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Microwave popcorn is the perfect low-calorie snack that’s crunchy, salty, and sometimes sweet, making it a perfect movie night treat. While popcorn on its own is a healthy, whole-grain, low-calorie, high-fiber snack, not all microwave popcorn is created equal. The ingredients, oils, and seasonings added by some brands can turn this nutritious snack into something far less healthy, leading many to wonder if microwave popcorn is bad for you.
When choosing the healthiest microwave popcorn, pay attention to ingredients and nutrition labels to avoid excessive oils, sodium, and saturated fat. Luckily, you don’t have to figure it out alone. We asked dietitians for their top tips on selecting healthy microwave popcorn, and we’ve compiled a list of the best and worst options on the market.
Read on for dietitian-recommended picks for the healthiest microwave popcorn brands and which ones to avoid. And for more, check out 23 High-Protein Snacks To Stay Full & Energized All Day.
Meet the Experts
From key nutritional standards to potential red flags, we consulted the following experts to break down the criteria for choosing healthy microwave popcorn brands:
- Trista Best, MPH, RD, LD, at Balance One Supplements,
- Lauren Manaker, MS, RDN, registered dietitian and author of The First Time Mom’s Pregnancy Cookbook and Fueling Male Fertility,
- Erika Fox, RDN, registered dietitian nutritionist at 310 Nutrition
- Keri Gans, MS, RDN, CDN, a registered dietitian and author of The Small Change Diet
How To Choose a Healthy Microwave Popcorn
Choosing the healthiest microwave popcorn that you also enjoy boils down to a few key factors.
- Ingredients: Choose popcorn with simple, whole-food ingredients like non-GMO corn, sea salt, and healthy oils such as coconut or avocado oil. “Avoid brands that contain artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives,” advises Best.
- Sodium: Look for brands that have no more than 150 milligrams of sodium per serving.
- Sugar: “Some brands are adding sugar to their popcorn, especially if they are making a kettle corn variety,” says Manaker. “Watch out for too many added sugars.”
- Saturated fat: Saturated fat, also known as “bad” fat, can have negative effects on the body when consumed in excess. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend limiting saturated fat to less than 10% of your total calories. “Unfortunately, microwave popcorn is often a big culprit [of saturated fat intake],” Fox says, with some popcorn brands containing over 25% of your daily value of saturated fat in a small serving.
- Polyfluorinated substances (PFAS): Some microwave popcorn bags are lined with PFAS, chemicals used to repel water and grease. “High exposure of these chemicals are linked to outcomes like high cholesterol, higher risk of certain cancers, and pregnant people birthing babies with a lower birthweight,” says Manaker. To avoid these chemicals, choose popcorn brands that don’t use PFAS-lined bags, or try popping your own for a healthier and more economical option.
- Serving size: The entire bag is not one serving. “You need to read the nutrition facts label and see how many servings are in one bag to avoid an excess of calories,” says Fox.
A Note On Diacetyl: Gans tells us that “most ingredients that one should be wary of are actually ingredients that are mostly no longer used in microwave popcorn. Specifically, [manufacturers stopped using] a butter flavoring, diacetyl, that had been associated with an increase in lung damage.”
9 Healthiest Microwave Popcorns You Can Buy
- Angie’s BoomChickaPop Sea Salt Microwave Popcorn
- 365 by Whole Foods Market, Organic No Oil or Salt Microwave Popcorn
- Newman’s Own Touch of Butter Microwave Popcorn
- Black Jewell No Salt No Oil Microwave Hulless Popcorn
- SkinnyPop Microwave Sea Salt Popcorn
- 365 Everyday Value Organic Popcorn, Light Butter
- Angie’s BoomChickaPop Real Butter Microwave Popcorn
- Healthy Heart Market Popcorn No Salt
- Angie’s BoomChickaPop Lightly Sweet Kettle Corn
Angie’s BoomChickaPop Sea Salt Microwave Popcorn
Nutrition (Per serving):
Calories: 170
Fat: 10 g (Saturated Fat: 5 g)
Sodium: 250 mg
Carbs: 20 g (Fiber: 3 g, Sugar: 0 g)
Protein: 3 g
“This popcorn is made with non-GMO popcorn kernels, sea salt, and sunflower oil,” says Best. “It has only 35 milligrams of sodium and 1.5 grams of saturated fat per serving. It also contains no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.”
