Is Popcorn Healthier Than Fruits and Veggies?

April Daniels Hussar,SELF magazine

A handful of popcorn a day keeps the doctor away? You know you have to eat your fruits and veggies, but when it comes to packing a powerful punch of antioxidants, it turns out that munching on popcorn is the way to go.

Speaking at the 243rd National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS), Joe Vinson, Ph.D., professor of chemistry at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania, said his research team found that popcorn contains a higher concentration of healthful antioxidant substances called polyphenols than fruits and vegetables!

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One serving of popcorn has up to 300 mg of polyphenols, which is much higher than previously believed, according to Vinson. Compare that to 114 mg of polyphenols for a serving of sweet corn and 160 mg for all fruits per serving. Vinson also found that hulls of popcorn (the parts that tend to get stuck in your teeth) have the highest concentration of polyphenols and fiber.

"Popcorn may be the perfect snack food," said Vinson during his presentation. "It's the only snack that is 100 percent unprocessed whole grain. All other grains are processed and diluted with other ingredients, and although cereals are called 'whole grain,' this simply means that over 51 percent of the weight of the product is whole grain. One serving of popcorn will provide more than 70 percent of the daily intake of whole grain. The average person only gets about half a serving of whole grains a day, and popcorn could fill that gap in a very pleasant way."

So should you put down that apple and grab a bowl of popcorn instead?

"Popcorn is most definitely a healthful snack option," say SELF contributing editors Stephanie Clarke and Willow Jarosh, registered dietitians and co-founders of C&J Nutrition. "It's one of the few naturally whole grain snack foods, which means it's a good source of fiber, and as this study points out, of other beneficial compounds that come from consuming whole foods."

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However, Clarke and Jarosh say, popcorn is certainly not a BETTER overall choice than fruits and vegetables -- in fact, they shouldn't be compared to or replace one another. "Fruits and vegetables offer nutrients that popcorn doesn't, and popcorn contains some nutrients that fruits and veggies don't," they say. "It's always important to remember that you need to get a variety of foods from each food group to get the broadest range of health benefits."

In other words, think fruits and veggies every day, and reach for popcorn when you're craving a healthy snack. "Aim to get at least 1.5 - 2 cups of fruit and 2.5 cups of vegetables each day, and think of popcorn as a fun way to fulfill a whole grain serving, especially if you enjoy crunchy snacks," Clarke and Jarosh say. For instance, instead of reaching for pretzels as your crunchy carb-based snack, reach for air-popped popcorn and pack in more fiber and antioxidants with those carbohydrates.

Of course, not all popcorn is the same. Drowning popcorn in butter and salt quickly turns it into a fattening treat instead of a healthy snack.

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"Air-popped popcorn has the lowest number of calories, of course," Vinson said. "Microwave popcorn has twice as many calories as air-popped, and if you pop your own with oil, this has twice as many calories as air-popped popcorn. About 43 percent of microwave popcorn is fat, compared to 28 percent if you pop the corn in oil yourself."

Clarke and Jarosh agree that air-popping is the way to go. "Add your own flavoring after it's popped, that way you skip the trans fats, partially hydrogenated oils and added salt in microwave versions," they say. "A few additions that we love are olive oil with Parmesan and black pepper; cinnamon, brown sugar and butter or canola oil; sea salt, olive oil and garlic powder; or shredded coconut and mini chocolate chips."

Angela Ginn, registered dietitian and spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, has one more great idea. "Enjoy a sprinkle of cayenne pepper for some heat and to boost your metabolism!" she says.

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