Today popcorn gets a serious upgrade.
When you think popcorn your mind immediately wanders to the bright yellow stuff sold at the movies or in Orville Redenbacher packages. But I'm hear to tell you it can be the perfect guiltless snack.

I feel like popcorn gets a bad rap, but when prepared correctly it can actually be quite nutritious. Air-popped popcorn contains no fat per cup, is a whole grain, and one serving has 3 grams of fiber. This means it will fill you up without weighing you down, making it perfect for between-meal snacking.

Making sure your popcorn is air-popped is the key message here. Adding oil means it will be higher in fat and calories. The best part about my method for air-popping is that it can still be done in the microwave, making it just as convenient as packaged store-bought popcorn. It is cheaper to buy popcorn kernals and make them yourself than buying pre-portioned packages, plus it mean that it's gluten and dairy free!

I pop my kernals in the microwave using brown paper lunch bags. They are the perfect size, and you can buy 40 for about $1.25 at the Dollar Store. In a pinch, you can use a brown paper bag from the liquor store, just cut it so it's not as long.
By not adding any fat while popping the kernals you have a little mroe leeway to add some delicious toppings. Two of these recipes play on the sweet and salty flavour.
One is spicy and sweet,

and the other combines chocolate and sea salt (killer combo). I like this one on a Friday night with a glass of wine and a good movie.

For those of you who lean more towards the savory, the Parmesan + thyme will be right up your alley. I think it may be my favorite combination I've come up with so far. Soo good.

These make a great snack for one as they can be made in single-servings (hello portion control!), or would also be a great bar snack at your next cocktail party. Try them out and let me know which one is your favorite  in the comments below.

Happy popping!

Perfect Popcorn

serves 1

1/4 cup popcorn kernals

brown paper bag for popping

For Spicy + Sweet Popcorn:

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp smoked paprika

1/4 tsp each of onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, salt, and pepper

1/8 tsp each of cumin and cayenne pepper

For Chocolate + Sea Salt Popcorn:

3 tbsp semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips

1 tsp coconut oil

1/4-1/2 tsp sea salt

For Parmesan + Thyme Popcorn:

3 tbsp freshly grated parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp fresh thyme leaves, or 1/8 tsp dried thyme

freshly cracked pepper, to taste

1 tsp olive oil

1. Place your popcorn kernals in the paper bag and fold down the top of the bag once or twice to seal it shut.

2. Microwave for about 2½ minutes.*

For Sweet + Salty Popcorn:

1.Toss warm popcorn with 1 tsp olive oil, then add sweet + salty mix and stir to coat.

For Chocolate + Sea Salt Popcorn:

1. Place 2 tbsp of chocolate chips and coconut oil in a heat proof bowl and microwave until just melted (30 seconds- 1 minute).

2. Add in the remaining 1 tbsp chocolate chips and stir until they are melted. If they do not begin to melt, place the mixture back into the microwave and heat for 10 second increments until they start to melt.

3. Place the popcorn on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicon mat, and drizzle the chocolate on top. Finish by sprinking with sea salt.

4. Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes until the chocolate has set.

For the Parmesan + Thyme Popcorn:

1. Toss warm popcorn with 1 tsp of olive oil, then top with the grated parmesan, cracked pepper, and thyme.

Notes:

* Everybody's microwave is different so this may take some trial and error. I find the perfect time for my microwave to be slightly less than 2½ minutes, around 2 minutes and 25 seconds. Another good rule of thumb is to remove the bag from the microwave when the popping noises slow down.