Popcorn Butter
Like Being at the Movies
The amount of butter people put on their popcorn varies greatly. Some people put on very little, while others put on so much that the popcorn is literally swimming in the butter. It's all a matter of preference, of course. Buttered popcorn is definitely a favorite, though, as it sells twice as much as plain popcorn. Popcorn is often expensive in theatres because many movie houses use a fancy French butter known as Celles sur Belle to flavor their popcorn.
There are about half a dozen ways to cook popcorn and one of them is by using hot air. A lot of people have small popcorn poppers at home, which uses this method. You add the butter into the top heating tray and it melts into the popcorn. However, not only does this add the buttery flavor to your hot popcorn, it will also serve as a fine lubricant for your popping machinery. Many people love to have butter on their popcorn, but because of the high fat content and salt content of the butter, a lot of people are seeking alternatives such as light and low fat microwaved popcorn. However, most of these types of popcorn are using artificial flavoring instead of real butter. There are also several other products on the market that you can use to pour over your popcorn and they too are not made with real butter.
If you eat popcorn plain without any oil or butter it is only 27 calories per cup. Since popcorn is a whole grain cereal with high fiber content, it has received recommendations from the Cancer Society and the Cancer Institute. It is also included on the Dental Association's list of wholesome sugar free snacks. Nutritionally, air popped popcorn that is made without oil or salt, is the best choice.
Health professionals have been debating the of substitution margarine for butter for years. This dilemma has one again captured people's interest with new medical studies, which show that margarine's transfatty acids are related to high levels of LDL cholesterol and lower levels of HDL cholesterol. They are also suspected to enhance deposits of fat in the arteries and actually interfere with the metabolism of fat. However, because butter is a saturated fat, many health professionals advise against cooking with it since it elevates blood cholesterol that can lead to cardiovascular disease. Butter is a natural produce though, which is made without additives. The purpose of popcorn butter and margarine is to add flavor and to help the various seasonings stick to the kernels of popcorn.
An occasional use of a modest amount of butter or margarine on popcorn, within the framework of a healthy diet, should not pose a medical problem. However, if you are on a restricted diet make sure you always follow the advice of your physician or dietitian. In place of butter or margarine, you may need to mist the popcorn with a butter flavored vegetable spray or butter flavored granules. Neither the vegetable spray or the granules will add any appreciable fat. However, the popcorn may become soggy after a few hours, so you should make it in small batches and eat it, freshly made, while it's still warm.