Thursday, May 6, 2010

Mealtime Magic: SmartPop

I don't know if you've seen the popcorn ads where they compare the amount of calories in popcorn to other snacks - but popcorn can be a very healthy snack. New research presented at the Experimental Biology conference shows that low-fat popcorn is a smart snack choice for weight management. The study, was commissioned by ConAgra Foods, and found that eating a filling but calorie-controlled snack leaves people feeling fuller and less hungry than snacking on the same caloric amount of milk chocolate.

The study found that participants who ate a 100-calorie portion of SmartPop! popcorn versus two nuggets of milk chocolate (also 100 calories) were significantly less hungry and more full, had less desire for a second snack, and were more satisfied with the amount of food after eating the popcorn.

ConAgra foods makes Orville Redenbacher's, and the SmartPop varieties are 94% fat free. My husband and I split a bag of kettle corn and each eat fewer calories than in a regular candy bar!

In the study, there were 49 female participants, aged 20-50 years old, with a BMI between 18 and 25 (normal weight). All participants followed the same consumption protocol in a controlled testing facility. After an overnight fast, they arrived at the testing facility, ate a controlled breakfast, and then ate a snack 3.5 hours after breakfast. Participants’ fullness levels were approximately 40 percent higher 30 minutes after snacking on popcorn versus after eating chocolate.

SmartPop! is 100% whole grain and 94% fat-free, with no trans fat or cholesterol and is available in either full-sized or 100-calorie bags.

No comments:

Post a Comment