Popcorn is a popular and delicious snack food that many people enjoy as a tasty treat while watching movies or spending time with friends and family. Smart Pop popcorn in particular has grown in popularity in recent years as a healthier alternative to traditional microwave popcorn bags. With its lack of artificial ingredients and oils, Smart Pop uses hot air popping to create light and fluffy popcorn kernels. But many health-conscious snackers want to know, how many calories are actually in a bag of Smart Pop popcorn?
Calories In Smart Pop Popcorn
The number of calories in a bag of Smart Pop popcorn can vary slightly depending on the exact product, but most bags contain 100-120 calories per serving. Here’s a quick overview of the calorie counts in some popular Smart Pop products:
Smart Pop Mini Bags
– Smart Pop 94% Fat Free Butter Mini Bags (1.5 oz) – 100 calories
– Smart Pop Kettle Corn Mini Bags (1.25 oz) – 110 calories
– Smart Pop Purely Popcorn Mini Bags (1.5 oz) – 100 calories
Smart Pop Single-Serving Bags
– Smart Pop Butter Single-Serve Bags (3.5 oz) – 170 calories
– Smart Pop Kettle Corn Single-Serve Bags (3.5 oz) – 170 calories
– Smart Pop Naturals Sea Salt Single-Serve Bags (3.5 oz) – 120 calories
Smart Pop Large Bags
– Smart Pop Butter Popcorn (7.5 oz) – 260 calories
– Smart Pop Kettle Corn (7.5 oz) – 250 calories
– Smart Pop Naturals Sea Salt (7.5 oz) – 180 calories
As you can see, the mini single-serving bags around 1.5 oz contain about 100 calories per pouch. The standard single-serve pouches that are 3.5 oz have 170 calories. And the larger share size bags contain between 180-260 calories per 7.5 oz bag.
So in general, a single-size 3.5 oz pouch of Smart Pop popcorn will cost you about 170 calories. The larger 7.5 oz bags for sharing will contain 180-260 calories. And the petite 1.5 oz mini bags ring in around 100 calories each.
Nutritional Profile of Smart Pop Popcorn
When you’re counting calories, it’s always helpful to look at the full nutritional profile. Here is the nutrition breakdown for a standard 3.5 oz serving of Smart Pop popcorn:
| Nutrition Facts | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | 170 |
| Total Fat | 5g |
| Saturated Fat | 1g |
| Trans Fat | 0g |
| Cholesterol | 0mg |
| Sodium | 180mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 31g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3g |
| Total Sugars | 0g |
| Protein | 3g |
As you can see from the nutritional information, Smart Pop delivers a significant amount of volume and popcorn for a relatively low calorie count. With only 170 calories in a standard single-serve pouch, it fits well into a healthy snack diet.
The popcorn gets its light and airy texture from using a hot air popping method, which allows the kernels to fully expand while avoiding oil. This gives it an extremely low fat count from a calorie perspective. Each pouch has just 5g total fat, 1g saturated fat, and 0g trans fat.
Smart Pop popcorn gets its flavor from natural seasonings rather than oils, salts, or artificial butter chemicals. The 3.5 oz serving shown has just 180mg sodium and 0g of sugar.
And a 3g dose of dietary fiber per serving adds to the positive nutritional profile. Fiber plays an important role in digestion and heart health.
Overall the minimal fat and sugar content combined with high volume and fiber makes Smart Pop a winner if you’re closely tracking calories for weight loss or health goals.
Calorie Comparison To Other Popcorn Brands
To fully answer the question of how many calories are in Smart Pop popcorn, it helps to compare it to some other popular popcorn brands on the market. This gives you a better sense of where Smart Pop fits in calorie-wise versus traditional popcorn options.
Here is a quick calorie comparison of Smart Pop against two leading microwave popcorn brands, Pop Secret and Orville Redenbach:
| Popcorn Type | Serving Size | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| Smart Pop Butter | 3.5 oz | 170 |
| Pop Secret Butter | 3.5 oz | 210 |
| Orville Redenbacher’s Butter | 3.5 oz | 240 |
As shown in the table, a 3.5 oz serving of Smart Pop butter popcorn has 170 calories. Compare that to 210 calories in Pop Secret and 240 calories in Orville Redenbacher’s butter popcorn of the same serving size.
So per serving, Smart Pop has around 40-70 fewer calories than the leading traditional microwave popcorn brands. This calorie savings adds up quickly if popcorn is a regular go-to snack. Over the course of a week or month, choosing Smart Pop could lead to substantially lower calorie intake from popcorn snacking.
