If you’re on the keto diet, you are constantly looking at food labels to see if it is or isn’t keto. Meat, almost always. Vegetables, to an extent (although they can contain some carbohydrates). Grains, almost never.
But what about popcorn? Is popcorn keto? Does it depend on quantity? We’ll answer all of these questions and more today. Let’s get started!
What is the keto diet?
The keto diet, or ketogenic diet, is named after the body’s process of ketosis. Ketosis is, very simply put, when your body burns fat for energy instead of sugar or carbohydrates. Your body turns fat into “ketones,” a product that’s easier to use for energy, which is where the names come from. Burning fat stores can help you lose weight faster and may have other health benefits.
What makes a keto-friendly food?
Despite what it might sound like, keto doesn’t mean you should eat no carbohydrates at all. The state of ketosis can be reached when a person takes in between 20 and 50 grams of carbohydrates per day.
The most keto-friendly foods do have no carbs, like meat and eggs. Vegetables contain some carbohydrates, but small amounts, and often in the form of indigestible fiber, which doesn’t prevent ketosis. Other foods with carbs can actually be part of the diet in small quantities as long as you’re paying attention to your total carbohydrate intake.
Can you eat popcorn on the keto diet?
The short answer is, yes, in moderation. Let’s take a look. If you want to eat less than 20 grams of carbohydrates per day, you should probably assume you’re getting at least 10 through your ordinary fruit and vegetable intake unless you’re going ketovore.
In 1 cup of popped popcorn, there’s about 6 to 8 grams of carbohydrates. That means that if you’re being reasonably careful and you haven’t eaten any particularly carb-heavy fruits (like an apple) that day, you could have 1 cup of popcorn as a snack. Most people eat more than 1 cup in a serving of popcorn, though.
In general, you can eat a small amount of popcorn on the keto diet, but you should probably be careful about it. Don’t let yourself snack mindlessly. Ideally, you should also use oil instead of butter to get more healthy fats.
Nutritional information of popcorn
To get this information, we averaged the two most common ways we eat popcorn — microwaved and cooked with oil on the stove — on the USDA’s FoodData Central. The website has nutrition information for dozens of kinds of popcorn, so for more information, you should definitely look there. This nutritional information is for a serving size of 35 grams, which is a little over 2 cups of popped popcorn, but be aware that one bag of microwave popcorn is more than double that.
With 2 cups of popcorn (with butter), you’re consuming 186 calories. It has about 3 grams of protein, 12 grams of fat, and 18 carbohydrates. About 3 grams of those carbohydrates are fiber, which can’t be digested, so the number is more like 15 grams of carbs that your body is actually getting. Also, 2 cups contain less than 0.2 grams of sugar.
There are a surprising number of vitamins contained in popcorn, but mostly in very small quantities. In 2 cups, you can expect 6 mg of calcium, 0.8 mg of iron, 34 mg of magnesium, 80 of phosphorus, and between 70 and 150 mg of potassium. There can also be between 80 and 250 mg of sodium (obviously, the higher number is in more processed products, like microwave popcorn). You can also find trace amounts of nutrients like zinc, copper, selenium, vitamin C, vitamin B6, and folate, but not in high enough quantities to be relevant.
What other foods are keto-friendly snacks?
There are a lot of great foods for keto diets. For snacks, a few slices of avocado on a salad is great. Fruits make an easy snack, although they can add carbs, but a meaty option like bacon, beef jerky, or smoked salmon can be just as easy to grab and eat on the go.
Frequently asked questions
Who should follow the keto diet?
The keto diet is mostly designed for people who want to lose weight fast. This diet can be very good for weight loss, but it isn’t the only option. If you don’t want to deal with the keto flu or the food restrictions, keto might not be for you.
What makes popcorn unhealthy?
Popcorn is saturated with butter and salt, but the real reason it’s unhealthy is mostly because it’s not very filling. You can snack on it for a long time without realizing how much you’re eating and end up taking in a lot of calories, carbs, and salt.
Why is popcorn keto and not corn?
Popcorn isn’t exactly keto, but the levels of fat help a little. It’s also easier to get small servings, like just 1 cup, whereas with corn, you’re usually stuck with the whole cob. Corn that’s been cut off the cob can be keto in small amounts, just like popcorn.
