It’s hard to imagine not wanting to indulge in popcorn. After all, popcorn is packed full of fiber, is low in calories, and is healthier than chips. Despite all of this, sometimes it’s worth trying other snacks.
Some tasty alternatives to popcorn are healthier and have more nutritional value than popcorn. You may even find that some of them taste better than popcorn.
Let’s find out more about substituting popcorn and what delicious snacks you can choose from instead.
Why Would I Want to Substitute Popcorn?
There’s no denying that popcorn is a delicious snack, but it’s not always the healthiest. If you’re a fan of prepackaged popcorn, you’ll find that it’s often high in salt and sugar which isn’t good for you.
The bags also contain chemicals known as perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) which can cause cancer.
You may even want to substitute popcorn to have a change. As the old saying goes, ‘you can have too much of a good thing,’ and changing your snacks up every so often is recommended.
Then, of course, some people can’t eat popcorn. Individuals with colitis and Crohn’s disease, for example, should avoid popcorn, but they still deserve a tasty evening treat.
What’s a Popcorn Alternative for Toddlers?
Toddlers shouldn’t eat popcorn because it’s a choking hazard. Children should be at least 4 years old before they first eat popcorn. So, what can you give your toddler as an alternative to popcorn when you’re watching a movie?
Some good options include:
- Mini rice cakes
- Puffed corn cakes
- Snap pea crisps
- Crackers
- Puffs
- Cauliflower popcorn
What is Cauliflower Popcorn?
Popcorn made from cauliflower may sound like a strange idea, but you shouldn’t knock it until you’ve tried it.
All you do is chop cauliflower into small pieces, bake it with oil, and a tasty popcorn topping, and it’s ready to eat.
Cauliflower popcorn is a great alternative to popcorn because cauliflower is:
- High in vitamin C
- Contains antioxidants
- High in fiber
- High in chlorine
- Low in carbohydrates
- Good for keeping you hydrated
If you’re not convinced by cauliflower popcorn or want to see what other snacks you could choose instead of popcorn, read on to learn all about our favorites.
Rhythm Superfoods Kale Chips
Kale is a superfood that everyone’s talking about, so, it only seems right to include it in our list. Rhythm Superfoods Kale Chips come in 7 yummy flavors: Original, Zesty Nacho, Honey Mustard, Garlic & Onion, Kool Ranch, Mango Habanero, and Spicy Jalapeno.
These kale chips pack a punch in the health stakes as they are GMO-free, vegan-friendly, gluten free, and organic. You haven’t got to worry about the kale having been fried either as it’s dehydrated slowly instead.
If you’re looking for a tasty, crunchy, healthy, and flavorsome alternative to popcorn then these kale chips are highly recommended. You need to love strong flavors to enjoy some of the flavors on offer as they’re very powerful. Otherwise, we suggest you stick to the original.
Pros:
- Gluten free
- Vegan
- Good flavor options
Cons:
- The bags can be tricky to open
Goya Plantain Chips, Original Lightly Salted
These might look like dehydrated bananas in a bag, but we can assure you they taste nothing like it. First of all, you get a real crunch when you bite into these Goya Plantain chips, which are reminiscent of the crunchiness of popcorn. You haven’t got to worry about eating too much salt with these chips, either, as they are sprinkled with the perfect amount.
Goya is very generous with its portion size as each bag contains 5 servings. Although these are so tasty, we find it hard to stop munching on them.
We like that what you see is what you get with these chips. There are no nasty extra ingredients and they’re suitable for vegans and people on gluten free diets.
Pros:
- Gluten free
- Low sodium
- Crispy
Cons:
- More flavor varieties are needed
BIENA Chickpea Snacks Variety Pack
We love how versatile chickpeas are. You can put them in a curry, turn them into hummus, or roast them to make a delicious snack. The latter is what BIENA has done which has led to them creating 6 different varieties of roasted chickpea snacks.
You can choose from some amazing flavors, including Sea Salt, Barbeque, Honey Roasted, Ranch, Habanero, or Lil’ Bit of Everything. We like the variety pack that offers a bag of each flavor as it allowed us to dive into a different one each evening so that we could choose our favorite (Ranch).
If you’re after a high-fiber, high-protein snack, that’s also gluten free then this is the snack for you. They’re also crunchy which is just what you want when you’re searching for something similar to popcorn.
Pros:
- Great flavors
- Contains fiber and protein
- Has a real crunch
Cons:
- Pricey
Taali White Cheddar Water Lily Pops
Cheese and popcorn often go hand in hand, which is what attracted us to Taali White Cheddar Water Lily Pops. We didn’t think it was possible for something containing cheese to be healthy, but we were wrong. These healthy popcorn alternatives White Cheddar Lily Pops, contain just 90 calories per bag. Plus, there’s 72% less fat in them than popcorn.
In case you’ve never heard of Lily Pops, they’re popped Lily seeds that are topped with various flavorings. They’re crunchy, tasty, and moreish, and we can’t get enough of them.
Pros:
- Different flavor options available if cheese isn’t for you
- Low in fat
- Gives a good crunch
Cons:
- Pricey
You might be interested in this next – Is White Cheddar Popcorn Healthy?
365 by Whole Foods Market, Pretzel Twists Mini Organic
Pretzels are one of the nation’s favorite snacks. These pretzel twists from 365 Whole Foods Market are organic, fat-free, and vegan. Best of all, this healthy alternative to popcorn has the perfect crispy texture, which is what everyone wants when choosing a snack that reminds them of popcorn.
We recommend these pretzels for people who like salt, as they’re quite salty – even for pretzels. However, our advice is to steer clear of these pretzels and choose one of our other tasty options if you need to limit the amount of salt in your diet.
One of the things we like the most about 365 Whole Foods Market’s Pretzel Twists is the snack-size packets they come in. Each one contains 110 calories and they’re great for eating on the go, taking to work, or feasting on in the evening.
Pros:
- Fat-free
- Vegan
- Snack size
Cons:
- Salty
It’s always good to have a popcorn substitute to hand. You may just want a change from your usual go-to snack or you might have to rethink your snack choice due to a health issue. Whichever it is, we assure you these options for what to eat instead of popcorn mentioned above are all delicious and will satisfy your cravings.
Sources
https://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/healthy-recipes/snacks/is-popcorn-healthy
