Is Microwave Popcorn Keto-friendly

How Many Cups Of Popcorn Can You Have On Keto

To refresh your memory, to stay in ketosis, you would have to stick to less than 15-30 net carbs consumed per day. As you can imagine, that doesnt give you a whole lot of room to wiggle.

Especially if you end up eating more than one cup of popcorn, and to be honest, who can eat just one cup?

Need to calculate your macro? Head to my macro calculator to find out how many carbs are recommended for you.

A keto diet is primarily a high-fat and low-carb diet.

Thus, you reduce your net carb intake to such a low amount so that your body becomes efficient at burning fat to sustain you and producing ketones from fat in the liver so that you can supply energy to your brain.

If you are starting your keto journey, you might be having a hard time maintaining yourself on a diet thats high in fat and low carbs.

Thats because most people are used to sustaining themselves primarily on sugars and carbs.

Bread, pasta, pizza, cereals, and grains, are usually are the staple of an American diet. Without it, you might be feeling lost and confused.

But dont fear it. Once you get over the initial hump of confusion and contradiction, you will realize soon enough that the glorious benefits of a keto diet far outweigh any inconvenience or giving up those pesky carbs.

Helpful Insights About Pork Roasts

• Net Carbs are 0% of calories per serving, at 0g per serving. This food is safe for the keto diet. If the amount is close to 25g per serving, consider whether you’re going to eat more food later.
• This food’s %DV for sodium is 2%. At 38mg, it’s considered low in sodium according to the FDA’s standard for %DV . The organization considers any food with %DV of less than 5% as low in sodium.

Helpful Insights About Beef Top Loin

• Net Carbs are 0% of calories per serving, at 0g per serving. This food is safe for the keto diet. If the amount is close to 25g per serving, consider whether you’re going to eat more food later.
• This meal’s calories is around 40% of a standard 2,000 calorie diet. If you plan to eat more meals later in the day, you should seriously reconsider this item.

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How To Make Popcorn At Home

It is important to be aware of portions when eating ZeaMays on a ketone monitored plan since it can be easy to over consume. To help keep portion size in check and feel more satisfied, you can add fat from coconut oil, butter, or olive oil to it. Making them at home instead of buying pre-popped varieties can also help you control how much you eat and what you add to it.

• To make it at home, heat 1 tablespoon of coconut oil or butter in a large pot over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons of maize kernels.
• Cover the pot with a lid while the kernels pop.
• After popping stops, remove from heat and season with oil or butter and salt.

Helpful Insights About Pop Secret Homestyle Popcorn

• Net Carbs are 43% of calories per serving, at 15g per serving. This food is safe for the keto diet. If the amount is close to 25g per serving, consider whether you’re going to eat more food later.
• This food contains trans fat, a type of fat that’s considered extremely unhealthy. Learn more about unhealthy fats.

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How To Have Popcorn While On Keto

While managing your ketonic compounds, you can use coconut oil, butter, or olive oil to cook ZeaMays on the stove, or you can add healthy fats after you air pop them.

When you go to the movie theater, keep in mind that there it is most likely highly processed and filled with harmful additives and added sugars. Hence, they need to be avoided at all costs.

When youre following a ketogenic selection of edibles, you should choose them on the basis of different macronutrient distribution than that of ZeaMays or foods with a cellulose count thats low when looking at the typical serving. This will help you get enough fat, protein, vitamins, and minerals while keeping carbohydrate intake within limits.

Maize can easily fit into a ketonic compound monitoring meal plan with a daily limit of 50 grams of net cellulose and can even be included in more restrictive versions of the Ketogenic dietary regimen. Not to mention, if youre following this to shed weight, ZeaMays only have 90 calories per serving.

However, a 3-cup serving would take up a large part of your daily cellulose allotment. If you want to enjoy them on this regime, consider limiting other high cellulose foods, so you dont exceed your net limit.

Remember that even on a strict Ketogenic regime ZeaMays wont be your only source of net carbs. Dont forget to factor in all other carbohydrate sources so you dont exceed your limit and exit ketosis.

Potential Risks From Eating Popcorn

The risks from eating popcorn almost all come from the oils, fats, and seasonings that often come with it.

• Movie theater popcorn is extremely high in saturated fats. Saturated fats are solid at room temperature and eating too many saturated fats can increase your risk of heart disease and stroke.
• This type of savory popcorn is also high in calories. Regal’s large popcorns can contain 20 cups of popcorn, 1,200 calories, and 60 grams of saturated, artery-clogging fat. That’s the same as eating two personal pepperoni pizzas from Pizza Hut. Wow!
• Microwave popcorn contains harmful ingredients like diacetyl. Diacetyl has been linked to the progress of Alzheimer’s disease and may contribute to respiratory abnormalities. Plus the bags themselves can contain carcinogenic PFOAs. Do yourself a favor and just skip the microwave popcorn from now on!
• Popcorn is high in carbs, which can kick you out of ketosis. This isn’t really a risk, but it is something to keep in mind if you’re eating any sort of low-carb diet.
• Popcorn has a moderate number of carbs, which can kick you out of ketosis if your snacking gets out of hand. This isnt really a risk, but it is something to keep in mind if you’re eating any sort of low-carb diet.

