Is Kettle Corn Bad for You? [A Must Read Piece]

From movie theatre to fall fairs, from daily afternoon snacks to harvest fest popcorn has always been there to meet our craving to crunch. Apart from the popcorn, kettle corn is a popular choice that is somewhat different in making and taste than regular popcorn. This combination of popcorn and sugar has been around since the early 1700s.

Despite the popularity, many people raise doubts about kettle corn’s health benefits as additional fat and sugar are added to it. So, is kettle corn bad for you even though having great taste?

Four ingredients are used to make kettle corn, namely oil, mushroom kernels, sugar, and salt. The oil is heated in a pan on the stove with the kernels. When the kernels pop, sugar is added to them. Once you transfer the hot kettle corns to a bowl, add salt to give them an addictive flavor. It’s just that simple to make!

When the kernels popped, they fall into two shape categories—snowflake and mushroom. Snowflake shaped kernels are usually found in movie theatre booths as they pop larger with a fluffier texture.

On the other hand, mushroom-shaped kernels come with a larger surface area. Hence, they are suitable when coatings like chocolate, cheese, or caramel are added. This is the preferred shape for cattle corn as sugar can form a sweet outer shell over the large mushroom kernels surface area. 

Well, popcorn itself is very healthy, which is rich in fiber content. A three-cup serving will provide you one serving the equivalent of whole grain. Popcorn is an excellent source of dietary fiber and antioxidants. Apart from the fiber, corn also includes niacin, folate, vitamin B6, A, E, and K. 

Popcorn itself is low in calories and fat. But the addition of sugar, oil, and salt in kettle corn boosts the calorie and fat content.

So, as sugar and oil are added to it, is kettle corn bad for you? If you are following a strict diet, then probably kettle corn isn’t for you. Also, if you are already consuming too much sugar in your diet, it’s better to avoid kettle corn as it will add more sugar.

Sugar is likely to cause weight gain because of its addictive nature and high-calorie presence. Sugar doesn’t make you feel full, and you continue consuming sugar. This leads to high weight gain and consequently, other fatal diseases.

However, kettle corn still has some nutritional values as popcorn carries most of it. A well-balanced diet can handle kettle corn as its rich in fiber and calories.

You can often have a bowl of kettle corn if the consumption is limited and not so regular. It is lovely to consume a little bit of sugar and fat with grains.

Air-popped popcorn is prepared without sugar, and it’s the healthiest. It contains less amount of calories with little fat and no cholesterol. You may be interested to learn how the buttery theatre corn is prepared, which is pretty healthy. The addition of salt, chili powder, and cocoa powder will make the taste better but don’t increase the fat or calories. 

Kettle corn, on the contrary, contains extra calories, sugar, and fat. Consuming much of the kettle corn can be harmful to you. I will recommend using coconut oil while frying the kettle corn so that your body can absorb fat-soluble vitamins. If you are using healthy cooking oil like olive or sunflower, you don’t need to worry much of the fat.

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Microwave kettle corn is linked to a fatal disease known as popcorn lung. A chemical named Diacetyl is used to give the popcorn its buttery flavor. This component is connected to severe lung damage when consumed to no small extent.

Popcorn lung makes the small airways of the lung narrower up to a point where no air can pass through them. It causes shortness in breathing, wheezing, etc.

The workers related to microwave popcorn plants are at more risks for the disease. However, if a man consumes a significant amount of microwave kettle corn, he’ll be at risk.

To reduce the possibility, you can try air-popped popcorn or make stovetop popcorn.

What do you think is kettle corn bad for you? You can’t answer a word, obviously. To me, all popcorn is good. You can eat popcorn anytime, especially while watching a movie or at a festival. As long as you consume a limited amount of popcorn with healthy oils, you are good to proceed.