This is one of the most asked questions on the Weight Watchers boards. Why is it so to calculate points for popcorn? Let me break down the brand I eat.
Orville Redenbacher’s Smart Pop 94% Fat Free Butter 2.9oz bag (regular size bag, not the mini or 100 cal pack)
According to the bag, a serving size is 3 tbsp unpopped (7 cups popped) there are 2 servings per container which means the bag contains 6 tbsp of unpopped popcorn (14 popped)
Nutritional information for 6tbsp unpopped:
- 240 calories
- 4 g of fat
- 8 g of Fiber
- 4 points
Now the bag gives the calorie count for 1 cup popped as 15 calories. If you multiply that by 14 (number of cups in the bag) you get 255 calories for the bag. This still gives you 4 points. So, no matter how you look at it the normal size bag (meaning not the mini bag) of Orville Redenbacher’s Smart Pop 94% Fat Free Butter is 4 points for the whole thing.
Next I looked up another brand online, 94% Fat Free JOLLY TIME® Healthy Pop® Butter Flavor. According to their site, a serving size is 2 tbsp unpopped (5 cups popped) and there are 2.5 servings per bag which means the bag contains 5 tbsp of unpopped popcorn (12.5 cups popped).
Nutritional Information of 5 tbsp unpopped:
- 225 calories
- 5 g of fat
- 22.5 g of fiber (find this hard to believe, but it doesn’t really matter because of the fiber cap)
- 4 points
They give the calories of 1 cup popped as 20 calories. 20 times 12.5 is 250 calories which still gives you 4 points.
In my opinion, most larger bags of 94% fat free popcorns are 4 points. As for the smaller or single servings bags, I don’t buy them much, but when I do I count them as 2 points. I know there are some brands out there that are 1 point, but they are usually the 100 calorie bags.
I hope that helps a little but. I think everyone has asked the popcorn question at least once. If you calculated the points for other brands let me know in the comments.
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I’m an Orville Redenbacher addict! Hi, I’m Emily and I’m addicted to popcorn…”Hi Emily”. There, I admitted it ;) I absolutely love the Smart Pop 94% Fat Free Kettle Korn!
The nutritional information is the same for the Smart Pop Butter & I noticed an error in your post. There’s actually only 210 calories per 2.9oz bag, not 255! 255 calories would be for 17 cups of popcorn instead of 14! When I know this off the top of my head, I think it’s a sign I’ve eaten one too many bags! ;)
Keep it up Roni – I love your site!
Hi. I went to the Weight Watchers page for more answers. Click on the link below. It caclulates most of the major brands as 1 point depending on how many cups. Most are 1 point for 5-6 cups.
http://www.weightwatchers.ca/util/art/index_art.aspx?art_id=12261&tabnum=1&sc=3017&subnav=Shopping+%26+Ingredients
it is 7.5 cups in a serving. 15 cups total in a bag. Nutrition facts for the whole bag is as follows. You all need to read the what is next to the * lower down on the Nutrition list.
Calories = 225
Fat = 0
Sat Fat = 0
Sodium = 300
Carbs = 45
Fiber = 15
Have you ever measured out the bag, though? There isn’t 15 cups of popcorn once it is popped.
Anon – Actually if you go by weight, it’s pretty close!
Hi Robin, If you read down in the fine print of SmartPop, it says that the popped popcorn contains less than 1g of fiber per serving. Which puts the whole bag at 4.5 points per serving if I’m doing the math right?
this is all too confusing for me… so i just buy the 100 cal bags!
How about the Orville Redenbacher “Mini Smart Cakes?” They are very yummy, and only 1 pt. for 9 “cakes,” each cake being a very small version of a rice cake (except these are made from popcorn). I love the caramel flavor, but they also have butter or sour cream and onion flavors, as well.
