Want a healthy alternative to chips? Make some delicious popcorn. We have been brainwashed to think that popcorn is bad for us. Movie theater popcorn and microwave popcorn IS bad for us, but when you make popcorn at home in a healthy fat, it is good for you! It is a whole-grain, whole-food, high-fiber, unprocessed food. Don’t feel guilt over popcorn anymore.
Makes about 12 cups
Heat, in a medium saucepan, covered, over medium heat:
1 ½ tablespoons coconut oil
2 popcorn kernels
When you hear the 2 kernels pop, you know the pan is heated enough. Now add:
1/3 cup popcorn
Occasionally shake the pan during cooking. When you no longer hear popping, turn heat off, carefully take off lid and pour into a large serving bowl. Drizzle 2 tablespoons melted butter over and salt to taste. Enjoy!
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April 2, 2008 at 6:57 am
Kim B.
Would it be totally terrible to make my popcorn with canola oil? I like the idea of using popcorn instead of chips. My children LOVE chips and I really don’t like that. I will catch them “snacking” on them too. I don’t mind if they eat a few with lunch but I am concerned that especially one of my children likes chips a bit too much. I did switch to Sun Chips hoping it was at least a bit better.
I have a daughter with braces but when she gets out of them I will see if I can get her to eat popcorn instead of chips so often.
April 2, 2008 at 8:20 am
Shannon
Throw the Canola in the trash.
You can get a 32oz. container of Coconut Oil at Wal-Mart for about $4.00. It should last quite a while.
April 2, 2008 at 9:28 am
Kim B.
OK, thanks! I have never used Coconut Oil. I am going to try it.
April 2, 2008 at 8:00 pm
Shannon
Kim,
I was thinking more on kids and chips. If they aren’t in the house they are less likely to be eaten. I don’t think you can lay down the law and say no more chips all at once. Maybe just pay attention to how much you buy each week and slowly buy less, hopefully getting to a point that chips aren’t a regular staple. I know with my kids if I tell them, “sorry, we don’t have any of those”, they can’t say much. Of course, little kids are easier to persuade than teens. I do have to say, that this method works with me, too. Chips are my downfall, if they are in the house (flavored chips and cheetos), I have a hard time stopping, so I don’t buy them.
April 8, 2008 at 12:43 pm
Justine
This is the very reason I almost never buy potato chips anymore (probably 3 bags in the past year, and those for when we had company.) I could eat half a bag of Ruffles if I let myself. I only buy plain corn chips, and those only once or twice a month. They are a treat to the kids, and I won’t eat the whole bag, so they last quite a while.
April 29, 2008 at 1:17 pm
Kim B.
Well, I finally found the coconut oil and last night made the popcorn. It was really good! I was really happy with that. My girls liked it too. My youngest daughter has braces so she is not supposed to eat it. Eventually my other daughter will have them too. I wanted to encourage the popcorn over the chips. Your idea about not having chips in the house is good….but….there is always a “but” isn’t there? LOL Their Dad wants chips in his lunch every day as though you MUST have it to eat a sandwich. Recently, we made some guacamole that was yummy. One of my daughters LOVED it and the other liked it. I am wondering about trying to have that more often with corn chips? Any other chip substitutes that come to mind? I love this blog by the way!
May 5, 2008 at 3:15 pm
Shannon
My husband also has to have chips to take in his lunch. This goes back to the GOOD, BETTER, BEST, I mentioned in the last comment. Chips with fewer ingredients are going to be better. We buy corn chips, the ingredients are corn, oil and salt. Look for chips that don’t list HYDROGENATED oil, that is trans fat, regardless of whether the package says it contains no trans fat.
I only buy one bag of chips to last my husband the whole week, so we don’t get them out to snack on or have with our lunch (the kids and I). The kids will usually have a few on the weekends.
Guacamole is a WONDERFUL thing to have with chips. It is a wonderful, healthy fat and it will fill you up so you don’t eat as many chips.
I have tried guacamole with celery sticks and it was really good, too, so that is another alternative I can think of. Soon I will post my homemade dip recipes.