One of the incorrect assumptions about people who work in nutrition and health is that we are always “strict” and can’t truly enjoy vices or have a good time! This comes up a lot for me when I am out for dinner with friends, going out for drinks or going to a movie! Well, confession time: I have eaten movie theatre popcorn before! However, it is true that I generally won’t order popcorn when I go to the movies. Also, there are definitely times when I am sitting in a dark theatre surrounded by the smells of butter and salt and the sounds of crunching and popping, that I have a moment of nutritional judgment. However, there are still ways to “have your cake and eat it too” when it comes to movie theatre popcorn!
Before we get to that though, I have a few questions for you! What’s your favorite part about going to the movies? Is it the extra large TV screen? Is it the fact that you are watching a movie with at least 100 other strangers? Is it the popcorn/candy?
Generally speaking, all movie theatres have a lot of things in common. It is an activity that is shared on a global scale and it’s uniform in a majority of the characteristics that define the experience. One of the key defining traits of this beloved past time is the big paper bags filled with buttered popcorn. Do you agree? I encourage you to go to a movie tonight and count how many people are accompanied by these large bags of what I like to call, a subpar treat.
Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy popcorn. The issue is that movie theatre snacks are really failing when it comes to health and nutrition. The most frustrating part of this is that it really wouldn’t be difficult to make a few adjustments and truly change this around.
There are a couple of key reasons why movie theatre popcorn is a big “no-no” for nutritionists. Let’s have a look at those now.
Undressing movie theatre popcorn to see how it really looks naked!
First and foremost, popcorn is a product that is made from corn kernels. Nowadays, the issue with corn is that is it the highest rated genetically modified product and therefore gives rise to a wealth of concerns. Best bet is to buy organic.
Moreover, some theatres buy pre-popped popcorn, which is then warmed up using heat lamps as a way to cut down on time and equipment constraints. This increases the theatre’s efficiency and in-turn profit. To make matters worse, these pre-packaged snacks are usually cooked in unhealthy trans fat oils (click here to read our review on fat undressed – everything you need to know about fat and where to find the best and healthy fats). They tend to be coloured and flavoured with artificial ingredients that commonly include MSG wich is a very harmful product that can cause very serious health issues (click here to read our review on MSG as we expose its effects on our health). Similar to pre-packaged products, one of the main issues with this is that the product is stored for an unknown amount of time and therefore will contain preservatives and additives to increase shelf life.
When food is being produced in large quantities, especially packaged food, it raises concern about the quality of the product. What type of butter is being used? Is it butter or margarine? Etc. Also, there is the issue of salt. What type of salt is it? Is it table salt? (click here to read our review on salt as we undress which ones are good and which are bad). The other thing about movie theatre popcorn is how fresh it is. I can’t help but notice that sometimes the snack is sitting in those glass containers under a heat light for several hours. Yikes!
Learn how to improve your movie theatre popcorn
So, when you arrive at your local cinema, mostly everyone is faced with the same question. To pop, or not to pop? This really is a difficult question because the problem is that there are a limited amount of snack options and most theatres are strict in enforcing the ‘no outside food’ rule. What are some things you can do?
- If you are going to get popcorn, get the smallest size they have and definitely DON’T get a soda pop or Vitaminwater® (which would truly be adding insult to injury). Grab a water instead! You’ll need it to balance your body out after all the salt and butter.
- Don’t get extra butter on your popcorn!
Learn how to have your cake and eat it too! Healthy movie theatre snacks revealed.
The above two tips will improve your situation, but you are still compromising your health by getting your food from the movie theatre. Therefore, getting to the bottom-line, my main advice is to bring your own snacks! Although it’s not technically allowed, I sneak my own snacks into the movie theatre all the time. I feel that until theatres start serving nutritious snacks this is the best way to go. Plus, it gives me a bit of a rule-breaker rush which is quite fun 😉
Here are some great snack ideas of things you could bring with you:
- Dried fruit like mango, apple rings, apricots, figs, prunes & dates
- Nuts! like almonds, walnuts, pistachios, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds
- Sliced fruit such as apples or pears! w/ almond butter for an extra boost of flavour and protein (which will aid in slowing down the digestion and help with proper absorption of the fruit’s nutrients)
- Snap peas!
- Gluten-free, good quality crackers such as Mary’s Crackers
- Vegetables cut up like carrots, celery, cherry tomatoes, cucumber & zucchini
- Vegetable crackers
OR - Make your own popcorn!
Check out my very own delicious and nutritiously naked popcorn recipes:
– Click Here for my Cheesy Cinnamon Air-Popped Popcorn Recipe
– Click Here for my Pot Popped Cheesy Turmeric and Coconut Oil Popcorn Recipe
Are you a movie theatre snack sneaker as well? If so, welcome to the club 😉 We would love to hear from you in the comment section below. Let us know if you have any great snack ideas to bring into the movie theatre OR another fabulous popcorn recipe that you would like to share.
Also, if you have friends or family who love going to the movies, share this article with them and help us spread the good word.