The lower calorie counts in Smart Pop come from avoiding the oils and extra butter typically loaded into microwave popcorn. The hot air popping method simply doesn’t add all the heavy oils that quickly drive up calorie counts.
Calorie Density of Popcorn vs Other Snacks
Popcorn is often viewed as a more diet-friendly snack option because it provides high volume and takes up space in your stomach for relatively few calories. Looking at calorie density, popcorn has fewer calories per gram than many other popular snack foods.
Here is a comparison of the calorie density in popcorn versus some other common snacks, based on calories per gram:
| Food | Calories per Gram |
|---|---|
| Popcorn | 3.7 |
| Potato Chips | 5.3 |
| Pretzels | 3.8 |
| Rice Cakes | 3.7 |
| Almonds | 5.5 |
| Peanut Butter Crackers | 4.5 |
Looking at the calorie density comparison, popcorn is very similar in calories per gram to pretzels and rice cakes, which are also viewed as light snack options.
Ounce for ounce, popcorn has fewer calories than higher fat and protein snacks like potato chips, almonds, and peanut butter crackers. So if you’re filling up a bowl for snacking, you’ll get more volume and pop from popcorn for the calories.
This makes popcorn a smart choice if you’re looking to add more filling low calorie snacks into your diet. Popcorn provides great crunchy taste and satisfaction for relatively few calories per bite.
Tips For Reducing Calories In Popcorn
If you’re looking for ways to further reduce the calories in your popcorn snack, here are some smart tips you can follow with Smart Pop or other popcorn brands:
Stick To Recommended Servings
Be mindful of the recommended serving sizes listed on Smart Pop packages. It’s easy to overeat by grabbing a handful of times from a large bag. Measure your portion into a bowl instead of eating straight from the package.
Avoid Adding Extra Butter Or Oil
Smart Pop popcorn doesn’t need any extra topping to taste delicious. Skip pouring on extra butter, oils, or other drizzles that quickly add calories.
Choose Lower Calorie Flavors
Opt for lighter flavored varieties over heavy extra butter or cheese flavors. Smart Pop Naturals and Kettle Corn are great lighter options.
Sweeten With Zero Calorie Alternatives
If you want something sweet, sprinkle on a zero calorie sweetener like Stevia instead of sugar. Or use cinnamon which adds flavor without calories.
Control Portions Of Toppings
If adding a topping, stick to small amounts of nuts, seeds or nutritional yeast. Measure out a tablespoon rather than freely pouring from a jar.
Sub In Veggies
Try mixing in lower calorie veggie toppers like chopped carrots instead of chocolate candies or other high-fat treats.
Air Pop Your Own
Air pop your own popcorn instead of using pre-packed microwave bags. This avoids any oils or butters typically added to microwave popcorn.
The Healthiest Ways To Eat Popcorn
While popcorn on its own is relatively healthy, how you prepare it makes a big difference in keeping calories and fat low. Here are some of healthiest ways to enjoy Smart Pop and other popped popcorn:
– Air pop your own kernels instead of using oil-added microwave popcorn
– Flavor with herbs, spices, vinegar or citrus juice instead of butter, oil or salt
– Choose Smart Pop flavors made without extra oils or saturated fat
– Drizzle sparingly with olive oil or avocado oil instead of regular vegetable oils
– Sweeten lightly with zero-calorie sweetener instead of sugar
– Sprinkle on nuts, seeds or dried fruit instead of chocolate candies
– Mix in chopped veggies like carrots or peppers for extra nutrition
– Control portions and avoid mindless overeating straight from the bag
Following these tips will help keep your popcorn light and lean while maximizing nutrition. Paying attention to calories and preparation methods is key to making popcorn a regular healthy snack.
The Bottom Line
So how many calories are in a bag of Smart Pop popcorn? In total, a standard 3.5 oz single serve pouch contains around 170 calories. Larger 7-8oz bags for sharing contain 180-260 calories. And petite 100 calorie Mini Bags are perfect for portion control.
Compared to other popcorn brands, Smart Pop has 40-70 fewer calories per serving thanks to avoiding extra oils and butter. And popcorn has a low calorie density at just 3.7 calories per gram, providing more volume than many other popular snacks.
You can further reduce calories by controlling portions, avoiding unnecessary toppings, and popping your own. Pairing popcorn with fruits, veggies and seasonings can also boost nutrition.
All in all, Smart Pop popcorn makes it easy to enjoy a high volume snack with a smart calorie count. Keeping an eye on serving sizes and preparation methods can maximize the popcorn’s healthy potential.
