Get It Poppin’

Photo by: Melissa Murdock

It’s National Popcorn Day. According to popcorn.org, the actual day is up for debate, but January 19 is the first of the debatable dates. Popcorn has long been heralded as a delicious nutrition packed snack. It’s packed with polyphenol antioxidants known to help destroy cancer causing free radicals.

Here are some fun facts from popcorn.org:

• Air-popped popcorn has only 31 calories per cup; oil-popped popcorn has only 55 calories per cup.
• 3 cups of popcorn equal one serving from the grain group.
• Popcorn contains fiber, providing roughage the body needs in the daily diet.
• Popcorn is ideal for between meal snacking since it satisfies and doesn’t spoil an appetite.

Photo by: Melissa Murdock

While plain popcorn is the healthiest, dressing it can make for a tastier treat. You can pop it in a pan and drizzle a tablespoon of olive or coconut oil over it, sprinkle sea salt and sugar for kettle corn, or add spices like curry, cayenne, cinnamon and salt for a more savory treat.