The calorie content of popcorn varies significantly depending on the preparation method, serving size, and added toppings:
- Air-popped popcorn contains about 31 calories per cup, making it a low-calorie snack option
. For example, 3 cups of air-popped popcorn have roughly 93 calories
- Lightly buttered popcorn has about 80 calories per cup
- A small bag of plain, air-popped popcorn (around 31 grams) typically contains about 110 calories
- Microwave popcorn or pre-popped varieties usually have more calories due to added fats and salt. For instance, a serving of microwave sea salt popcorn (3.5 cups) has about 170 calories
- Movie theater popcorn can be very high in calories, often exceeding 1,000 calories for a large bucket, mainly due to butter and seasoning
- A whole bag of some packaged popcorns can contain around 375 to 425 calories depending on the brand and size
- Flavored popcorn such as caramel popcorn can have about 120 calories per cup due to added sugar and fats
In summary, plain air-popped popcorn is low in calories (around 30-31 calories per cup), but calories increase substantially with butter, oil, flavorings, and larger serving sizes. Checking serving sizes and ingredients is key to managing calorie intake from popcorn