~ Denise
Jolly Time’s FAQ, (which is new, I believe, because they are becoming endorsed by WW) says a 3oz bag is 2.5 POINTS.
http://www.jollytime.com/contact/FAQs
Amanda – Thanks for the update! I’ll have to hunt for it on my next grocery trip!
I just get the mini bags…no brain pain there!!! LOL
Thank you so much for this info, this is exactly what I was looking for. :)
I do my popcorn hot air style…no oil; butter; or salt. Any points in that?
This may help…. http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-popcorn-air-popped-i19034
why does 94% fat free popcorn have less calories than air-popped popcorn with no extra additives (salt, butter, etc.) which is technically 0 fat?
Emily – I’m not sure. I was only using the Nutritional Info found on the bags of popcorn. I didn’t compare it to air-popped. Sorry.
what about popcorn at the movies? a bucket or tub?
thanks!
big g
Help! I love Erin’s Popcorn-low fat, low salt (already popped) but it goes by the
serving size of grams.
How do I figure out points???
Many thx, Suzie
Suzie – this may help.. .http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/snacks/7719/2
They have grams up there.
i want weigth watchers popcorn i want lose weigth has lower points/
I have started buying the Primetime Butter Light. Its fabulous. It has the best taste.
Serving Size is 2 tbsp unpopped
makes about 3.5 cups popped.
Servings 2.25 per bag
Calories per cup 28
FAT 2
Dietary Fiber 4 g
I have calculated it out for the whole bag about 1 pt… I could be totally wrong and if so please correct me. This has been the best popcorn IMO..I get it from our local Dollar tree and you can’t beat that it is a buck.
Kim here’s what I get…
serving size is 2 tbsp unpopped which makes 3.5 cups popped = 7 total cups in the bag
Total nutritional info….
7 x 28 cals a cup = 196
7 x 2 g of fat a cup = 14
7 x 4 g of fiber a cup = 28
points for the bag = 4
That’s how’d I calculate it, but I may be wrong. Sorry, I’m pretty sure it’s not 1 point a bag. Even the small bags are 2.
RE: Jolly Time – I think the confusion is a result of a marketing gimmick by Weight Watchers, or at least in my opinion. I believe they want to advertise that a service is only 1 point or in the case of the mini bag is 1 point per bag. In reality, using the WW point formula, it is 1.4. I have noticed this “sizing” on other stuff as well. Not a big deal unless you consume a lot of these 1 point type servings. For example, So if you consumed 10 bags of the mini bags in a week, it should be 14 pts, not 10. Not the end of the world, but if you are faithfully following the program, a bit misleading and dissapointing . Where do i get the 1.4; I have an App on my iphone called Nutrition Menu, there are settings to round to one decimal and use the same food score formula as WW. Also, a easy tool to conveniently track your diet, regardless of whether on WW, Low Carb or Calories.
I am in Germany continuing doing weight watchers and the one thing I miss is ACT2 94% fat free popcorn which is only 3pts for an entire LARGE bag!!!!!! So in the meantime I have to make due with air-popped popcorn and I am having a difficult time figuring out the points on them. On the bag it says that 1 portion is 50g. 50g have 155cal, 2.1 fat, and 6.8 fiber. When I make it I make it without oil. With these figures one portion comes to 2 points. I am confused though if usually on bags of popcorn kernels the portion is in unpopped or popped. 50g popped or 50 grams unpopped…and then do the cal, fat and fiber change once I pop it?….so confused
Erin – I always go with unpopped measuring. It’s just easier. That being said the nutritional info difference between 50g unpopped and 50g popped is so minor that it’s not worth stressing over. Calculate the NI based on the unpopped amount used and you’ll always be fine. Especially when airpoping.
hope that helps!!
Do you think they’re different on the new plan? I just put the info in the calculator and got 7 points for the bag. Still not too bad because I usually split them. Thanks!
abba21 – I do think they are different but I have NO idea. I haven’t ran the numbers yet. Sorry.
