popcorn
 

Ok, this may be a stupid question. I did a search here on 3FC on "popcorn" and came up with about a gozillian posts (ok, maybe not a gozillion, but it was a lot). Here goes. Why do the calories in popcorn decrease after you pop it? If you look on the box on most (all the ones I've looked at anyway) micro popcorn, it will give you nutrition info before and after popped, and the calories always go down. Can some one tell me why? Or am I reading it wrong.

I don't eat popcorn, so I don't have a box to look at, but are you comparing apples to apples, so to speak? Does the nutritional info compare a bag of unpopped with a bag of popped or is it comparing weight? Just asking because the small amount of water in the unpopped kernel would make it heavier and when it is popped it would be a bit lighter, so you couldn't compare ounce to ounce. Does that make sense?

Maybe it's because it lists the calories per full amount of unpopped popcorn, but not all of it actually pops, so they decrease the amount of edible popcorn by an average percentage?

Maybe it has something to do with the release of energy. Remember physics class? The kernel heats up and then pops, and I suspect there is some release of stored energy in this process. It's been a long time since I've studies physics or physical chemistry, so I don't quite remember the details. Perhaps someone else can shed light on this.

popcorn
 

I think it has to do with the serving size. Both the unpopped and the popped are based on 1 cup. A whole lot more popcorn kernals fit into a cup then actual popcorn.

This makes sense, actually.

Physics and chemistry? HA. HA. :) I needed two science credits to graduate so I took biology and physical science (atoms electrons yadda yadda) and THATS it lol! I detested science, bored me stiff, and none of it made sense, I really didn't care what the insides of a frog looked like, and you know, I've never had to use that info since :) . Now, literature, world history, geography, that was my "thing", and I can still remember all the famous historical dates. That stuff I was good at. I"m so right-brained I could probably qualify for handicap parking.

I don't have any popcorn, so I haven't seen a box lately. If there is a large difference between the popped and unpopped calories and it says e.g. 1 cup popped vs. 1 cup unpopped, then the measurement theory is probably correct. I suspect that the number of kernels that make up 1 cup popped is much less than those that make up 1 cup unpopped. However, if it's a small difference, then I would consider the energy release theory.