Two things: 1) there is absolutely NO need to ever buy microwave popcorn. A paper bag can do the same thing practically for free and with no weird toppings. 2) popcorn is packed full of fiber and antioxidants!

Paper Bag Popcorn

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons unpopped popcorn

Instructions:

1. Place popcorn in a paper lunch sack (you can buy these for pennies next to the zip-top bags), fold the top over two times to keep the popcorn in, and microwave. In my microwave 2 minutes and 30 seconds is perfect.
2. If you wish to add dry toppings without adding oil try spritzing it very lightly with water so that the dry toppings, such as garlic powder, nutritional yeast or smoked paprika, will adhere.

Popcorn popped this way comes out fluffy and delicious. And the 3 tablespoons equals about 130 calories.

And about those antioxidants, check out this article from WebMD:

Study: More Antioxidants in Popcorn Than in Some Fruits and Vegetables; Other Experts Say More Study Needed

“They evaluated [the popcorn for] antioxidants known as polyphenols. These compounds are found in a wide variety of plants. Antioxidants undo the damage that can be done by unstable molecules known as ”free radicals.” […] Most of the polyphenols — about 90% — were in the hull, Vinson says.

[…]  The antioxidants per serving ranged from about 242-363 milligrams (mg). In comparison, they found that a serving of many fruits has about 160 mg of polyphenols.”

They go on to say that more study is needed to determine how much of those antioxidants are actually absorbed in the gut, but even without that benefit popcorn is still a whole grain, and relatively high in fiber (5 grams per 4-cup serving).

Who knew popcorn (if it’s not loaded with butter!) could be so good for you?