Archive for April, 2009
How Did Popcorn Become King?
Today, popcorn might conjure images of multiplex theaters, but it has actually been a staple in our daily lives for many, many years. Popcorn was said to be first discovered by Native American Indians. Unlike today’s popcorn fans, who greet the popping sound of popcorn with salivating glee, Native Americans considered the popping sound to be an angry god escaping the captivity of the kernel. And while it was introduced to the general public long before, popcorn became truly popular during the Great Depression.
As the nation struggled to make money and stay afloat, the popcorn industry still thrived. As a snack food, it was comparatively cheaper than everything else. In that economic climate, this was obviously desirable. Continuing popcorn’s popularity, the nation saw severe sugar rations during World War II, and this diminished intake of candy only served to bolster popcorn all the more. Today, it remains a very popular snack, coming in previously unimaginable and creative flavors and forms.
Popcorn Wagons
With the advent of the modern movie theater, popcorn was sold from wagons parked outside of movie theaters. The owners of these wagons were private business owners not affiliated with the theater owners. Eventually theater owners realized they could be reaping these popcorn profits themselves.
Charles T. Manley, an inventor from Butte, Montana, gave theater operators the chance to do just that. In 1925, Manley perfected the first electric popcorn machine and began selling it to movie theater operators. The irresistible trapped smell of fresh made popcorn quickly made it the movie snack of choice and the perfect partnership between popcorn and movies was born!
Healthy Popcorn Snack
Can you imagine watching a movie without it? Weather it’s at home or at the movies, popcorn continues to be an American favorite, with most of the popcorn in the world coming from Nebraska and Indiana. And Americans consume over one billion pounds of popcorn every year… That’s roughly 70 quarts a year for every American!
Air-popped popcorn is naturally high in fiber, low in calories and fat, contains no sodium, and is sugar free. This can make it a healthy popcorn snack to people with dietary restrictions on the intake of calories, fat, and/or sodium. That being said, popcorn is usually served salted or sweetened. In the US, it is traditionally served salted, although a sweetened version, generally called caramel corn, is also commonly available.
Delicious and Healthy Snacks
Let’s face it, delicious and healthy are two words that seldom go together, but in truth there are all kinds of delicious snacks that are also healthy! For example; a little pineapple and cottage cheese is a delicious snack that is affordable and healthy. You might also think about a healthy popcorn snack (just go easy on the butter!). If you’re looking for a healthy drink, avoid soda, fruit drinks, and kool-aid, and opt for water with a little lemon or Crystal-Light.
In general, if you avoid processed snack foods like potato chips, candy, and crackers, you’ll be on the right path. Try to choose more organic choices like fruit, unsalted grains, and even vegetables (just remember to avoid the dips and dressing!). When you eat healthier, you’ll also notice that you start to feel much better, have more energy, and even start to lose weight. It’s all the processed food in the diet that causes people to balloon up and lead unhealthy lives.