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Can You Eat Popcorn On A Low Carb Diet

Popcorn is definitely not the worst food you could be eating on a low carb diet. If you are limiting your carb intake, a cup of popcorn will not knock you out of ketosis. You dont have to feel guilty if the temptation is too strong and you steal a couple bites next time someone has a bowl of popcorn!

Issues with popcorn will arise when you eat more than just a small amount. I know I personally have the tendency to eat popcorn by the handful a cup just wouldnt cut it for me!

Popcorn also isnt known for being the most filling food. If youre looking for a snack that will satiate you without too many carbs, popcorn may not be the best choice for you.

Common Popcorn Types And Brands

Here are a few of the most popular brands to buy and ways to prepare popcorn along with their carb counts. It’s pretty amazing to see how quickly popcorn goes from being a nutritious snack to being an entirely unhealthy one depending on how you prepare it.

Your choice of oil, seasoning, and additives all affect its nutritional value, so keep that in mind as you buy and make your own popcorn.

Note: the following macros are for a 1 oz serving, which is approximately 3.5 cups of popcorn.

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Helpful Insights About Pop Secret Jumbo Popping Corn

• Net Carbs are 15% of calories per serving, at 18g per serving. This food is safe for the keto diet. If the amount is close to 25g per serving, consider whether you’re going to eat more food later.
• This food’s %DV for sodium is 0%. At 0mg, it’s considered low in sodium according to the FDA’s standard for %DV . The organization considers any food with %DV of less than 5% as low in sodium.

How To Tell If Popcorn Fits Into Your Keto Diet

If youre following a medically prescribed ketogenic diet to treat epilepsy or another condition, talk with your doctor about how popcorn can fit into it. But if youre free-styling your own keto plan, grab a scratch pad and calculate how much popcorn fits into your carb budget.

Generally, popcorn is a dang good option for snacking. A 2016 meta-analysis of 45 studies supports the idea that eating more whole grains is linked to lower risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, respiratory illness, infectious disease, and death from all causes. And guess what? Popcorn is a whole grain!

If youre attempting to follow a keto diet to change the size or shape of your body, but find yourself obsessing about good and bad foods, calculating macros, and whether youre allowed to have a particular food like popcorn, consider whether your diet may be causing a disordered relationship with food.

Check in with a dietician or therapist who is experienced with treating disordered eating if your diet is stressing you out instead of making you feel better.

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A Brief Background Of Popcorn

Possibly prepared and eaten by Peruvians as long as 6,000 years ago, popcorn has gained popularity since the 1800s. In the 1890s, the popcorn maker was invented around the same time movies were invented.

Popcorn is unique, but how it works is simple. Popcorn kernels contain water and oil. When heated, the kernels expand and explode. Voila, a delicious snack!

Though cob corn is considered to be a vegetable, popcorn is a whole grain, so there are bound to be some carbs involved.

Popular additives to popcorn include:

Is Popcorn Keto Friendly

You might be wonder “Is Popcorn Keto Friendly”. There is nothing better during a nice movie than diving into a bucket full of popcorn. However, when you’re on a keto diet you want to avoid anything that is high in carbs. So is popcorn keto-friendly? Today, we’re going to find out by digging into the nutrition facts for popular popcorn.

Corn is one of the most widely grown vegetables in the world and popcorn is one of the most popular snacks in the US. The salt and buttery flavoring on the delicious, light, and fluffy popcorn is to die for. However, popcorn is made out of corn and corn contains carbohydrates. So we often wonder: Is popcorn keto friendly?

If you’re looking for other great keto snacks take a look at our post on sweet keto snacks and keto-friendly crackers.

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Tips To Make Popcorn Better For You

If youre craving popcorn, make it as healthy as possible.

Since you cant control the carb count, control the other variables instead. By popping your own popcorn, you hold more control over the calories, added sugars, and unhealthy fats.

Either air-popped popcorn or oil-popped popcorn can be cooked over your own stovetop. If popping with oil, use non-vegetable oils, such as:

A keto friendly alternative to butter is ghee. When you have popped the kernels, pour a helping of melted ghee on top.

Avoid sugary additives like caramel, unless youre using a keto-friendly caramel recipe. Eating popcorn is often measured by the handful, but try to eat one kernel at a time to make the snack last longer.

In the past, microwave popcorn earned a huge warning label from the health community. Its packaging and flavorings contained PFOAs and diacetyl .

Fortunately, all major manufacturers got rid of this after the CDC published its findings on these chemicals in microwave popcorn.

Even so, pre-bagged microwavable kernels are still filled with butter substitutes, inflammatory oils, preservatives, and other packaging chemicals that have a bad reputation. Its more convenient, but at a significant cost.

Above all, stick to a strict portion size.

