If you want to keep an eye on fat content while gaming, compare the fat, sugar and salt per 100 g in ready-to-eat popcorn, and choose how it’s prepared based on how much time you have. Ready-popped popcorn saves you the preparation; microwave popcorn heats up quickly, but its fat and salt content can vary considerably from one variety to another. With popping corn, you choose the oil, seasoning and portion size yourself, but remember to factor in any ingredients you add when considering the finished snack.
You want to choose a variety based on its fat content for longer gaming sessions. To do so, compare the nutritional information for specific products prepared in the same way, and keep an eye on sugar and salt too, especially in sweet or salted varieties.
Ready-popped popcorn is ready to eat, while microwave popcorn takes a little preparation. If speed matters to you, still check the ingredients for the variety you’re considering rather than assuming its nutritional values from how it’s prepared.
With popping corn, you decide which ingredients to add and how much to put in your bowl. You’ll need time and suitable cookware, though, and the nutritional values for unprepared corn won’t reflect those of the finished snack.
A good choice if: You want to eat at your gaming set-up without preparing anything.
Things to consider: With sweet varieties, the sugar content may be just as important as the fat content when making your choice.
A good choice if: You want warm popcorn and don’t mind taking a short break to prepare it.
Things to consider: Oil and seasoning may already be included, so you’ll have less control over the ingredients.
A good choice if: You want to choose the oil, sugar or salt, and the size of your portion yourself.
Things to consider: It takes time to prepare, and the nutritional values for dry corn don’t stay the same once it’s popped.
When choosing popcorn for gaming sessions, you may prioritise comparing fat content, quick preparation or making your own recipe. The buying criteria will vary accordingly:
| Criterion | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Assessing fat content | Compare fat per 100 g and check whether the popcorn is prepared or unprepared; if it claims to contain less fat, check what it’s being compared with. | If I choose my snack based on its fat content, I need comparable figures, not just a claim on the packet. Around 50% of consumers put this comparison first. |
| Enjoying a quick snack | Check the preparation time and pack size, as well as the fat and salt per 100 g for the specific variety. | During a break in the game, I want to spend as little time as possible preparing food. This is a priority for around 30% of consumers. |
| Preparing it yourself | Read the preparation instructions and take into account how much oil and seasoning you’ll use. | I’d rather take the time to prepare it if I can choose the ingredients and bowl size myself. This matters most to around 20% of consumers. |
A reduced-fat claim refers to a comparison and doesn’t, by itself, tell you how much fat the popcorn contains per 100 g. Lebensmittelklarheit therefore distinguishes between claims about reduced fat and claims about absolute fat content.
Check the fat content in the nutritional information, and if the product claims to contain less fat, find out what it’s being compared with.
XOX lists 6.2 g of fat and 57 g of sugar per 100 g for Party Popcorn Karamell XXL. So fat content alone doesn’t give you the full picture of this variety.
Compare the fat and sugar content side by side, and portion some out for your gaming session if you’d rather not eat straight from the packet.
Alnatura lists 3.8 g of fat per 100 g for its unprepared popping corn. The instructions call for oil when preparing it in a saucepan, and any ingredients you add will change the nutritional values of the finished popcorn.
Use the figures for the corn as a starting point, and take into account the oil and seasoning you actually use.
EDEKA lists 21 g of fat and 2.5 g of salt per 100 g for GUT&GÜNSTIG Mikrowellenpopcorn salzig. A short preparation time doesn’t tell you anything about the nutritional values.
Compare the details for specific varieties within the same product type, and consider salt as well as fat.
XOX Party Popcorn Karamell XXL is an example of ready-popped caramel popcorn in a 500-g pack. XOX describes its production method as air-popping, which reduces the fat content.
EDEKA sells both sweet, ready-popped popcorn in a bag and salted microwave popcorn under this own-brand label.
Alnatura Popcornmais is made for you to prepare yourself, giving you control over which ingredients to add.
Chio offers both sweet microwave popcorn and ready-popped sweet popcorn.
No, the terms don’t mean the same thing: a reduced-fat claim makes a comparison, while the fat content per 100 g is also important when assessing a specific popcorn product. Lebensmittelklarheit explains the difference, so check both the nutritional information and what the comparison claim refers to.
No, how it’s prepared doesn’t determine the fat content on its own. EDEKA lists 21 g of fat per 100 g for GUT&GÜNSTIG Mikrowellenpopcorn salzig and 4.5 g of fat per 100 g for GUT&GÜNSTIG Popcorn süß in a bag; the varieties also differ in product type and flavour. So check the details for the products you’re actually choosing between.
Choose how much of each ingredient to add as you prepare the popcorn, and include those amounts in your comparison. Alnatura lists 3.8 g of fat and 0.02 g of salt per 100 g for unprepared popping corn, but recommends using oil when preparing it in a saucepan. The figures for the corn therefore don’t reflect those of the finished snack.
Check the information on the specific packaging, especially if an allergen is relevant to you. Verbraucherzentrale explains what food labelling must include; if you’re deciding whether to buy a product based on its online listing, check the information on the pack you receive again before eating it.