When you’re watching what you eat, finding low calorie snack foods that leave you feeling satiated is essential. Popcorn does just that. Not only is it easy to prepare (i.e. microwave popcorn), but it’s also an all-time favorite for both kids and adults. However, eating plain popcorn can get boring after some time, which is why it’s a good thing that popcorn is a popular low-calorie snack that goes well with any flavor!
When you’re wanting to shake things up with the way you eat popcorn without foregoing health, here’s a roundup of healthy toppings that provide tons of flavor without adding too many calories.
10 Healthy Popcorn Toppings
Whether you’re looking for low carb movie snacks for movie nights or high volume low calorie foods for your next soiree, healthy popcorn is sure to make it to the top of the list.
Throw some popcorn kernels into an air popper to have a fresh batch of air popped popcorn, pop it on a stovetop over medium high heat, or or opt for a plain microwave popcorn option. Then zhuzh it up with any of these healthy popcorn toppings below to serve yourself up a healthy snack.
Olive oil
Plain popcorn has a solid amount of goodness including fiber and it’s also a good source of polyphenols, which are antioxidants that have been linked to better blood circulation and digestive health, as well as a potentially lower risk of certain cancers. Drizzle your popcorn in olive oil then toss to coat for a way to add a light flavoring to your healthy snack.
Coconut oil
Refined coconut oil is the best oil for popcorn and makes for another healthy alternative to adding butter. It will pop right every time! Simply toss to coat and you’re sure to put flavor at the forefront while also adding healthy fats and even protein to every bite.
Chili powder
Chili powder is known to help lower cholesterol, reduce the risk of heart disease, and improve circulation. Add ¼ teaspoon of chili powder to your popcorn when you want to add a kick of spice to this healthy dish. The heat will be noticeable, but not overwhelming! Couple the seasoning with sea salt and garlic and boom — you’ll end up with tasty popcorn that’s a little spicy and a little smoky.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon contains powerful medicinal properties, is loaded with antioxidants, and has anti-inflammatory properties. And did you know cinnamon contains 0 calories per serving (1 tsp)? Yes, these seasoning sticks not only smell and taste great in dishes, they also make for the perfect healthy popcorn topping idea. Add a few servings to your plain popcorn and toss to mix.
Nutritional yeast (aka nooch popcorn)
Nutritional yeast is said to help boost energy levels, boost gut health, lower cholesterol, and support healthy immune function, which is no wonder why nutritional yeast serves as a great healthy popcorn topping idea. It’s vegan, gluten-free, and is always a crowd fav!
Ranch seasoning
Add delicious, rich ranch flavor to your popcorn as another healthy popcorn topping idea! To make your own clean, healthy ranch seasoning with no hidden ingredients, you’ll need the following.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup Powdered Buttermilk or powdered soy or coconut milk for dairy-free
- 2 tsp Kosher Salt
- 3 tsp Dill Weed
- 1 tbsp Dried Parsley
- 1 tbsp Dried Chives
- 2 1/2 tsp Onion Powder
- 1 tbsp Garlic Powder
- 1/2 tsp Black Cracked Pepper
Directions:
Step 1: Mix all ingredients together in a bowl.
Step 2: Add to popcorn and toss evenly.
Pumpkin popcorn
Pumpkin popcorn is an easy homemade popcorn seasonings idea you should try. Just pop 4 cups of popcorn, then add ¼ cup of pumpkin seeds and 2 tsp Pumpkin seasoning mixed in a large bowl. In the end, you’ll have a low calorie snack that contains about 10g of Protein and 9g of Fiber!
Ingredients
- 4 cups Popcorn, popped, plain – 124 calories
- ¼ cup Pumpkin seeds – 160 calories
- 2 tsp Pumpkin seasoning – 0 calories
Directions
Step 1: Pop popcorn from kernels or use a pre-popped version (choose a calorie-equivalent amount)
Step 2: Mix in seeds (roasted, salted is fine!) and seasoning
Step 3: No seeds? Use nuts
Light sweet popcorn
Who says you can’t have sweets when you’re wanting to go healthy? Top your popcorn with semisweet chocolate chips and cashews to make this light sweet popcorn treat. All and all it’ll come out to be about 282 calories , 36g Carbs, 8g Protein, 12g Fat, Fiber 7g, and Added Sugar 5g.
Ingredients
- 4 cups Popcorn, popped, plain – 124 calories
- ⅛ cup Cashews (cups) – 98 calories
- 1 Tbsp Chocolate chips, semisweet, Tbsp – 60 calories
Directions
Step 1: Pop popcorn from kernels or use a pre-popped version (choose a calorie-equivalent amount)
Step 2: Mix in nuts (roasted, salted is fine!) and chocolate chips
Step 3: No nuts? Use seeds
Light Cheesy Popcorn
What better to add to popcorn than you guessed it… cheese?! This recipe is only 145 calories! To make this light cheesy popcorn as a healthy popcorn topping, here’s what you need to do.
Ingredients
- 4 cups Popcorn, popped, plain – 124 calories
- 1 Tbsp Cheese, Parmesan, grated (Tbsp) – 21 calories
- ⅛ tsp Garlic salt – 0 calories
Directions
Step 1: Pop popcorn from kernels or use a pre-popped version (choose a calorie-equivalent amount)
Step 2: Mix in cheese and seasoning
Step 3: No dairy? Use dairy-free cheese or crushed nuts instead.
Popcorn & 1/8 Cup Nuts
Add extra crunch and protein when you opt for nuts as a healthy popcorn topping. On your hot and ready popcorn, sprinkle some a selection of roasted (or grounded) nuts and toss.
Ingredients
- 4 cups Popcorn, popped, plain – 124 calories
- ⅛ cup Pecans (cups) – 94 calories
- 2 tsp Cinnamon – 0 calories
- ¼ tsp Salt – 0 calories
Directions
Step 1: Pop popcorn from kernels or use a pre-popped version
Step 2: Mix in nuts (roasted, salted is fine!) and seasoning
Step 3: Notes: No pecans? Any nut is fine. No nuts? Use seeds
