Keto Diet Overview
Being on a ketogenic diet means consuming a very low amount of carbs and a high amount of fats, so your body ends up burning fat (KD) for fuel or energy instead of carbs. The benefits of KD include weight loss and lowering your risks of certain diseases, such as diabetes and high blood pressure.
What is popcorn?
POPCORN is a classic snack and movie-night essential; however, if you’re on a ketogenic diet, you might be wondering, “Is popcorn keto friendly?” It’s a valid question since corn is starchy and contains carbs, which you need to be wary about if you want to keep your body in ketosis.
Zea mays is a particular species of plant that produces popcorn. The corn kernels are plucked from the ears of corn after they have been harvested and dried. The hard kernel still contains a trace amount of moisture, so when it is cooked, the moisture vaporizes, and pressure inside the kernel increases until the hard kernel pops and expands until it becomes the fluffy, delicious snack we are all familiar with.
Popcorn vs. Regular Corn
Although popcorn and corn are sometimes mistaken as the same foods, they are actually two different species of the same plant, Zea mays. While most corn is produced for its kernels, a special species of corn called popcorn is grown for its ability to pop.
A bowl of air-popped popcorn has around 19 grams of carbohydrates, compared to one ear of corn (143 grams). The corn is bigger and more quickly fills your stomach since it has been air-popped.
Can you eat popcorn on keto?
Popcorn is still technically considered a whole-grain snack because the kernel remains attached to the soft flesh. This is why popcorn is considered a healthy snack.
Is popcorn keto?
It is healthy, but popcorn isn’t usually recommended for people who are on ketosis because corn is a starchy vegetable which means it is high in carbohydrate content.
Like many choices you make for your diet, the way you prepare food makes a difference.
The best kind of popcorn is air-pop popcorn. You don’t need oil to cook popcorn this way. This type of popcorn is also hard to overcook or burn since the popcorn is no longer in contact with heat after it pops.
Is popcorn low carb? Yes!
The key is not to go overboard. Too much popcorn is not good for you since it still has some carbs. To prepare a trail mix, combine a cup of air-popped popcorn with some almonds and season with salt and cinnamon. Or add nut butter to 1 cup of air-popped popcorn to boost the amount of good fats in your snack.
With this, you can eat keto popcorn on a keto diet.
Here are the nutritional facts about airpop popcorn nutrition
Serving size: 1 cup
Calories: 24
Total Carbs: 4.8g
Protein: 0.8g
Total Fats: 0.3g
Dietary Fiber: 1g
Avoid these if you want to keep your popcorn keto and healthy:
- Sugar
- Caramel
- Chocolate
- Too much salt
Does this answer your question, “Is popcorn keto?” Share this with your family and friends if you find these helpful.
Keto popcorn is delicious, but if you want to try some other keto-friendly snacks, you might be interested to try these:
- Celery sticks
- Zucchini chips
- Kale chips
- A handful of nuts or seeds
- Pork rinds
