Salt in Food: The Classics

Want to buy your popcorn already popped? The good news: trans fat is hard to find. The bad news: you could end up with 600 calories’ worth of popcorn coated with sugar, saturated fat, and salt.
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Even uncoated popcorn can pad your belly and boost your blood pressure. Expect 280 calories in 4 cups of Trader Joe’s Popcorn with Herbs & Spices. (The chief spice: salt, which explains the 430 milligrams of sodium.)
Butter-flavored popcorns are a little worse. Vic’s Original Classic Butter and Smartfood Movie Theater Butter hit roughly 300 calories and 450 mg of sodium. That’s smart?
Your best bet: 4 cups of (delicious) Skinny Pop—regular or Black Pepper—have only 160 calories and a mere 50 mg of sodium. Other impressive options: Angie’s Boomchickapop Sea Salt (90 mg of sodium), Whole Foods 365 Organic Reduced Fat & Sodium (110 mg), and Vic’s Half Salt Lite White (130 mg).
Other relevant links:
- Here is a list of our top popcorn picks. See: What to Eat: The Healthiest Popcorns You Can Buy
- Our advice on popcorn chips. See: Are Popcorn Chips Healthy?
- What should you look for in microwave popcorn? See: Microwave Popcorn