Popcorn can help you lose weight. I used to think that eating popcorn was a guilty pleasure. On the contrary, popcorn can help you lose weight effortlessly. You have to follow only 1 simple rule!
Is popcorn good for losing weight?
Air-popped popcorn is the ideal snack for losing weight. Popcorn is really low in calories, but high in fiber. A cup of popcorn has only 31 calories, 1g of fiber and 1g of protein. Popcorn keeps you full for a long time. You can eat it even late at night as a healthy snack. It’s simply the best food for losing weight.
How I lost weight eating popcorn late at night?
I’m a night eater. I always enjoyed a healthy meal late at night, watching my favorite TV program. Sounds familiar?
I couldn’t lose some extra pounds, even after I started running. As it was really difficult for me to quit dinner late at night, I decided to cut down calories. After all, eating late at night doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll gain weight.
My dinner used to be about 500-700 calories. So, I decided to eat popcorn instead. A cup of air-popped popcorn has only 31 calories (1).
Let’s be honest. No one eats only a cup of popcorn. Most people eat at least 5 cups. I eat about 7 cups at night. That ‘s about 220 calories. Only 220 calories!!!
Eating popcorn as a late night snack is wonderful for losing weight. So, just by eating popcorn at night, I consumed fewer calories. About 400 calories fewer. Just by this tiny change to my diet.
We need to burn 3,500 calories, in order, to lose 1 pound of body weight. So, I lost my first pound after 8 days. It took me about 2 1/2 months to lose 7 pounds. Mainly due to eating popcorn late at night, as a healthy snack!
Is popcorn healthy for losing weight?
Eating popcorn is pretty healthy. After all, popcorn is a whole grain-food. It’s high in nutrients and also fiber!
Nutritional value of popcorn
A cup of air-popped popcorn has 1g of fiber. Most people eat at least 5 cups. Therefore, a serving of popcorn (5 cups) contains more than 5g of dietary fiber. We need about 28g of fiber daily. So, eating popcorn provides about 17% DV (Daily Value), or even more. Popcorn is a food particularly high in fiber. I eat it regularly.
Additionally, just a cup of air-popped popcorn contains many minerals and antioxidants. Certainly, eating popcorn is good for your health. Analytically, according to the USDA a cup of popcorn contains (1):
- calcium (0.56 mg),
- iron (0.25 mg),
- magnesium (11.4 mg),
- phosphorus (28.6 mg),
- potassium (26.2 mg),
- zinc (0.25 mg),
- lutein & zeaxanthin (116 mcg).
As you can see just 1 cup of popped popcorn is rich in nutrients. For instance, lutein and zeaxanthin are powerful carotenoids. Particularly important for eye health. Only a few foods are rich sources of these eye-protector carotenoids. See the whole list here.
Homemade popcorn: Hot air machine vs microwave
If you want to lose weight fast you should eat only homemade popcorn. Commercial popcorn is pretty high in calories. Avoid it if you want to lose weight.
Furthermore, commercial popcorn may be bad for your health. The seasoning, the type of fat and even the packaging may be bad for your health. Better avoid commercial popcorn. You can prepare your healthy popcorn in no time.
There are 2 easy ways to prepare low-calorie popcorn at home. You can use a hot-air popcorn maker or just put corn kernels in the microwave.
I personally use a hot-air popcorn machine. I bought a simple popcorn machine from Amazon. Best $20 I’ve ever spent!
If you have a microwave you could also use one of these silicone popcorn poppers. In a couple of minutes you’ll enjoy popcorn. The best part? No oil or butter is required!
When does eating popcorn become bad for weight loss?
Popcorn is great for losing weight because it’s low in calories and keeps you full for a really long time.
On the contrary, if you enjoy popcorn with any calorie-dense seasoning it can make you fat.
For instance, a cup of caramel coated popcorn has about 150 calories! 5-times more calories than simple air-popped popcorn.
If you want to lose weight, don’t add butter neither any vegetable oil on your popcorn. They’re pretty high in calories. A tablespoon contains about 120 calories! No, thanks!
Can I depend on popcorn for losing weight?
The No1 rule for losing weight is calorie deficit. Popcorn helps to lose weight due to, the fact that they’re pretty low in calories.
Therefore, popcorn promotes calorie deficit, but eating it doesn’t guarantee weight loss. Popcorn should be part of a healthy balanced plant-based diet. If you can’t lose weight, even though you’re following a whole food plant-based diet, you’re probably doing one or more of these common diet mistakes.
QUIZ: Why can’t I lose weight on a plant-based diet?
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