Large bag of movie popcorn has fat equal to two Big Macs!!!

Most people consider popcorn a healthy snack. It’s a whole grain and compared with deep-fried potato chips, it’s low in fat and calories.

Not so at the movie theatre. Order a large popcorn unbuttered and you’ll consume the calorie and fat equivalent of two McDonald’s Big Macs. Not to mention almost a day’s worth of sodium. Wash down that popcorn with a large 44-ounce (1.3-litre) regular soft drink and you’ll come close to hitting your daily calorie target.

Large bag of movie popcorn has fat equal to two Big Macs

From Wednesday's Globe and Mail 

Most people consider popcorn a healthy snack. It’s a whole grain and compared with deep-fried potato chips, it’s low in fat and calories.

Not so at the movie theatre. Order a large popcorn unbuttered and you’ll consume the calorie and fat equivalent of two McDonald’s Big Macs. Not to mention almost a day’s worth of sodium. Wash down that popcorn with a large 44-ounce (1.3-litre) regular soft drink and you’ll come close to hitting your daily calorie target.

 Popcorn sold at Cineplex Odeon and Empire Theatres has more calories, fat and sodium than the company states.

Cineplex Odeon says its large popcorn, no topping, has 850 calories, 40 grams of fat and 399 milligrams of sodium – a difference of 291 calories, 27 grams of fat and 729 milligrams of sodium (half a day’s worth).

Empire Theatres says its large popcorn, no topping, has 637 calories (actual 1,116), 28.5 grams of fat (actual 51) and 1,297 milligrams of sodium (actual 1,695).

Why such discrepancy? For one, actual serving sizes were larger than each company stated. Each company also cited human error – inconsistent methods used to prepare the product.

Things could improve. Later this year, Cineplex Odeon expects to launch a new popping salt that’s 50-per-cent reduced in sodium.

And recently Empire Theatres has invested heavily in the development of its “popcorn program” to deliver a consistent product at all theatres.

Movie theatre popcorn will never be a health food. But our findings don’t mean you should trade in your popcorn for an oversized bag of candy. (After all, who needs the 15 teaspoons of sugar in a 120-gram serving of M&M’s? )

A bag of movie theatre popcorn isn’t going to wreck your diet, provided it’s a once-in-a-while splurge (and a splurge it is).

If you’re a regular moviegoer who loves popcorn, order the small size or kid’s size if available. And forgo the buttery topping. That “plain” popcorn already comes with plenty of fat.