Chili Popcorn

Spice up your favorite snack and pop up a bowl of chili-spiced popcorn. 

By: Jodie Shield, MED, RDN

Did you know that popcorn is one of the most popular snacks? Or that January 19th is National Popcorn Day? Well, it is. And according to the Popcorn Board (Yes, there is such a thing!), Americans eat about 16 billion quarts of the white, crunchy stuff each year. Thank goodness this tasty snack is good for you, too. That is if you don’t drown it in butter and blanket it in salt. Before I share my favorite popcorn recipe for Chili Popcorn, here are a few more interesting popcorn facts. I got them from the Popcorn Board which also offers recipes and tips for making the perfect popcorn.

• Air-popped popcorn has only 31 calories per cup; oil-popped popcorn has only 55 calories per cup.
• When lightly buttered, popcorn contains about 113 calories per cup.
• Popcorn is a whole grain snack that contains fiber and is naturally low in fat and calories.
• MyPlate counts 3 cups of popped corn as one serving from the grain group.

So in honor of National Popcorn day, pop up a big bowl of Chili Popcorn. I used air-popped popcorn in this recipe, but you can make yours with oil in a popper or on the stove (watch this video for details).  And be sure to download my Free app Eat Healthy Homemade Meals in Minutes available at iTunes and Goggle Play.

Chili Popcorn

4 servings

SaveSave

SaveSave