It’s Time to Celebrate National Popcorn Poppin’ Month

The month of October has been chosen for more than 30 years to be National Popcorn Poppin’ Month in celebration of popcorn, one of America’s oldest snack foods. October was chosen because the popcorn harvest takes place each fall in the Midwest.

Popcorn is unique to other snack foods in that its roots trace back to thousands of years ago and has remained fairly unchanged throughout the years. Unlike other bagged snack foods like chips and cookies, popcorn is a natural snack that is made directly from the kernels, or seeds, of a large grain plant known as maize (or corn). The only processing this snack goes through is to strip the kernels from the cob and dry them to about 14% moisture. Then, they are ready to be popped in your microwave or air popper and enjoyed!

Popcorn grew in popularity back in the 1920‘s at the same time movie theaters did. Vendors would set up popcorn machines outside the theater and eventually theater owners began installing their own popcorn machines inside. Those theaters that didn’t sell popcorn went out of business. This is why popcorn has become the staple movie theater snack.

Popcorn is one snack food that is a perfect fit in your healthy lifestyle as it contains whole grains, is naturally low in fat and calories and is gluten-free. In fact, one cup of air popped popcorn contains only 31 calories, while the same amount of oil-popped popcorn contains 51 calories and lightly buttered contains 133 calories! If you are a popcorn lover, it will be comforting to know that 3 cups of air popped popcorn is equivalent to one serving from the grains group.

Manufacturers have gotten creative and there are a ton of different varieties of popcorn on the market. You can choose from kettle corn, air-popped, lightly buttered, lightly salted, cheddar cheese or caramel. It’s best to choose air-popped popcorn or even kettle cooked if you want a slightly sweet flavor, so you avoid the added fat and sugar in the other varieties.

YOU can get creative with your popcorn too. Add different spices such as oregano and basil for an Italian flair or chili powder, paprika and cumin for a Mexican kick. For more great popcorn ideas, visit www.popcorn.org.

If you are making healthy lifestyle changes, popcorn is one snack food that you don’t have to remove from your pantry. There’s nothing better than being able to enjoy your favorite snack food while also getting whole grains and fiber at the same time.

Your turn to take action: How will you experiment with adding flavor pizazz to your popcorn?