Popcorn is often associated with being super sweet or salty or overloaded with butter. But popcorn, when made right, can actually provide a number of health benefits and be a healthy snack. Homemade popcorn is quick and easy to make, and it’s my favourite snack to take with me.

Hint: the low calories in a bag of popcorn brought from the shops don’t make it healthy.

Is homemade popcorn a healthy snack?

Air-popped popcorn made at home can have a few health benefits, according to WebMD. Popcorn is a high fibre snack and also contains phenolic acids – which is a type of antioxidant, but it’s also a whole grain.

Whole grains play a part in helping to reduce the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension, plus popcorn can also help play a part in weight management due to its high fibre content which is what helps you feel fuller for longer.

The main thing to look out for with homemade popcorn is you don’t overload it with unhealthy things to flavour it, like butter and sugar – otherwise, it’s taking away the health benefits!

What is the best way to make popcorn at home?

There are a couple of easy ways to make popcorn at home. You can get a popcorn machine like this one from VonShef – my partner got me one for Christmas one year as I kept burning the bottom of the pan! These popcorn machines normally use no oil and just air pop the popcorn. But you can also use a good old non-stick saucepan and a little bit of oil.

If you’ve got some popcorn kernels sat in the back of the cupboard and you’re not sure how long they’ve been there, it’s best to buy some fresh ones, as these will pop better!

How to make popcorn

Ingredients

• ½ cup of popcorn kernels
• 1 tbsp avocado oil

How to make

• On the hob, warm up the avocado oil in a non-stick saucepan over a medium heat
• Add the popcorn kernels (watch out for any hot oil spitting out) and pop the lid of the saucepan on
• Every couple of seconds just give the pan a quick shake to stop any kernels from sticking and burning to the bottom of the pan
• Listen for the popping to slow then take off the heat
• To add different flavours check out some options below

There are so many options to make your popcorn tasty, but still healthy and not overloaded with sugar and additives like shop brought popcorn. You can make hot popcorn with spices, or sweet with some maple syrup and cinnamon. Some of our favourites are;

Sweet popcorn:

Add a drizzle of maple syrup over the popcorn and shake to make sure it’s coated, then sprinkle some cinnamon over, again shaking to make sure all the popcorn is coated.

If you like maple syrup and cinnamon, you’ll also love my homemade granola, which tastes like cinnamon buns!

Salty popcorn:

Drizzle some olive oil over the popcorn and mix well to coat the popcorn, then sprinkle some sea salt over and give the popcorn a good shake.

What are your favourite flavours of popcorn?