If you’re a snack lover like me, you’ve probably come across Popcorners.
Popcorners are a popular snack that combines the texture and taste of popcorn with the shape and convenience of a chip. They are essentially popped corn kernels pressed into triangular shapes, resulting in a crispy and crunchy snack.
They come in various flavors, including cheddar, sour cream, onion, and sea salt.
And while there is no denying that Popcorners are delicious, are they healthy for you?
Short answer: Popcorners are a healthy snack option, but they’re not perfect. Like all snacks, they should be eaten in moderation. While they’re made with healthy and natural ingredients, they’re moderate in sodium. However, they are better than other snack options available in the market.
If you want a more detailed overview of Popcorners, read on to the end of this post.
Let’s take a close look at the nutritional value and ingredients of the Popcorners.
Also read: Are Doritos Healthy? 7 Reasons You Should Never Eat Them
What are Popcorners?
Popcorners are a type of corn chips made from popped corn(yellow), which are first popped and then formed into a variety of shapes, including triangles. They were founded in 2008.
They are gluten-free, free from artificial flavors or colors, and are never fried. In addition, they are made with Non-GMO corn.
All of these features are Popcorners main selling point and what sets it apart from other chips.
Today, Popcorners are sold worldwide and are available in various flavors, which include:
- Spicy queso
- Sea salt
- Sour cream & onion
- Sweet chili
- Kettle corn
- White cheddar
- Cinnamon crunch
Nutrition Facts of Popcorners
The nutritional value of Popcorners varies depending on the flavor you choose.
Here’s the table showing the nutrition value of each flavor.
Flavors | Calories | Carbs(g) | Fat(g) | Protein(g) | Fiber(g) | Sodium(mg) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
White cheddar | 140 | 19 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 160 |
Sour cream & onion | 140 | 19 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 180 |
Sweet chili | 130 | 21 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 200 |
Cinnamon crunch | 130 | 21 | 4.5 | 2 | 0 | 100 |
Spicy queso | 130 | 20 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 180 |
Sea salt | 120 | 23 | 2.5 | 2 | 0 | 190 |
Kettle corn | 130 | 22 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 110 |
Ingredients in Popcorners
The exact ingredients in Popcorners vary depending on the flavor.
In general, Popcorners are made up of yellow corn, vegetable oil (sunflower/canola), and salt(sea salt/ regular salt) as the main ingredients.
Other ingredients that you might find based on flavor include:
- Whey
- Maltodextrin
- Citric acid & Lactic acid
- Milk
- Black pepper & Red pepper
- Buttermilk
- Paprika extracts
- Annatto extracts
- Cultured dextrose
- Natural flavors
5 Reasons Why Popcorners are healthy for You
1. Uses Non-GMO corn
One of Popcorners’ best qualities is that all of the corn used is non-GMO.
This means corn contains no harmful chemicals or pesticides that could damage your health.
Some studies believe that genetically modified foods can pose toxic effects such as hepatic, pancreatic, reproductive effects, and allergies in people.
To ensure that their products are clean and less risky, Popcorners partnered with many family farmers to grow a fresh crop of non-GMO corn.
This not only makes their product non-GMO but also helps farmers make a living.
2. Lower in calories
If you compare Popcorners to other chips on the market, you will find that they are the lowest in calories.
For example, a single serving of Doritos and Lays has 150 calories. In comparison, a single serving of Popcorners has a range of 110-140 calories, with “Sea salt” containing the least calories and “white cheddar” and “sour cream & onion” containing the most.
This makes Popcorners a better guilt-free snack for those who want to maintain weight or cut down on calories.
3. Uses healthy oils
Like other chips, Popcorners do not use unhealthy oil among its products, such as palmolein or corn oil.
Instead, Popcorners uses sunflower or canola oil, which are low in saturated fat and considered good for your heart health.
But you might ask, isn’t sunflower oil considered inflammatory? Well, yes, but that’s mainly when it’s consumed in large quantities.
The good news is, Popcorners are baked, not fried. This means the amount of sunflower oil used is minimal, so you can enjoy them without the guilt.
4. Lower in fat
Popcorners are not fried. Instead, they are made using a technique called air-popping. This technique combines heat and moisture under compression to pop light and crispy snacks. This makes Popcorners low in fat.
The highest fat in Popcorners is 6g.
If compared, Popcorners have less fat than popular chips like Lays, Doritos and Cheetos.
The best thing is that out of this 6g fat, more than 90% is good fat, i.e., unsaturated.
The flavor with the least fat is “sea salt,” with 2.5g(all good fat) per serving.
Being low in fat makes Popcorners a wonderful snacking choice for many reasons, such as controlling your weight and keeping your heart healthy.
5. No unnecessary additives
Most chips these days contain additives like MSG, artificial food dyes, acidity regulators, stabilizers, anticaking agents, and artificial flavoring substances.
All of these additives are added to prolong the product’s shelf life and provide flavor.
Fortunately, Popcorners are free from all of these additives, and the great thing is that they are still delicious and flavorful.
Popcorners use natural ingredients like onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, and yeast extract for flavor.
Although Popcorners claim to be preservative-free, they contain citric and lactic acid, which are treated as preservatives worldwide.
But no need to worry, as these preservatives are completely natural.
Are Popcorners good for weight loss?
Popcorners are good for weight loss as they are low in sugar and calories.
A single serving of Popcorners contains 2 to 3g of sugar and anywhere between 110-140 calories per serving.
However, if you eat multiple servings, the calorie count can quickly add up, hindering your weight loss efforts.
Remember that weight loss depends not only on one food but overall diet and lifestyle.
Is it good to eat Popcorners daily?
Even though Popcorners are healthier alternatives to most chips, eating them daily is not good.
This is because Popcorners contain a moderate amount of calories and sodium. Eating excessively can result in weight gain or heart-related problems.
“Anything in excess, even if it is healthy, is not good”.
Furthermore, people with diabetes should avoid the sweet chili and white cheddar flavors, as they contain maltodextrin.
Maltodextrin is high in glycemic index and can cause blood sugar levels to spike.
Are Popcorners gluten-free?
Not all, but most of the flavors of Popcorners are gluten-free.
Flavors that are gluten-free includes Cream & Onion, Kettle Corn, Cinnamon Crunch, Spicy Queso and Sea Salt.
Make sure to double check the label before buying Popcorners.
Are Popcorners vegan?
Popcorners comes in both vegan and non vegan flavors.
Flavors that are not vegan includes White Cheddar, Sour Cream & Onion, Cinnamon Crunch and Spicy Queso.
Flavors that are vegan includes Sea Salt, Sweet chili, and Kettle corn.
Final words
In conclusion, If you’re looking for a healthy snack option, Popcorners are a good choice.
They’re made with healthy and natural ingredients that make them gluten-free, cholesterol-free, transfat-free, and GMO-free.
Furthermore, they do not use artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives.
Even so, remember to eat them in moderation.
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Here are a few other posts that might also be helpful for you.
- Are Sunchips Healthy? The Truth About This Popular Snack
- Are Pringles Healthy? The Truth About This Popular Chips
- The Truth About Lays: Is It Good For Your Health?
- Are Triscuits Healthy? The Truth About These Crackers
- Are Terra Chips Healthy? Truth About These Vegetable Chips
FAQs about Popcorners
Popcorners are not fried. Instead, they are made through a technique called air popping.
Only the sweet chili, kettle corn, and sea salt flavors of the Popcorners are vegan.
All the flavors of Popcorners are nut free.
Only the sweet chili, kettle corn, and sea salt flavors of the Popcorners are dairy-free.