365 by Whole Foods Market, Organic No Oil or Salt Microwave Popcorn
Nutrition (Per 2 Tbsp, unpopped):
Calories: 110
Fat: 1.5 g (Saturated Fat: 0 g)
Sodium: 0 mg
Carbs: 22 g (Fiber: 4 g, Sugar: 0 g)
Protein: 3 g
“This is my top pick for healthiest microwave popcorn because it only contains popcorn and/or sea salt!” says Fox. “With minimal ingredients and nothing crazy processed, 365 by Whole Foods Market, Organic No Oil or Salt Microwave Popcorn is a great low-sodium popcorn treat. [Popcorn] doesn’t have to be flavorless to be healthy! Get creative and dress up your popcorn by adding some toppings like extra-virgin olive oil or avocado oil, your favorite seasonings, etc!”
Newman’s Own Touch of Butter Microwave Popcorn
Nutrition (Per serving):
Calories: 130
Fat: 4.5 g (Saturated Fat: 1.5 g)
Sodium: 250 mg
Carbs: 19 g (Fiber: 3 g, Sugar: 0 g)
Protein: 2 g
“Newman’s Own Touch of Butter has half the total AND saturated fat content than most leading microwave popcorn brands and no artificial flavors,” says Martin.
Black Jewell No Salt No Oil Microwave Hulless Popcorn
Nutrition (Per serving):
Calories: 100
Fat: 1.5 g (Saturated Fat: 0 g)
Sodium: 5 mg
Carbs: 20 g (Fiber: 3 g, Sugar: 0 g)
Protein: 3 g
“If you can’t deal with ‘no salt’, definitely try Black Jewell No Salt No Oil Microwave Hulless Popcorn as it has some sodium, but not enough to be of any health concerns,” says registered dietitian Jonathan Valdez, RDN, CDN, owner of Genki Nutrition and spokesperson for New York State Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
SkinnyPop Microwave Sea Salt Popcorn
Nutrition (Per 2 Tbsp, unpopped):
Calories: 130
Fat: 6 g (Saturated Fat: 1.5 g)
Sodium: 260 mg
Carbs: 17 g (Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 0 g)
Protein: 2 g
SkinnyPop Microwave Sea Salt Popcorn contains just four ingredients: popcorn, sunflower oil, palm oil, and sea salt, earing this option a place on our list of healthy microwave popcorns. It’s low in sodium, fat, and saturated fat, and is entirely non-GMO and gluten free.
365 Everyday Value Organic Popcorn, Light Butter
Nutrition (Per serving):
Calories: 130
Fat: 2.5 g (Saturated Fat: 1 g)
Sodium: 190 mg
Carbs: 23 g (Fiber: 3 g, Sugar: <1 g)
Protein: 3 g
“For butter lovers, 365 Everyday Value Organic Popcorn, Light Butter should hit the spot with its natural butter flavor. And it has less than 200 mg of sodium,” says Gans.
Angie’s BoomChickaPop Real Butter Microwave Popcorn
Nutrition (Per serving):
Calories: 170
Fat: 10 g (Saturated Fat: 5 g)
Sodium: 320 mg
Carbs: 19 g (Fiber: 3 g, Sugar: 0 g)
Protein: 3 g
“Angie’s BoomChickaPop Real Butter Microwave Popcorn has just 4 simple ingredients and is one of the few brands that has actual butter in it, instead of butter flavor,” says Charlotte Martin, MS, RDN, CSOWM, CPT, owner of Shaped By Charlotte.
Healthy Heart Market Popcorn No Salt
Nutrition (Per serving):
Calories: 110
Fat: 1.5 g (Saturated Fat: 0 g)
Sodium: 0 mg
Carbs: 23 g (Fiber: 5 g, Sugar: 0 g)
Protein: 4 g
If you need a low-calorie popcorn, opt for Healthy Heart Market Popcorn No Salt. “This popcorn has zero grams of saturated fat and is very low in calories,” says Valdez.
Angie’s BoomChickaPop Lightly Sweet Kettle Corn
Nutrition (Per serving):
Calories: 170
Fat: 11 g (Saturated Fat: 5 g)
Sodium: 280 mg
Carbs: 18 g (Fiber: 3 g, Sugar: <1 g)
Protein: 2 g
“Although this option has the normal 5 grams of saturated fat you see with a lot of other brands, I wanted to include this as a top option for kettle corn fanatics, as it is a great alternative option for sweet & salty flavor,” says Fox. “It contains minimal ingredients, and the main benefit is that it doesn’t use artificial sweeteners as a source of sugar. Although it does have a little bit of sugar, it’s very minimal at 1 gram per serving.”
