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When you're at the movies in line at the concession stand, odds are you've got your eyes on the popcorn. Its smell fills the whole room and you can always hear fresh popcorn popping in the machine. While movie theater popcorn may be a beloved pastime, it's not the healthiest snack you can get. Here are 11 reasons why you should never eat movie theater popcorn...
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1) It's full of calories
Movie theater popcorn is full of calories. A study showed that Regal Cinemas' popcorn "was [one of] the richest on the market." A medium popcorn contained around 720 calories while a large contained 1,200!
2) The added butter is not real
Whether you ask for extra butter, or add it on yourself, movie theater popcorn butter is definitely not the best choice. It's not real butter, but more of an oil flavored like butter. Yuck!
3) You might not be getting fresh popcorn
Movie theater popcorn can sit in the machine for a while before it's bagged. Pre-bagged popcorn is usually made to beat an incoming rush and then placed under a warmer. While sometimes you may get popcorn that has just been bagged, odds are you aren't.
4) You can't always trust the people behind the counter
Gloves are rarely used when scooping popcorn, because of the time constraint when a movie is about to start. Instead, a scooper is used to grab that popcorn out of the machine, or bare hands will grab your bag from the warmer. Are the employees hands even that clean?
5) The popcorn machine might not be clean
Usually a popcorn machine is wiped down every night before closing. It's sprayed, the popcorn maker is wiped out with cleaner and hot water, but is every theater up to the same standard? Probably not. All theaters are different and you can't really know if one is more clean than the other.
6) The fat content is through the roof
While the calories might be bad in your bucket of popcorn, the fat content is right up there. The greasy popcorn is combined with oil to make it pop, and that oil is what's terrible for you. A large popcorn contains about 60 grams of saturated fat.
7) Salt, Salt, Salt
From calories to fat, now to salt! The movie theater popcorn is pre-made with salt most of the time. The sodium conent in each size of popcorn is insane. Not to mention if you like extra salt, it just gets worse. A large bag of popcorn contains around 980 miligrams of salt!
8) Your stomach doesn't feel great after eating it
After you've downed an entire bag of movie theater popcorn, your stomach probably doesn't feel great. You might feel bloated, or slightly nauseous. Is the pain worth the taste of the snack?
9) Where do the seeds come from?
Movie theater popcorn seeds come in large bags. The thing about going to a movie theater and eating snacks is, usually, you don't have to think about where they get the food, or even how its stored. It might be left out all night, or stored in the basement, who knows!
10) Clogged arteries lead to heart disease
All that butter, oil, and salt is a one-way ticket to health problems. If you're consistently eating movie theater popcorn, you might not be keeping in mind the long-term effects.
11) You're not doing anything to work it off
Sometimes you'll eat a large meal and talk a walk to burn it off, but while you're sitting there eating a big bucket of popcorn, you're not doing anything. Just sitting and eating! Why not opt for a healthier snack while watching a movie so you don't have to worry about walking it off later?
We may love the smell of popcorn once we enter a theater, but it's definitely not one of the healthiest choices we can make.
