Kelly Radi on Popcorn!
Our family likes to snuggle in on a cold winter night with a good movie and a huge bowl of stove-popped popcorn. Yes, popped the old-fashioned way and NOT in the microwave. For a minimal amount of effort, it just tastes so much better. And, it’s better for you, with both fiber and protein in each serving.
POPPIN’ NUVAL SCORES
The top score drivers in the popcorn category are sodium and type of fat. Microwave popcorn scores range from 1-28, while whole kernel natural popcorn is a NuVal Score 91. Now that’s a significant difference in NuVal® scores. What a simple (and tasty) way to trade up for better nutrition!
Here are a few comparisons for you to consider the next time you buy popcorn. Check out the NuVal Scores on the bottom!
POPPIN’ POPCORN
We pop Orville Redenbacher’s Original kernels (NuVal Score 91) in canola oil (NuVal Score 24). For step by step instructions on how to pop corn on the stove, click here. Sometimes we top it with a little melted butter (NuVal Score 2) or Kraft grated Parmesan cheese (NuVal Score 20). If you haven’t tried the grated Parmesan, I’d recommend trying it. It doesn’t take much. Just a little bit of Parmesan goes a long way for great flavor.
I was recently at Coborn’s grocery store taking popcorn pictures and comparing NuVal scores. Nathan, the store manager, came up and asked if he could help me find something. I asked him what kind of popcorn his family ate. Boy, did he get excited. Apparently, I’m not the only popcorn lover in Sartell! Nathan shared his family’s “secret” popcorn ingredient. They pop their kernels on the stove in Smude’s Sunflower Oil.
He says it comes out so rich and buttery that they don’t add any salt, butter or other toppings. Smude’s Sunflower Oil is a small, family run Minnesota company and their products are not yet Nuval scored.
This blog post is used with permission from our friends at BLEND.
Posted by: Rob 3 comments
Posted in: Uncategorized
on Feb 20th, 2013 at 9:12 am
I don’t like the smell of microwave popcorn. We bought a popcorn popper a couple of years ago, and use it weekly. We always use canola oil and just a little salt.
on Feb 20th, 2013 at 9:39 am
I just add a little popcorn to a paper bag and pop it in the microwave for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes. It’s simple and requires very little clean up!
on Feb 20th, 2013 at 10:21 am
I remember making popcorn on the stove with my parents as a kid. It tastes so much better than the microwave kind!