I love popcorn. I eat it almost every day. I mostly eat it in the evenings and I find that it really helps keep me from snacking before I go to bed. A small bowl of popcorn a couple hours before bedtime goes a long way in curbing my late-night refrigerator raids.

I used to buy microwave popcorn but since the toxicity fears linked to the chemicals used in the butter flavorings I’ve cut it out completely and switched to making my own from scratch using a cast iron pot. I try to eat it plain but just a touch of salt really makes a difference. It’s important to keep the salt to a minimum or else you negate a lot of the benefits.

Popcorn is high in fiber, low in calories and fat, contains no sodium, and is sugar free, making it a nearly perfect snack. Popcorn is actually pretty good plain once you’ve adjusted yourself off the microwave variety. You don’t need to eat it plain though. Just use your imagination and add some seasoning to suit your mood. Instead of salt try some parmesan cheese or maybe add some peanuts and dried fruit to the mix. You might be surprised how far you can take plain old popcorn.

The only problem I’ve found with popcorn is that my black lab Betty loves it more than I do. As soon as I make some she follows me everywhere hoping for a taste or maybe I will drop some while stuffing my face. What a moocher.

Photo Credit: http://flickr.com/photos/emzee/140977871/