How Do I Know If Im Following The Keto Diet Correctly

If youre wondering if youre following the keto diet correctly, you should try to maintain a diet thats high in fat and limit your carbohydrates. That means eliminating foods like rice, beans, potatoes, bananas, and apples.

Foods that are good for the keto diet include meats, eggs, cheese, cream, mayonnaise, butter, and avocados. Youll also be allowed limited amounts of low-carb veggies like broccoli or spinach.

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More Easy Keto Movie Snacks

I know its disappointing that the answer to can you have popcorn on the keto diet? is a sad no. But, I hope this cheese puffs recipe is a decent replacement. If you like it, you might also like some of these other keto snacks:

• Keto Crackers Two ingredient and ultra buttery.
• Hard Boiled Eggs A hefty dose of protein and major flavor thats a favorite keto or not.
• Pepperoni Chips ONE ingredient is all you need for these crunchy chips.
• Cauliflower Hummus I bet you thought hummus was off-limits! Not with this sneaky version.
• Keto Soft Pretzels These taste like the real thing! Dip them in mustard or eat them plain either way they are delicious.

What Kind Of Popcorn Can You Have On Keto

Just because popcorn is keto-friendly doesnt mean you can pour carmel, honey, chocolate syrup, or other sugary toppings all over it. Remember that sugar is a carb, and not the healthy kind! Each teaspoon you add will increase your carb count by at least 4 g.

That means you should probably take the following off your list:

• Kettle corn is made with added sugar and typically has at least twice as many net carbs as regular popcorn. It also has more calories. Since it is often served at fairs or amusement parks, it can be difficult to know the exact number of kettle corn carbs.
• Caramel corn is made with brown sugar and corn syrup, so thats a double no.
• Movie theater popcorn is not a very keto-friendly option either. Why? First, the serving sizes are monstrous. And even if you look up the carbs in movie theater popcorn on the theaters website and manage to eat only a small amount, what youre eating is still full of sodium and saturated fats. Both of which should be limited in a healthy diet. Did you know that movie theater butter isnt even made from real butter? Its actually made from partially hydrogenated oil , preservatives, and artificial coloring. In summary: not great for your health.
• Microwave popcorn and other store-bought mixes have similar issues: saturated fat, sodium, artificial flavorings, and added sweeteners.

The best popcorn for keto is made at home, where you have full control and knowledge of what youre eating.

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Is Popcorn High In Carbs

It depends on your portion. 2 cups of plain popped kernels only contain about 10.1 grams of net carbohydrates .

However, its easy to consume more than that, especially if you are blindly reaching into a bag and eating it by the handful. To control how much you´re eating, measure out the correct amount and place it in a separate bowl.

What Snacks Can I Have On The Keto Diet

Vegetables will always be the number one choice for best keto snack. It might not be what you wanted to hear, but its the truth. Many vegetables are low carb and low calorie you also have the benefit of vegetables being filling and full of nutrients.

If you are in the snacking mood and cant bear the thought of eating vegetables, you have some other options. Jerky , cheese, pork rinds, olives, pickles, and hard boiled eggs all make excellent low carb snacks.

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How Many Total Carbs Are In Popcorn

Lets talk about popcorn nutrition. The total carbs in this snack food are important to understand.

Popcorns carb content depends on how the popcorn is prepared. It is best to divide popcorn into five types: microwavable, air-popped, oil-popped, kettle corn, and movie theatre popcorn.

Obviously, always check the nutrition facts on your popcorn purchase when you are watching your carb intake. But these are pretty good estimates as to how many total carbs you will find in different types of popcorn.

Net Carbs In One Cup Of Popcorn

Whenever you are calculating net carbs, be sure to subtract dietary fiber from the carb count. Net carbs simply refers to the digestible carbohydrates in a food.

Popcorn contains some fiber. For the purposes of keto or other low-carb diets, subtract the fiber from the carbs to get the net carbs.

• Microwavable popcorn: 3-8 net carbs per cup
• Air-popped popcorn: 2-5 net carbs per cup
• Oil-popped popcorn: 3-8 grams of net carbs per cup
• Kettle corn: 8-11 net carbs per cup
• Movie theater popcorn: 3-6 net carbs per cup

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Is Popcorn Acceptable On The Keto Diet

After you determine how many daily carbs your body requires to stay in ketosis, you can divide your carbohydrate allowance according to your preference, but popcorn can be found in a ketogenic diet without issue. It is a keto-friendly food, says Rissetto, for both health and convenience.

How much keto do you think popcorn really contributes to, and why is it the most popular snack? Although it is only a whole grain, it does not have to be a bad food in your diet. Plain popcorn, in my opinion, is one of the best snacks for your health. It provides a good balance of vitamins, minerals, carbs, and fiber in addition to vitamins, minerals, carbs, and fiber. Avocados, olive oil, eggs, fatty fish, nuts, and seeds are just a few of the healthy, low-carbohydrate foods found in the keto diet. In comparison to these products, popcorn has the highest fiber content and the lowest net carbs. Its worth it if you enjoy popcorn, but not if you dont.