I stopped eating popcorn about 25 years ago. I noticed that my stomach was always upset after a batch of movie-theatre popcorn; and then I thought, ‘well – here’s yet another thing my body can’t handle’ and just let it go. But as it turns out it wasn’t the corn that was the problem; it was all those additives in movie theatre popcorn.
It wasn’t until after I healed my leaky gut that I discovered … I can eat popcorn – as long as it isn’t movie theatre popcorn. What’s wrong with movie theatre popcorn you ask? (Spoiler alert – don’t read any more if you don’t want to know!)
I’m offering you the latest scoop on movie theatre popcorn below. This is based on nutrition information from Cinemark and AMC’s recommended serving sizes, and does NOT factor in when the concessions representative over fills these standard sized boxes (which happens all the time).
The Bad Scoop
- Excess Salt. Flavacol is a seasoning made of very fine salt, artificial butter flavor, yellow dyes, and highly refined soy oil – no it’s not organic. It adds 450mg of sodium (Cinemark’s small) or 740mg with AMC’s small serving. It is not considered a low sodium food (140mg or less sodium per serving). This is not recommended for those with hypertension, high cholesterol, or heart issues.
The Worse Scoop
- Chemicals. That liquid butter flavoring we’re drizzling on top of the popcorn is loaded with chemicals, non-organic soybean oil, butter flavor, and preservatives (tertiary butyl-hydroquinone [TBHQ] and dimethylpolysiloxane). There is still much unresolved noise on the link between preservatives like TBHQ and the rise in food allergies / sensitivities and some effects regarding vision, neurological, muscular, and digestive issues. While the preservatives are necessary to extend shelf life, some are the same ingredients used in non-food silly putty!
The Good Scoop
- “Plain” popcorn is really popped kernels in canola oil (Cinemark) or coconut oil (AMC, Regal). So a 3-cup air popped popcorn is fat free and 90 calories; while Cinemark’s plain popcorn (junior size) has 200 calories and 11 g fat, and AMC’s plain (cameo size) has 300 calories and 13g fat.
- Cinemark and AMC are now offering a “ghee” like butter form, which is real butter without the milk-solids and water. So if you love the buttered popcorn, use the real stuff instead.
- Cinemark will take special requests for flavacol-free popcorn if you ask the concessions team; other theatres may also but Cinemark advertises this. I haven’t yet tried this pleasure, but I like to enjoy my popcorn when I eat it now. It’s actually a very special treat that I want to be mindful about so I don’t do it in a movie theatre. I just focus on the real attraction, and am thankful to be there enjoying it.
