Who doesn’t love popcorn? It’s crunchy, light, airy, and oh-so-satisfying — especially on movie night. Plus, it can actually be quite healthy when it’s not dripping in butter and oil. And in terms of actual nutrition, popcorn is full of fibre, low in calories and surprisingly satiating, so you won’t be tempted to rip open a bag of chips afterwards.
The good news is that whipping up a healthy alternative to the movie theatre calorie bomb doesn’t have to be time-consuming. We’ve found five quick and easy recipes that are so tasty you won’t even miss all the grease. As a bonus, your friends will undoubtedly be impressed by your creativity when you serve up flavours like lemon, pizza and curry.
1. Lemon Drop Popcorn:Well + Good NYC is definitely onto something with its refreshing Lemon Drop Popcorn. The zesty lemon flavour elevates the air-popped kernels from blah to wow. Plus, it doesn’t get much easier than this: simply toss air-popped popcorn with lemon-infused olive oil and sea salt, and voila – you’ve got yourself a tasty Lemon Drop treat. Not sure how to make lemon-infused olive oil? Check out this great recipe from Seattle Pi.
2. Pizza Popcorn: Pizza isn’t exactly known for being low-cal. So why not satisfy your 'za cravings with this great Pizza Popcorn recipe from Fitness & Freebies? You’ll need 1/3 cup butter, 1/3 cup popping corn, 1 tablespoon pizza seasoning mix and ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese. For the best results, pop the kernels with the butter using the stovetop method, and then sprinkle with the seasoning and cheese. Goodbye, pizza cravings!
3. Peanut Butter Healthy Microwave Popcorn: Satisfy your sweet tooth without expanding your waistline with this easy Peanut Butter Healthy Microwave Popcorn recipe from The Yummy Life. You’ll need 1 tablespoon coconut oil, ½ teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoons of PB2 powdered peanut butter, divided, 1/3 cup popping corn and 1 tablespoon powdered sugar. Mix the coconut oil, salt and 1 tablespoon of PB2 in a 2.5-3 quart microwave-proof bowl. Microwave until the oil is melted. Add popping corn and stir. Cover the bowl with a vented lid and microwave on high for 3-5 minutes. Remove from microwave and add the remaining PB2 and powdered sugar while the popcorn is still hot, then enjoy!
4. Curry Spiced Popcorn: Introduce the kids to international tastes by serving this mouth-watering Curry Spiced Popcorn recipe from The Picky Eater blog at their next birthday party. You’ll need 12 cups of air-popped popcorn tossed in 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, 1-2 tablespoons of additional extra virgin olive oil, 1-2 cloves of garlic, cut into slivers, 1 tablespoon curry powder, 1 teaspoon ground cumin and ½ teaspoon salt. Heat the olive oil and garlic until the garlic is golden, then remove the garlic from the oil and discard. Add the curry, cumin and salt to the oil, then toss the oil mixture evenly over the popped corn and serve immediately.
5. Lemon-Parm Popcorn: This irresistible Lemon-Parm Popcorn recipe from Kitchen Daily delivers the perfect mix of tangy and savoury. Plus, it only takes 5 minutes to whip up. You’ll need 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, ½ teaspoon lemon pepper, a pinch of salt, 3 cups air-popped popcorn and 1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Whisk the oil, lemon pepper and salt in a small bowl, then toss it evenly over the air-popped popcorn. Sprinkle it with the Parmesan and serve right away. (As if you could resist.)
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