Movie nights call for popcorn, and in my house that means anything from a bag of Pirate’s Booty to a giant bowl of homemade stove-top popcorn bathed in butter. But there’s one type of popcorn that will never, EVER make it past my front door: the stuff that goes in the microwave.
That’s right, those plastic-sealed bags that promise to deliver buttery bliss in just a few minutes. Microwaveable popcorn might give us all the salty goodness we desire, but it comes with a hefty side of unsaturated fat, sodium, and chemicals we may not have bargained for. As registered dietician Dr. Amy Lee puts it, when you eat microwave popcorn, “you’re exposing yourself to a lot...It’s scary.”
Here’s why you should think twice before popping a bag in the microwave:
- That bag is lined with chemicals. Ever wonder how all that crazy butteriness stays inside the bag without leaking through? Meet PFAs, a class of synthetic chemicals commonly used in food packaging. Popcorn manufacturers coat the insides of their popcorn bags with PFAs to prevent the artificial butter flavoring from leaking through and making a mess. But those same chemicals also leach into the popcorn—and into your body when you eat it. Since these chemicals take a while to break down, they can easily build up in your blood overtime. Talk about scary.
- You can get something called “popcorn lung.”
Speaking of chemicals, that glorious butter flavor and color that we love so much is (you guessed it!) completely fake. It’s a complex chemical concoction that often contains diacetyl, which, according to Dr. Lee, has “basically been listed as a poison” and can lead to bronchiolitis obliterans. Bronchiolitis obliterans, or “popcorn lung,” is a condition where the smallest pathways in the lungs become inflamed, resulting in frequent coughing and shortness of breath. So all that “buttery goodness” wafting through the air is actually pretty harmful.
- It also contains tons of saturated fat.
Even if you ignore all the harmful chemicals in the packaging and the artificial flavors in the popcorn, you can’t get around the fact that most microwave popcorn is loaded with saturated fats like palm oil. Some popular brands contain up to 4 grams of saturated fat in a single serving. That’s 20 percent of your daily recommended intake. And in case you’re wondering, one serving size is only about a third of a bag. Who stops eating popcorn after finishing a third of a bag? - The sodium levels are through the roof.
Fatty foods typically demand a hefty dose of salt to balance them out, and microwave popcorn is no exception. Manufacturers seek to “reach the bliss point for consumers,” says Dr. Lee. “You gotta have the salt and the fat.” Levels of sodium vary by brand, but many brands contain 250-300 mg of sodium per serving, up to 15 percent of your daily value. Is it any wonder we’re usually guzzling a can of soda while we’re munching on popcorn?
- It’s just as easy to pop it yourself!
That’s right: you can avoid all the excess chemicals and control the amount of saturated fat and sodium you consume with your popcorn by just popping your own on the stovetop. It’s not hard to do. All you need is a pan with a lid, a little vegetable oil, and some unpopped popcorn kernels. It takes roughly the same amount of time that it would to open a microwave popcorn pouch and throw it in the microwave. And—bonus!—if you pop it yourself, you’re suddenly open to a whole world of different flavors, seasoning combos, and mix-ins. Everything bagel seasoning? Taco spice? Caramel? The possibilities are endless when you pop your own popcorn.
Taylor Ann Spencer is the assistant food editor at Delish, where she develops recipes, creates recipe videos, and styles food. With a background in writing and theater as well as professional cooking, she enjoys sharing her love for global flavors and all things baking through informational posts, hosted videos, and just plain everyday conversations. When she's not cooking, she's brainstorming her next culinary mash-up. Mac 'n' cheese chili rellenos, anyone?