7 Worst Microwave Popcorn Brands You Can Buy
- Jolly Time The Big Cheez
- Pop-Secret Sweet ‘N Crunchy Caramel Popcorn
- Pop Secret Double Butter Popcorn
- Jolly Time, Blast O Butter Ultimate Theatre Style Butter
- Jolly Time KettleMania
- Pop Secret Kettle Corn
- Act II 94% Fat-Free Butter
Jolly Time The Big Cheez
Nutrition (Per serving):
Calories: 150
Fat: 9 g (Saturated Fat: 4 g)
Sodium: 360 mg
Carbs: 18 g (Fiber: 3 g, Sugar: 0 g)
Protein: 2 g
“Jolly Time The Big Cheez contains a long list of ingredients that don’t seem necessary given that there are plenty of microwaveable popcorn options with just a few simple ingredients,” says Martin. “I also try to stay away from artificial flavors when possible, and many microwaveable popcorn options are free of them.”
Pop-Secret Sweet ‘N Crunchy Caramel Popcorn
Nutrition (Per serving):
Calories: 170
Fat: 12 g (Saturated Fat: 6 g)
Sodium: 80 mg
Carbs: 18 g (Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 0 g)
Protein: 1 g
“Pop-Secret Sweet ‘N Crunchy Caramel Popcorn is low in protein and fiber, and high in saturated fat,” says Valdez.
Pop Secret Double Butter Popcorn
Nutrition (Per serving):
Calories: 130
Fat: 8 g (Saturated Fat: 4 g)
Sodium: 270 mg
Carbs: 12 g (Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 0 g)
Protein: 2 g
“This popcorn is the lowest I found in both fiber and protein, at 0 grams each,” says Valdez.
Jolly Time, Blast O Butter Ultimate Theatre Style Butter
Nutrition (Per serving):
Calories: 160
Fat: 10 g (Saturated Fat: 5 g)
Sodium: 340 mg
Carbs: 18 g (Sugar: 0 g)
Protein: 2 g
“Jolly Time, Blast O Butter Ultimate Theatre Style Butter has a whopping 5 grams of saturated fat in one serving,” says Fox. “In addition, it contains processed oils/ingredients, natural flavors (which can mean a wide variety of things that are not actually natural), as well as artificial flavors, and preservatives.”
Jolly Time KettleMania
Nutrition (Per serving):
Calories: 160
Fat: 10 g (Saturated Fat: 5 g)
Sodium: 230 mg
Carbs: 18 g (Fiber: 3 g, Sugar: <1 g)
Protein: 2 g
“Jolly Time KettleMania is filled with additives, including modified food starch, dextrin, and more,” says Fox. “It also contains sugar as well as artificial sweeteners, preservatives, and more.”
Pop Secret Kettle Corn
Nutrition (Per serving):
Calories: 130
Fat: 9 g (Saturated Fat: 4.5 g)
Sodium: 75 mg
Carbs: 12 g (Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 0 g)
Protein: 2 g
“Pop Secret Kettle Corn might seem like a better alternative compared to Jolly Time’s (which I would technically agree that it is), but I also wanted to include it on this list to point out the ‘not so great’ ingredients that it does have,” says Fox. “Although it has a lot less processed ingredients, it does use artificial sugar for its sweet taste and, like many other brands, uses processed oils. It also has almost 5g of saturated fat, which can add up when consumed in excess.”
Act II 94% Fat-Free Butter
Nutrition (Per serving):
Calories: 130
Fat: 2 g (Saturated Fat: 1 g)
Sodium: 300 mg
Carbs: 27 g (Fiber: 4 g, Sugar: 0 g)
Protein: 4 g
“With Act II 94% Fat-Free Butter, in particular, I really want to highlight that just because something is marketing as a ‘health’ or ‘weight loss’ item, doesn’t mean it’s the healthiest option. Yes, this flavor does contain less saturated fat, and I think that’s awesome, but I often find that many people only focus on the numbers and not the ingredients,” says Fox. “When you compare this to many other popcorn brands (some of which I’ve already named), it has the same unhealthy ingredients, just less of them.”
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