Movie theatre popcorn can be a vegan treat. However, you will have to be aware of the possible dangers. There are certain products you should avoid, including popcorn with butter flavoring. You can check with the theater to make sure the butter flavoring is artificial. Otherwise, you can choose popcorn with oil and salt, which contains no animal products.
Flavacol popcorn is vegan
If you’re planning on enjoying a movie at the theater, you’ll want to make sure that you’re eating vegan popcorn. Many movie theaters use a seasoning salt called Flavacol that gives popcorn its distinctive yellow color and buttery flavor. Fortunately, most of these flavors are free of MSG. Other ingredients that are found in movie theater popcorn include salt, artificial flavoring, and FD&C Yellow #5 Lake (E102) and Yellow #6 Lake (E110).
Flavacol is made from a seasoned powder that’s added to popcorn before popping. It’s a vegan product, but it does contain artificial coloring and yellow dye. It also contains no iodine, which makes it suitable for vegans. Additionally, it’s gluten-free, kosher, and halal certified, which makes it perfect for a movie theater snack.
Air popped popcorn
If you’re a vegan, you may want to avoid the popcorn in movie theaters. Air popped movie theatre popcorn is often made with coconut or canola oil, which are not vegan. However, some regional chains may use a blend of both. Some movie theaters offer vegan options, including edamame and vegan cookies.
You can make your own air popped popcorn at home. Instead of using oil, you can mix a small amount of flavacol, a yellow powder made of fine salt, and yellow food coloring to create a delicious flavor. This method removes most of the fat and still maintains the nutrients in the kernels. If you want to experiment with different flavors, choose those that are free of GMOs. You can even buy multi-colored popcorn kernels that are vegan. You can even mix and match them. The result is a delicious snack with very few calories.
Canola oil
The movie theatre popcorn you’re eating at home may not be what you think. Some movie theaters are using coconut, palm, or even canola oil. Using the latter is better for your health. And it’s less expensive, too. But you don’t want your popcorn to taste like a box of fried food. Here are some ways to make your popcorn taste great without compromising your health.
Moviegoers in Southern California will soon be able to find out if movie theatre popcorn is made with coconut or canola oil. Coconut oil is high in saturated fat, while canola oil is much lower in it.
Buttery toppings
If you’ve ever been to a movie theatre, you’ve probably noticed the buttery toppings on your popcorn. While they may look delicious, they’re actually made from partially hydrogenated soybean oil and TBHQ. Added butter flavoring is another ingredient, but the butter flavor is hardly authentic. What you’re really tasting is a yellow liquid that’s pumped out of the concession stand.
The butter topping contains nine grams of saturated fat, plus 0.4 grams of naturally occurring trans fat. It also increases LDL cholesterol more than manmade trans fat. Moreover, a large serving of popcorn contains the equivalent of two Big Macs, and theaters typically serve sodas to wash it down.
