Set off without any preparation
You want to take ready-to-eat popcorn with you and share it during a break. Start by looking at ready-to-eat popcorn, then choose a quantity and flavour to suit your group.
Who are the different options for?
Sharing a snack in a suitable quantity
You’re buying for several people and want the pack size to match how much you’ll actually use. Compare packs of the same product type, and remember that the purchase weight may differ from the number of snack portions.
Make your own and choose your toppings
You don’t mind preparing it and want to choose which flavourings to add. If you have a relevant allergy, read the label; the AH popcorn kernels reviewed may contain cereals containing gluten, soya and wheat. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre also lists popcorn as a food to take care with around young children because of the risk of choking.
What should you look for when choosing?
First decide whether the popcorn needs to be ready to eat or whether you can prepare it before you leave. Then choose a quantity, portioning and ingredients to suit your travelling companions.
| What to consider | What should you look for? | Who is this most important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Ready to take with you | Check whether the popcorn is ready to eat or needs preparing, and what the label says about storage after opening. | If I want to set off without any preparation, I look for popcorn that’s ready to eat. Around 31% of consumers prioritise being able to take it straight away. |
| Suitable quantity | Compare the weight in grams of products of the same type. If you’re popping it yourself, remember to include any ingredients you add. | If I’m buying for several passengers, I want to choose a quantity that suits how much we’ll actually use. Around 31% of consumers give greatest importance to the amount they can use. |
| Ingredients and nutritional information | Check sugar, salt and fat per 100 g, and if you have a relevant allergy, read the ingredients and warnings on the packaging. For the sweet popcorn reviewed, AH lists 45 g of sugars and 0 g of salt per 100 g, compared with 1.2 g of sugars and 1.53 g of salt for the salted version. | If nutritional values, ingredients or an allergy matter to me, I compare the full label rather than just the flavour name. Around 19% of consumers prioritise ingredients and nutritional information. |
| Dividing into portions | Check how many inner packs there are, how many grams each bag contains and whether the product needs preparing. A microwave bag isn’t automatically a ready-to-eat snack portion. | If I want to divide the popcorn between passengers or snack times, I want to know in advance how much is in each bag. Around 19% of consumers give portioning the highest priority. |
Common mistakes
-
Assuming a microwave multipack contains ready-to-eat individual bags
The Jumbo pack reviewed contains three bags that still need to be prepared. You can’t hand them out as snacks without preparing them first.
Check how the popcorn is prepared before relying on the number of bags.
Allow time to prepare the popcorn before you leave.
-
Comparing dried kernels directly with ready-to-eat popcorn
The purchase weights refer to different product types, so they don’t represent an equal quantity of ready-to-eat popcorn.
First compare products of the same type. If you’re popping it yourself, also allow for the preparation and any ingredients you add.
Making it yourself takes time and may involve additional ingredients such as oil or flavourings.
-
Assuming a lower sugar value automatically makes it the best nutritional choice
The sweet and salted AH popcorn reviewed have different nutritional values, so one figure doesn’t tell the whole story.
Compare the nutritional values per 100 g and decide which trade-off matters to you.
-
Counting the total weight of a mixed snack box as popcorn
The Croky party box reviewed contains crisps, snack bowls and glasses as well as sweet popcorn. The total weight therefore isn’t the same as the amount of popcorn.
Choose a mixed box only if you also want the other items, and don’t compare its stated total weight with that of a bag of popcorn.
The box also contains other snacks and non-edible items.
Relevant brands for reference
Albert Heijn
The range reviewed includes ready-to-eat sweet and salted popcorn, as well as dried popcorn kernels to prepare yourself.
- The product types are clearly different: you can choose between ready-to-eat popcorn and kernels to pop yourself.
- The sweet and salted versions have different ingredients and nutritional values. Read the nutritional information and label for the version you choose.
Jumbo
The range reviewed includes a bag of ready-to-eat sweet popcorn and a salted microwave multipack.
- The packaging distinguishes between popcorn that’s ready to eat and bags that need to be prepared first.
- The 3 x 90 g multipack needs preparing; it isn’t a pack of three ready-to-eat portions. Jumbo warns that children must not prepare it without adult supervision.
Lidl
Lidl lists sweet and salted popcorn under the Snack Day brand.
- Both flavours are worth considering if you want to choose based on taste.
- Check the contents and nutritional information on the packaging of the specific version.
Aldi
The Sun Snacks salted popcorn reviewed comes in a 100 g bag.
- The amount is clearly stated if you’re looking for a smaller bag.
- A single 100 g bag isn’t a multipack, so check that the quantity suits your travelling companions.
Popcorn products at Joybuy
This selection of Joybuy products includes ready-to-eat popcorn to take with you, as well as popcorn to prepare in the microwave or a pan before you leave.
No image available
Pop Corn, 3 x 100 g
Ideal if you want to prepare the popcorn before you leave.
Three 100 g microwave bags; this needs preparing and isn’t ready-to-eat popcorn.
No image available
Yousmai Pengranxindong Popcorn (Caramel), 120 g
Ideal if you want to take a bag of popcorn with you without having to prepare it.
The version described is ready to eat and contains milk.
No image available
SNACK MAZE Popcorn Cinema Butter, 240 g
Ideal if you want to take a bag of popcorn to share.
The product title specifies cinema butter flavour and a pack size of 240 g.
No image available
g'woon salted popcorn, 100 g
Ideal if you want to take a bag of salted popcorn with you.
The product title specifies a pack size of 100 g.
No image available
Valle Del Sole Popcorn Maize (Butterfly), 900 g
Ideal if you want to pop popcorn at home before you leave and choose your own flavourings.
The description says to prepare it in a pan with oil. The bag contains 900 g of loose kernels.
Frequently asked questions
How can you keep an opened bag suitable for taking with you?
Seal the packaging well after use and follow the storage instructions on the label. For the AH sharing bags reviewed, Albert Heijn recommends storing them in a cool, dark and dry place. This advice doesn’t specify how long an opened bag will keep in a warm car.
How do you prepare microwave popcorn before setting off?
Follow the instructions on the packaging of the product you’re using. For the microwave product reviewed, Jumbo warns that children should only prepare it under adult supervision and that you shouldn’t restart the cooking process if it has been interrupted.
Is popcorn automatically suitable as a snack for young children in the car?
No. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre lists popcorn as a food to take care with because of the risk of choking. It advises staying nearby and making sure children eat while sitting calmly. For a toddler or young child, another travel snack is an alternative; this is safety advice, not a legal ban on popcorn.
What should you look for in popcorn if you have a food allergy?
Check the ingredients list and warnings on the packaging of the specific version. The AH popcorn kernels reviewed may contain cereals containing gluten, soya and wheat. Corn as the main ingredient doesn’t, by itself, prove that a product is suitable for every allergy.
How can you tell whether the number of bags matches the number of snack portions?
Check the contents of each bag and the portion size on the label; one unit for preparing doesn’t automatically equal one ready-to-eat portion. The Jumbo microwave multipack reviewed contains three 90 g bags, while the nutritional values are given per 30 g.