, but few will offer an in-house air-popper.
If you are feeling generous, you could supply an air-popper for communal use. If not, the other option is a partial compromise. It is now possible to purchase low-fat unsalted microwave popcorn. While more expensive than the home popped, it is certainly more portable. Just drop a bag in your lunch box along with your seasoning selection and you can skip the vending machine.
