Movie Theater Popcorn - The Heavy Truth!

Well I don't mean to be a "Debbie Downer" but I just couldn't let this story go by without mentioning it. The nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) recently conducted new lab tests on movie theater popcorn - and the truth is not only ugly but downright shocking. According to CSPI, a medium popcorn and soda combo at the Regal movie chain has 1,610 calories and 3 day's worth of saturated fat at 60 grams. (The medium size has 20 cups of popcorn and 1,200 calories while the 44 oz/5.5 cup medium soda has 400 calories.) This is the calorie equivalent of eating 2 sticks of butter. The saturated fat is the same as eating 1 1/4 cups of the shortening Crisco. Or to think of it in terms of food, that is like eating 6 scrambled eggs with cheddar cheese, 4 bacon strips, and 4 sausage links. As Homer Simpson would say: "D'oh!"

What's really interesting to note is that CSPI's lab tests found that the nutrition numbers the theaters provided were understated. Regal said its medium popcorn has 720 calories but the test results showed it actually has 1,200 calories. Quite a difference!

Feeling thirsty from all that salty popcorn? Sodas range in calories from 150 for the 16 oz small up to 500 calories for the 54 oz large. Candy doesn't do much better as most packages range anywhere from 300-500 empty sugar calories to a gut busting 1,160 calories for an 8 oz bag of Reese's Pieces.

Okay - so we're coming up on a high calorie holiday weekend where many of us venture out to the movies. What's a movie-goer to do?

If you can't resist the smell of the popcorn, one strategy is to follow your mother's advice and share. Buy one popcorn and ask for courtesy cups from the counter. Instead of eating directly from the container, scoop out a serving of popcorn in the courtesy cup. Sometimes the simple act of having to scoop out a serving helps to slow you down and be more mindful about what you're consuming. This is especially important since we tend to eat more when distracted.

I also recommend reading the CSPI article - especially page 3 since it has a nice graphic breakdown of the calories in the different sizes of popcorn for 3 movie chains and page 4 has a breakdown for the soda.

Well I know the truth is ugly but to paraphrase Gloria Steinem, the truth will set you free, but first it will tick you off.