Every Friday when I leave work, I stumble home bleary eyed, nearly catatonic, after a week full of:meetings. heavy email traffic, putting out fires, possibly travel, meal planning and cooking, dance, laundry, lunch making, working out, fighting with my five year old about clothes, bath time, fights with my five year old about bed time.. Handcrafted Beauty…., you get the picture.
The second I walk through the door my husband hands me a glass of wine, and I start making dinner. There is no asking “What would you like to do tonight?” or “Do you want to go on a date?”. Brent knows I have hit a wall. The key to my heart on Friday nights is a simple dinner, bowl of popcorn and watching Dateline. It is tradition.. no weekend can kick off, without the delicious bowl of goodness.
As America’s favorite snack, nothing seems more unassuming than a delicious bowl of popcorn….. but before you start unfolding that bag…….., you need to be aware of how toxic that stuff actually is. Ranked as one of the top five most carcinogenic foods, Microwave popcorn ranks on my list as one of the “foods” everyone should avoid.
Let’s break down the top four reasons, you need to consider a healthier alternative when it comes to your favorite movie treat.
- The Bag: In almost all varieties that bag is lined with the chemical perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). This was added to keep the oil from soaking through the paper. This is the chemical found in most teflon pots and pans, or in fire fighting foam. This nasty chemical is one that stays in the human body for long periods of time. The EPA lists this ingredient as carcinogenic. Not to mention that it has been linked to infertility, cancer and a variety of other diseases.
- The Ingredients: Artificial and Natural flavors, Hydrogenated Oils, and Non GMO corn. These are some of the worst “food ingredient” offenders all placed in one nasty bag. I feel like this stuff should almost glow in the dark it is so radioactive.
- The Marketing: Think you are making great choices, purchasing low calorie popcorn like Smart Balance? Which markets itself as smart and healthy; and they even state that they avoid certain ingredients But if you look closely at that ingredient label you will see TBHQ which is a a form of butane or in other words a very toxic gas. Wow that is so amazing, I am so glad you do not use hydrogenated oils (as marketed on the box)… BUT you still have butane in the bag…. AWESOME… (said no one ever). There is another lesson here…. don’t fall prey to false marketing. A lot of companies are using natural buzzwords to draw health conscious consumers Look at the ingredients, if you don’t know what it is… do not buy it.
- The Health Concerns: In 2015 NIOSH ( National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) opened an investigation as many employees who had worked in popcorn factories developed a lung disease known as “popcorn lung”. This may be tied back to an artificial flavoring agent.
Time to Ditch it and Switch it. I have an alternative, that is just as easy, and tastes 100 times better. In fact most people who try this popcorn cannot believe how delicious it is. And did I mention that this popcorn is actually made from… Food?
Start by buying Non-GMO organic corn kernels from you local health store. I store mine in a glass jar in my pantry. You can order these online as well.
Take ⅓ cup of the kernals and place in a large brown paper lunch bag.
Fold the top of the bag over three times.
Place in the microwave for 1 minute and 15 seconds.
WOW!!! Just like that you have a delicious, nutritious bowl of popcorn…
Add a touch of grass fed butter (or coconut oil) a dash of sea salt…..and my favorite herbamere. Which is a tasty all natural sea salt and herb mix (Thanks Aunt Sharon for turning me on to this).
You can still enjoy all of your favorite snacks!!! There are healthier ways. I even pop up a bag of this, and sneak it into the movies (with a sparkling water.. it is my Hippie version of popcorn and pop). Eating clean is about education, and making small changes every single day. This is a small change in your diet that will have a huge impact. And I promise… you will never ever WANT to go back.
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