There is one snack that no kid (or adult) would say NO to. It's Popcorn. It has it's reputation for being easy to make (pop), fun to eat and you can have it in many different ways just by adding toppings.
Personally that's what I like most about popcorn. The Toppings. Healthy Popcorn Toppings.
I have friend who is a popcorn toppings guru. She has been sharing her popcorn recipes with me for years now. Here are healthy popcorn recipes that our family loves and enjoys on cozy days.
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CRANBERRIES AND ALMONDS
1 bag of light microwave popcorn, popped
1/2 cup dried cranberries 1/2 cup roasted unsalted almonds
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and toss together.
ITALIAN HERBS AND CHEESE
1 bag of Pop Secret popcorn, popped, 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian herb blend 1/2 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
Place popcorn in a large bowl. Drizzle olive oil, sprinkle some herbs and grate some Parmesan cheese on top. Toss well.
GARLIC AND CAYENNE PEPPER
- 2 medium size cloves garlic
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 cup of popcorn kernels
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- rock or sea salt to taste
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 3 tbs butter
Honey and Cocoa
- 3 tbs honey
- 1 tbs cocoa powder (unsweetened)
- a pinch of cayenne pepper
- 10 cups popcorn (popped)
Mix honey, cocoa powder, cayenne pepper in a bowl. Add popcorn to the bowl and toss well.
Coconut oil, honey and cinnamon
- 3 tbs coconut oil
- popcorn kernels
- 3 tbsp honey
- sea salt to taste
- 1/3 tsp cinnamon
Cook popcorn in hot coconut oil with the lid on (until there are 2 seconds between pops). Drizzle honey, add salt and cinnamon. Mix well with your hands so the popcorn is coated even. Here they are - eating popcorn of the day - with honey and cinnamon.
CHOCOLATE
- popcorn (popped)
- chocolate (shredded)
Melt chocolate in a double boiler. Meanwhile place popcorn on the baking sheet. After the chocolate becomes liquid, drizzle over popcorn and let it sit until it "sticks"/hardens.
DRIED FRUIT
- Popcorn (popped)
- 1 cup dried apricots (chopped)
- 1 cup dried apples (chopped)
- 1 cup sultana raisins
Mix it all up or serve separately in bowls. Enjoy!
BOUILLON
- 1 tbsp organic chicken or beef bouillon
- popcorn kernels
- olive oil
Cook popcorn in a hot olive oil with the lid closed until you hear pops every 1-2 seconds. After popcorn is cooked place it in the bowl and sprinkle granulated bouillon immediately.
Follow your popcorn cravings
Create your own pop corn recipes by adding healthy ingredients that you love. Follow few tips to stay on track so you never feel guilty eating this yummy snack. 1. Use raw coconut oil or olive oil. 2. Switch from regular refined salt to rock or sea salt. In fact by using more spices (such as cumin, cayenne or crushed coriander you may not need salt at all). 3. Instead of using refined sugar use natural "sugars" like honey, maple syrup or dried fruit.
Natasha Janzen says
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
These are such great ideas, wow! I am forwarding this to all of my friends that give me tons of crap for being "popcorn obsessed." It doesn´t have to be a bad thing, I make my own with coconut oil and nutritional yeast! I really love this article, it´s good reassurance when I am stuffing my happy face :).
Thanks again,
Natasha