There is something so wonderful about those few hours after Ezra goes to sleep when Craig and I can curl up on the couch and watch tv or read together. Don’t get me wrong, we’re obsessed with playing with that sweet boy throughout the day, but any mom knows a few relaxing minutes with your man can be fuel for your soul in the midst of all the chaotic craziness of life! So snuggling up with a big bowl of popcorn is just about our perfect ending to the day.
But what is not wonderful is the fact that typical microwave popcorn is so bad for you. It’s stinkin delicious, but not healthy! Popcorn itself is simply corn, but all those terrible additives listed on the popcorn box make it a health nightmare. Hydrogenated soybean oil, soy lecithin, artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives. Soy products in general contain substances that effect hormones, and then when they are hydrogenated in order to create a more “versatile” oil with a higher shelf life, their makeup is altered into completely unnatural trans-fats that are known to be harmful to our bodies and may contribute to cancer, heart disease, and many other common health problems. That’s not even taking into consideration the numerous problems with the other added and unnecessary ingredients in packaged popcorn! Something that could be a relatively healthy and filling snack is turned into one that is just… not. It just makes me sad to see snack after snack completely ruined by so many unhealthy added ingredients. That’s why you have to be so careful when looking at ingredient lists! You may think you’re eating a healthy food but when you take a closer look you find a whole lot more than you bargained for.
So I wanted to share a recipe that is used probably 4 times a week in our house. We’re obsessed with popcorn and we needed a better way to eat it than the prepackaged stuff. But as parents, the ease of a bag you can simply pop into a microwave sounds heavenly once the little one is in bed! You definitely don’t want to go through too much hassle… so thankfully we have a super easy and MUCH healthier solution! This is seriously almost as easy as the packaged stuff we’re used to making!!
Easy Healthy Popcorn
1/2 cup popcorn kernels
1 tbsp organic butter or coconut oil
Pink Himalayan or Pure Sea Salt to taste
Brown paper bag
Pour half of the popcorn kernels into the paper sack and fold it down two or three times. Microwave for 1:50-2 minutes. Pour into a bowl and repeat with remaining popcorn kernels. Melt butter and drizzle over the popcorn, then salt to taste.
That’s it!!! So easy, and this stuff is so good! We use store bought non gmo popcorn or we buy purple or blue popcorn kernels from our local health store! There is something so light and delicious about purple corn, so give it a try if you can find it 🙂 Also if you’re needing a little sweet fix as well, I love eating this with chocolate. Get some organic dark chocolate, or mix up some homemade chocolate made of equal parts cocoa powder and coconut oil and maple syrup to taste. After a few minutes in the freezer it’s ready to go! The combo of the salty popcorn and subtly sweet chocolate is amazing and if you’re anything like me it’ll be a new favorite in no time! 🙂