In the December 2009 issue of the Nutrition Action Health Letter, the Center for Science in the Public Interest takes on movie popcorn and drinks and wow what a revelation it is, not only for those looking to lose weight, but for those looking to embrace healthy habits. I was shocked to read that a medium popcorn with a medium soda packs well over 1600 calories and 60 grams of saturated fat. And if you upsize to a large popcorn and 2 medium drinks this brings your calorie content to well over 2000 calories. While some chains, such as Cinemark, have switched to using non-hydrogenated canola oil for popping, other theaters such as AMC and Regal use coconut oil. And when you add the so-called buttery topping that many of us like to put on our popcorn, this raises our calorie content and saturated fat even more so. If you think sticking to a small popcorn is a safer option, you may want to think again. A small popcorn without the buttery topping at Regal Theaters will set you back 670 calories, at Cinemark 420 calories and at AMC only 370 calories, drinks not included. Add buttery topping to any of these options and you can easily add an additional 120 calories per bag. Add a small drink and you can add another 150 calories. While I am all for moderation, I would have to think twice before eating the majority of my calories for one day on a snack. This is probably why I have not had movie popcorn in a very long time. I cannot justify eating a snack that has more calories and saturated fat than a steak dinner or Big Mac with fries. So I eat before I go and skip the concession stand altogether. Not only do I save money, but I save my arteries and my health by doing so. As a movie goer, do you indulge in the popcorn and drink deals the theaters promote? After reading the calorie and saturated fat content, not to mention the sodium content in the popcorn, would this cause you to reconsider the next time you visit the movie theater? |
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