While two cups constitute a single serving of most microwave popcorns, a small movie theater serving holds about 7 cups and approximately 500 calories.
Give in to a small price difference for a more-plentiful-portion and things have gone from bad to downright ugly! Buy that medium sized container instead of the small and you've doubled the calorie count.
Put that Popcorn into Perspective!
Ready for the grand prize in diet decimation? Go for your "money's worth" by ordering the large tub and you could down whopping 21 cups of popcorn! Do the math: If 7 cups equals 500 calories, then you're consuming 1,500 calories!
If you are to consume about 1,500 calories a day to consistently lose weight, you can blow your calorie count for the day on popcorn! Add on a silo-sized soda and you can double -- even triple -- those calories.
Chocolate Calls Your Name, Too?
I don't even need to mention those sweet treats lurking under the glass, do I? Just keep on walking. I know it's a difficult task to undertake after you've just watched dancing chocolate bars glide across the screen.
But movie size candy is completely out of proportion. And who can ever leave any M&Ms in the box ... regardless of how colossal it may be? Not this chocoholic!
Sneaky Snacking
Yes, I am a cinema-snack-sneaker. Sure, it's technically against the rules, but until theaters offer healthier fare for those of us battling the bulge, we've got to resort to concession connivance!
The Crunch Factor
My theory is that the sound of others munching away on popcorn sends a signal to my jaws that I should be munching, too. So I always stick to crunchy snacks for the cinema. Here are my favorites:
- Trail mix
- Dry cereal (I swear by Corn Pops!)
- Air-popped pop corn sprinkled with Butter Buds
- Lite microwave popcorn
- Nuts
- Low-fat granola
- Baked tortilla chips
- Baked potato chips
