Snacks, popcorn, air-popped
Whole food · Snacks
Photo: Wikipedia
Air-popped popcorn is a light, crunchy whole-grain snack made by heating kernels with hot air until they explode into fluffy, cloud-like pieces. Its texture is delightfully crisp with a mild, nutty, and slightly sweet corn flavor, making it a perfect blank canvas for seasonings. Nutritionally, it's a standout for being high in fiber and relatively low in calories compared to other snacks.
💚 Why it's loved
People love air-popped popcorn for its satisfying crunch and incredible versatility—it can be sweet, savory, spicy, or herbed to suit any craving. It's also deeply tied to cultural rituals like movie nights, sporting events, and festive gatherings, making it a nostalgic comfort food.
⚠️ Watch-outs & how to enjoy it better
While plain air-popped popcorn is healthy, it's often loaded with butter, salt, or sugary coatings in commercial versions, which can negate its benefits and lead to excessive sodium or calorie intake. To counteract this, season with herbs, spices, or nutritional yeast instead of heavy butter, and practice portion control by measuring servings into a bowl rather than eating from a large bag.
Key benefits
- Excellent source of dietary fiber (14.5g per 100g)
- Whole-grain food with a low energy density
- Naturally low in fat and sugar
- Provides plant-based protein (12.94g per 100g)
- Gluten-free when prepared without additives
🍽️ Popular dishes
🌍 Where it's eaten
💡 Did you know?
Archaeologists have found 6,700-year-old kernels of popcorn in Peru that are still capable of being popped!
Full nutrition (scales with serving)
| Water | 3.3 g |
| Energy | 387 kcal |
| Energy | 1618 kj |
| Protein | 12.9 g |
| Total lipid (fat) | 4.5 g |
| Ash | 1.4 g |
| Carbohydrate, by difference | 77.8 g |
| Fiber, total dietary | 14.5 g |
| Total Sugars | 0.87 g |
| Sucrose | 0.72 g |
| Glucose | 0.07 g |
| Fructose | 0.07 g |
| Lactose | 0.00 g |
| Maltose | 0.00 g |
| Galactose | 0.00 g |
| Starch | 54.4 g |
| Calcium, Ca | 7.0 mg |
| Iron, Fe | 3.2 mg |
| Magnesium, Mg | 144 mg |
| Phosphorus, P | 358 mg |
| Potassium, K | 329 mg |
| Sodium, Na | 8.0 mg |
| Zinc, Zn | 3.1 mg |
| Copper, Cu | 0.26 mg |
| Manganese, Mn | 1.1 mg |
| Selenium, Se | 0.00 ug |
| Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid | 0.00 mg |
| Thiamin | 0.10 mg |
| Riboflavin | 0.08 mg |
| Niacin | 2.3 mg |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.51 mg |
| Vitamin B-6 | 0.16 mg |
| Folate, total | 31.0 ug |
| Folic acid | 0.00 ug |
| Folate, food | 31.0 ug |
| Folate, DFE | 31.0 ug |
| Choline, total | 21.2 mg |
| Betaine | 0.80 mg |
| Vitamin B-12 | 0.00 ug |
| Vitamin B-12, added | 0.00 ug |
| Vitamin A, RAE | 10.0 ug |
| Retinol | 0.00 ug |
| Carotene, beta | 89.0 ug |
| Carotene, alpha | 58.0 ug |
| Cryptoxanthin, beta | 0.00 ug |
| Vitamin A, IU | 196 iu |
| Lycopene | 0.00 ug |
| Lutein + zeaxanthin | 1450 ug |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 0.29 mg |
| Vitamin E, added | 0.00 mg |
| Vitamin D (D2 + D3), International Units | 0.00 iu |
| Vitamin D (D2 + D3) | 0.00 ug |
| Vitamin K (phylloquinone) | 1.2 ug |
| Alcohol, ethyl | 0.00 g |
| Caffeine | 0.00 mg |
| Theobromine | 0.00 mg |
Fat & fatty acid profile (per 100g)
| Fatty acids, total saturated | 0.64 g |
| SFA 4:0 | 0.00 g |
| SFA 6:0 | 0.00 g |
| SFA 8:0 | 0.00 g |
| SFA 10:0 | 0.00 g |
| SFA 12:0 | 0.00 g |
| SFA 14:0 | 0.00 g |
| SFA 15:0 | 0.00 g |
| SFA 16:0 | 0.54 g |
| SFA 17:0 | 0.00 g |
| SFA 18:0 | 0.08 g |
| SFA 20:0 | 0.02 g |
| SFA 22:0 | 0.01 g |
| Fatty acids, total monounsaturated | 0.95 g |
| MUFA 14:1 | 0.00 g |
| MUFA 15:1 | 0.00 g |
| MUFA 16:1 | 0.01 g |
| MUFA 17:1 | 0.00 g |
| MUFA 18:1 | 0.93 g |
| MUFA 20:1 | 0.01 g |
| MUFA 22:1 | 0.00 g |
| Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated | 2.3 g |
| PUFA 18:2 | 2.3 g |
| PUFA 18:3 | 0.05 g |
| PUFA 18:3 n-6 c,c,c | 0.00 g |
| PUFA 18:4 | 0.00 g |
| PUFA 20:2 n-6 c,c | 0.00 g |
| PUFA 20:3 | 0.00 g |
| PUFA 20:4 | 0.00 g |
| PUFA 20:5 n-3 (EPA) | 0.00 g |
| PUFA 22:5 n-3 (DPA) | 0.00 g |
| PUFA 22:6 n-3 (DHA) | 0.00 g |
| Cholesterol | 0.00 mg |
Amino acid profile (per 100g)
| Tryptophan | 0.09 g |
| Threonine | 0.45 g |
| Isoleucine | 0.43 g |
| Leucine | 1.5 g |
| Lysine | 0.34 g |
| Methionine | 0.25 g |
| Cystine | 0.22 g |
| Phenylalanine | 0.59 g |
| Tyrosine | 0.49 g |
| Valine | 0.61 g |
| Arginine | 0.60 g |
| Histidine | 0.37 g |
| Alanine | 0.90 g |
| Aspartic acid | 0.84 g |
| Glutamic acid | 2.3 g |
| Glycine | 0.49 g |
| Proline | 1.0 g |
| Serine | 0.57 g |
FAQ
Is air-popped popcorn a whole grain?
Yes, popcorn is a 100% whole grain, meaning it includes all three parts of the kernel: the bran, germ, and endosperm, which provides its high fiber content.
Why is air-popped popcorn better than oil-popped?
Air-popping uses no added fat, significantly reducing the calorie and fat content compared to oil-popped varieties, while preserving the whole-grain benefits.
Can popcorn be part of a weight-loss diet?
Yes, due to its high fiber and low calorie density, air-popped popcorn can promote satiety and is a smart, portion-controlled snack choice for weight management.