Just when you thought it was safe to escape the cold and cuddle up with your favorite snacks at the local movie theater, the people at the Center for Science in the Public Interest are popping the lid on movie theater popcorn’s calorie, fat, and salt content.
A large popcorn packs the biggest punch, containing 20 cups of popcorn, 1,200 calories, and 60 grams of saturated, artery-clogging fat. That’s the equivalent of two Pizza Hut Personal Pan Pepperoni Pizzas, plus an extra two days’ worth of saturated fat.
Of course, all that salt makes you thirsty, so theaters offer tempting “cost-saving” combos of popcorn and sugary sodas and candy to help wash it all down. But before long the calories can add up. A combo (medium popcorn plus medium soda) has 1,610 calories. That’s like eating six scrambled eggs with cheddar cheese, four bacon strips, and four sausage links before the lights come up.
So, if you want a snack at the movie theater, drink water and share a small (unbuttered) popcorn with a friend or sneak in a few pistachios to nibble on through the show.
And I hope everyone has a pleasant, safe, and carbohydrate-reduced Thanksgiving!
