Popcorn is the New Doughnut

There's nothing quite like settling into a dark movie theater with a big tub of warm and buttery popcorn. It contains fewer calories than the M&Ms your friends are pouring into their mouths, right? Yes, but only if you plan on sharing it with the person next to you. And the person next to that person.

Movie-theater popcorn actually has a surprising amount of fat, salt and calories in even the smallest (but very expensive -- a whole other story) sizes. A study from the Center for Science in the Public Interest reviewed popcorn from three movie theater chains. A large tub of popcorn at Regal Cinemas, for example, holds 20 cups of popcorn and has 1,200 calories, 980 milligrams of sodium and 60 grams of saturated fat. Top that with a tablespoon of butter and you add 130 calories to your already heaping portion of them. And, did that tub come with free refills? You might consider passing.

Even if you're in the mood for just a small snack, the calories in a more diminutive size aren't so dainty: the smallest size, 11 cups, packs a walloping 670 calories, 550 milligrams of sodium and 24 grams of saturated fat.

The alarming findings might surprise health-conscious moviegoers who think popcorn from the concession stand is a relatively healthy snack. Plain air-popped popcorn is, in fact, low in calories and free of saturated fat. But movie theater popcorn is a different beast. It's usually popped in coconut oil, which is 90 percent saturated fat. Add salt to the already enormous portions and your once-healthy snack falls just short of a Big Mac. In fact, the report states that one large tub of movie concession popcorn contains almost three-fourths of a typical day's calories.

Even the smallest size container of the offending kernels (from AMC movie theaters), which contains six cups of popcorn, had 370 calories.

One way to make your popcorn healthier is to ask the person at the concession stand to pop a portion without salt. Short of that, sharing is a good start. Even better? Skip the snack and focus on the movie. 

Click here to follow Daily Voice Norwalk and receive free news updates.