My family LOVES popcorn! That might even be an understatement. I can distinctly remember a week {not too long ago} when all we ate for most lunches and snacks was popcorn. That must have been after I realized that popcorn is a favorite food of mine if I could add kernel seasons to it…mmm! But, after we went through a giant box of popcorn {read: over 50 bags} I knew we had to figure out a healthier and more cost-effective way to eat our favorite food. Because, let’s face it, while popcorn definitely isn’t the worst food in the world for you, when it’s cooking in a bagful of butter, it’s not what I would call “health” food!
But, did you know that 1 cup of air-popped popcorn is just over 30 calories and has 0g of total fat? Not too shabby, compared to 78 calories for butter popcorn popped in oil, and around 100 calories for movie-theater popcorn!
While I was trying to figure out a better alternative to the popcorn we had been consuming, I stumbled across an interesting tidbit of information. You can pop your own kernels in a brown bag in the microwave. Of course, I didn’t believe it and had to test this out for myself. You can’t imagine how thrilled I was to find out that it works, and tastes delicious!
This super-simple solution could very possibly be a life-changer for you if you’re a popcorn-lovin’ family! All you need to do is measure out 1/4 cup of popcorn kernels {we use the Pop Secret jumbo kernels} and pour it into a paper lunch bag. Fold the top of the bag over a few times, but don’t seal the bag shut! Place the bag in your microwave folded side up, and heat just like you would normally, stopping when pops become less-frequent. Carefully remove the bag from your microwave, season {if you wish} and enjoy!
That’s all it takes to make your own air-popped corn in the microwave!
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What amazing timing for this post I was munching on some popcorn while I was checking out new post and such. I had heard you could do your own microwave popcorn in a paper bag but i was never sure how much corn to measure out. Thanks for the info. It also made me think of how much I love popcorn. I am still proned to pop it right on the stove in the butter. When we were kids Mama would pop enough to fill up a metal dish pan and we’d watch the late night movie.
Great post bring me good memories!
Great tip! BTW, SELF magazine had a great article recently on how to dress up air popped popcorn in great, healthy ways. Some were really unique like shredded coconut and dark chocolate, etc. I’ll see if I can find it for you.
Thanks for sharing! I’m a popcorn fiend too but have to moderate how much I eat of it. Another reason this method is great is that it lacks the preservatives/chemicals added to microwavable popcorn.