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Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Air Popped Popcorn - A Healthy, Low Fat Snack

By Tom Fischer

Hot Air poppers can be used to make one of the healthiest, fibre rich snacks of all time, air popped popcorn. Air poppers do not require oil to pop the kernels, therefore the popcorn will have practically no fat, cholesterol or sodium whatsoever, while being rich in dietary fiber and manganese.

What it the method of making Air Popped Popcorn?

Air popped popcorn is naturally popped corn kernels popped in an air popper machine. An air popper machine is a standing popcorn machine about 30 centimeters tall, which has a kettle with an opening on its top, where you add the popcorn.

After adding the kernels, you place the hot air popcorn popper under power. This is where the chilrden start having fun, as the unit circullarly revolves hot air in the kettle, which sends the kernels round and round the side wall of the kettle. All of this can be watched, as the spout of the popper is usually see-though. The kernels pop due to the intense hot air they are being circulated in, and as the kettle starts to fill, the popped pieces of corn pour out through the spout of the air popcorn maker into a bowl.

And there you have it, the healthiest snack ever, hot air popped popcorn. Of course, you can than flavor the popcorn to your liking, but be aware that all added ingredients change the calorie count of your snack. Some famous quick seasoning fixes are:

- nutritional yeast for a cheese popcorn flavor

- garlic powder

- onion powder

- onion powder

- sugar and cinnamon (2 teaspoons cinnamon per 1/3 cup sugar)

Hot air poppers usually pop almost every kernel in under 3 minutes, making the popping process very efficient. Air poppers are very inexpensive as well, a Presto hot air popper costs around $20. You can get retro design vintage air poppers nowadays as well for as low as $40.

You can buy popping corn at any grocery store, usually in the same aisle as microwave popcorn. It's very cheap compared to microwave popcorn, so your initial "investment" into the hot air popcorn popper will be offset in a short while, not to mention the fact that air popped popcorn is so much healthier than microwave popcorn.

Nutrition information of one serving of air popped popcorn (1 cup, 8 g)

- 31 calories

- NO saturated fat

- ZERO cholesterol

- just 1 mg sodium

How to use your air popcorn popper safely:

- Hot unpopped kernels can shoot out through the spout while they are still being circulated with hot air, so standing right in front of the air popper while the corn is still popping is not advisable.

- Hot air emitted by the popcorn popper can cause skin burn.

- It is advisable not to use bowls made of metal as serving bowls, since metal heats up rapidly under the emitted hot air. If you do use a metal bowl, let it cool off for a minute after you turn the popper's power off.

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