Healthy Popcorn Seasonings You Can Make At Home

Popcorn has got to be one of the most popular snacks. Going to the movies? Popcorn. Family movie night at home? Popcorn! It’s a snack that’s going to satisfy the tastebuds of the whole family. 

You might be surprised to hear, but in its purest form, it’s a healthy snack! It’s what you (and the supermarkets) add for flavour that gets rid of the nutritional value raw popcorn provides. Untouched popcorn is low in calories, sugar-free and contains a decent amount of fibre, making it a gut-friendly and weight-loss friendly snack.  

To show you just how nutritious raw popcorn is compared to its popular flavoured counterpart, let’s break it down.

The flavoured popcorn has six times the amount of fat than the raw kernels! Turning it into a higher calorie, not so weight loss-friendly snack.

If you’re looking for a way to keep popcorn flavourful without the extra calories and fat, we’ve got some nutritional alternatives. 

Tip: Don’t want to use the stove? Grab a paper bag and fold the top (twice for security!) to create your very own popcorn bag. You can pick up a 100 pack of paper lunch bags at Woolworths, and grab a 20-pack of their compostable resealable lunch bags so you have healthy snacks on the go!

First, you’ll need a bag of raw popcorn kernels, and pop 25g of them in the microwave for 2 minutes. Melt 10g of olive oil spread and pour it over the popcorn – we recommend this over butter as it’ll be necessary for the seasoning to stick to the cooked popcorn without too many calories and bad fats – then mix by shaking the bag. Next, mix 1 teaspoon of Himalayan rock salt and 1 tablespoon of white vinegar in a bowl. Then sprinkle the salt and vinegar over the top of the popcorn and mix it through. 

This adds some flavour without the extra bad fats!

Grab your 25g of popcorn kernels and put them in the microwave for 2 minutes. Melt 10g of olive oil spread and pour it over the cooked popcorn. Mix 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon together and sprinkle it over the popcorn, mixing thoroughly.  

This one adds in a healthy spice, giving you some more flavour without the sugar.

Using 25g of popcorn kernels (you know the drill) pop them in the microwave for 2 minutes. Melt 10g of olive oil spread and pour it over the cooked popcorn. Mix ½ teaspoon of ground turmeric with 1 teaspoon of Himalayan rock salt and sprinkle it over the popcorn. 

This one adds some mild spice, keeping it salty without the extra bad fats.

Since popcorn holds nutritional value and these alternatives are keeping it healthy and tasty, it’s a good idea to prep more so you have some ready-made snacks for the week. 

Four servings of popcorn is about 100g, so take these ingredients and multiply by four! You’ll have four days of delicious popcorn snacks that can be stored in those paper bags, compostable resealable bags or a small tupperwear container.