Somebody must be lying. Air popped popcorn says its 31 calories a cup. 94% fat free popcorn claims to be 15 calories a cup. Is Orville lying to us?
Thanks for the answer on the 94% fat free orville popcorn, normal size bag…i calculated it to be about 4.5…so I rounded it up to 5 just to be safe. The nutrition label is misleading. I used my Android WW Barcode Reader app and it goes by the unpopped values and it would be like 40 something points for the whole bag…I’m going with 5 points. When I lost weight before years ago and not on WW, I ate this stuff every night and lost 100 pounds as part of my diet…so I think 5 points is very fair for this food. If I did not have this popcorn, I’m afraid I would go back to my big bowls of nightly ice cream!!! I started this past Monday with WW (first time member) and my goal is to lose 101 pounds.
I’m kind of “math” obsessed, and I just joined Weight Watchers. I love air popped popcorn, so I did the math.
First, the little cup that comes with the air popper is 1/2 cup (un-popped)
The packaging on un-popped popcorn say’s that there are 3 tbs of un-popped popcorn in a serving.
There are 16 table spoons in a full cup (middle school math folks0. 8 Table spoons in a half cup. So, based on the “generic great value” simple, plain white popcorn, and the information above and on the label, 1/2 cup of un-popped popcorn would have the follow points. 8 pts.
One table spoon of un-popped popcorn would have 1 point, so you could, at the end of the day say, Hey, I have 4 points I want to blow in popcorn, so use a Table Spoon (instead of that top measuring cup) and put in “4″ for 4 points.
Now, if you pop that WHOLE 1/2 cup and don’t add thing, or add “free” flavors, then you would still only get 16 points, which isn’t that bad if you’ve been good all week. There are a lot worse ways to blow a diet….i.e., with fat, cholesterol, etc.
You may wonder “Why does plain white popcorn have any fat at all? Again, let’s go back to middle school and remember that we can get oil from corn..”Corn oil” So, even when it is dried, it has trace amounts. On the good side, it is “GOOD FAT” So smiles folks. Hope this helps.
The Above WITH CORRECTIONS (sorry, I didn’t proof read…and a middle school teacher should no better…here is the corrected version of the above entry):
I’m kind of “math” obsessed, and I just joined Weight Watchers. I love air popped popcorn, so I did the math.
First, the little cup that comes with the air popper is 1/2 cup (un-popped)
The packaging on un-popped popcorn say’s that there are 3 table spoons of un-popped popcorn in a serving.
There are
16 tablespoons in a full cup (middle school math folks).
8 tablespoons in a half cup.
So, based on the “generic great value” simple, plain white popcorn, and the information above and on the label, 1/2 cup of un-popped popcorn would have the follow points. 8 pts.
One table spoon of un-popped popcorn would have 1 point, so you could, at the end of the day say, Hey, I have 4 points I want to blow in popcorn, so use a Tablespoon (instead of that top measuring cup) and put in “4″ for 4 points.
Now, if you pop 2 batches (i.e.., two 1/2 cups) and don’t add thing, or add “free” flavors, then you would still only get 16 points, which isn’t that bad if you’ve been good all week.
There are a lot worse ways to blow a diet….i.e., with fat, cholesterol, etc. Binging on Popcorn is more filling and gives you great fiber! It’s meets the need for chewy and crunchy.
You may wonder “Why does plain white popcorn have any fat at all? Again, let’s go back to middle school and remember that we can get oil from corn, ”Corn oil” So, even when it is dried, it has trace amounts. On the good side, it is “GOOD FAT” So smiles folks. Hope this helps.
..
Ok, I am sooo glad to have found this thread of confusion! I just posted this question on the WW Facebook page and someone replied as if I were a moron. It’s surpisingly complicated. AND I don’t understand the point of stating the unpopped caloric content anyway… I’m trying to get the points on an entire bag of Pop Secret Homestyle popcorn–not the lite or fat free. I’d rather eat the good stuff!