When choosing popcorn for a gaming night, think about how much you’ll actually eat and compare calories on the same product basis; a small portion doesn’t automatically make a product low in calories. For solid foods, the European Commission sets a maximum of 40 kcal per 100 g for a ‘low-calorie’ claim. Popping your own gives you control over what you add, while microwave and ready-to-eat popcorn involve different preparation and convenience choices.
If you want to snack on popcorn while gaming and keep track of the calories in your portion, compare the energy per equal weight and weigh out your serving beforehand. The Voedingscentrum gives 154 kcal per 40 g bowl as a general figure for popcorn; don’t assume this applies to every supermarket variety.
If you want something quick to grab while gaming, check whether the popcorn is ready to eat or needs to go in the microwave first. Preparation time, supervision and the instructions for the specific variety all help determine whether it suits your session.
If you want to control how much corn, oil and seasoning you use, keep the nutritional values for dried corn separate from those for your prepared snack. Also check the ingredients list and any allergen warnings on the packaging.
First decide what matters most to you during your gaming night, then compare the relevant products on the same nutritional basis.
| What to consider | What to look for | Who is this important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Calories per portion | Compare kcal per 100 g on the same preparation basis and weigh the portion you plan to eat. | If I want to know how much energy my weighed portion provides while gaming, I look at both values. Around 42% of consumers prioritise calories per snack occasion. |
| Ease of preparation | Check whether the popcorn is ready to eat or needs to be microwaved and watched while cooking. | If I don’t want to interrupt a gaming session to prepare popcorn, ready-to-eat convenience matters most to me. Around 25% of consumers share this priority. |
| Choosing your own ingredients | Read the ingredients and preparation instructions; include oil and seasonings in your own calculation. | If I want to decide how much corn and how many additions to use, plain popcorn kernels are an option to consider. Around 17% of consumers prioritise having control over their ingredients. |
| Flavour and nutritional values | Compare energy, sugars, fat and salt separately for the specific variety. | If I choose sweet or savoury popcorn, I want to weigh up the flavour without treating sugar, salt or fat as a substitute for calories. Around 16% of consumers weigh up flavour alongside nutritional values. |
A smaller amount may provide fewer calories than a larger portion of the same product, but it doesn’t change the energy value per 100 g. For solid foods, the European Commission sets a maximum of 40 kcal per 100 g for a ‘low-calorie’ claim.
Weigh the portion you plan to eat and calculate its energy based on the nutritional value per 100 g. Don’t call a product low in calories just because you’re having a small portion.
AH Salted Popcorn lists 543 kcal per 100 g, while AH Sweet Popcorn lists 419 kcal and 45 g of sugars per 100 g. These product values show that flavour and sugar information alone don’t determine the energy value.
Compare the nutritional values of the specific varieties by equal weight. Assess energy, sugars, fat and salt separately.
The nutritional value of dried corn doesn’t automatically reflect the whole prepared snack. The pan-cooking method described for AH popcorn kernels uses vegetable oil, so include any additions in your recipe.
Calculate the corn and additions you use separately, and keep the dry ingredients distinct from the weight of the prepared popcorn.
When you pop your own, any oil, seasonings and energy used for preparation come on top of the corn. What you need depends on your recipe and equipment.
The own-brand range includes plain popcorn kernels, microwave popcorn, and ready-to-eat sweet and salted varieties.
The range includes ready-to-eat salted popcorn and a microwave variety.
Snack Day Sea Salt Popcorn is a ready-to-eat popcorn variety from Lidl.
Sun Snacks Salted Popcorn is a packaged salted popcorn variety.
This selection of Joybuy products includes ready-to-eat sweet, salted and butter-flavoured varieties, as well as microwave popcorn. Compare nutritional values per equal portion, and check the preparation basis and pack instructions for microwave popcorn.
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A ready-to-eat popcorn option with cinema butter flavour for anyone who wants to snack straight away while gaming.
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A good choice if you’re looking for ready-to-eat butter-flavoured popcorn.
Joybuy lists 530 kcal and 33.1 g of sugars per 100 g.
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An option if you want to prepare your popcorn in the microwave before snacking.
Joybuy product information lists three 100 g bags and 510 kcal per 100 g. Compare this energy value only with products on the same preparation basis.
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A good choice if you want to weigh out ready-to-eat caramel-flavoured popcorn for a snack.
Joybuy lists 502 kcal and 35 g of sugars per 100 g.
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A ready-to-eat salted variety for anyone looking for savoury popcorn and wanting to weigh out their own portion.
Joybuy lists 543 kcal and 1.5 g of salt per 100 g.
For a solid food, the European Commission sets a maximum of 40 kcal (170 kJ) per 100 g for a ‘low-calorie’ claim. Having a small portion isn’t, by itself, a reason to use that claim for the product.
Multiply the kcal per 100 g on the label by the number of grams you weigh out, then divide by 100. If you prepare it yourself, include the corn and any additions you use. The Voedingscentrum’s general figure for 40 g of popcorn isn’t a substitute for the label on your specific product.
For AH Microwave Salted Popcorn, Albert Heijn says to stay by the microwave. Stop when there are 1–2 seconds between pops, and open the hot bag carefully because of the steam. For other products, follow the instructions on their own packaging.
No. AH Organic Popcorn Kernels states that the product may contain cereals containing gluten, soya and wheat, even though corn is the ingredient. Jumbo Salted Popcorn may contain milk. Check the warnings on the packaging of the variety you choose.
THT is the best-before date and relates to the quality of the product. The NVWA describes the rules for date labelling; the Voedingscentrum says the date applies while the pack is unopened. Once opened, follow the storage advice on the packaging.
