Healthy Seasonings for Popcorn - Popcorn Shed

1. Healthy Seasonings for Popcorn - Popcorn Shed Popcorn is one of those snacks that people tend to dress up with all types of unhealthy additives in order to enhance its flavour. Anything from melted butter to alarming amounts of salt or castor sugar and candied toppings often end up on top of what would have otherwise been a very nutritious foodstuff. The modern diet with all its new preservatives and flavour enhancers has almost trained our taste buds to not accept anything that tastes subtle or too natural but the truth is, popcorn is probably best for you if it has very little added to it. To some, it may taste too boring but the calorie count will be kept lower and the overall healthiness of the food will be at an optimum. For the taste brigade, here are a few suggestions for healthy seasonings one can put on their Gourmet Popcorn: ~ Chopped Herbs and Garlic: If you have fresh growing herbs in the garden then so much the better. Pick a small quantity of your favorites - parsley, chives, oregano, basil and rosemary are all good choices. Chop them up finely and sprinkle them over the freshly popped corn. A clove of garlic minced finely and a couple of small chilies that have been diced well can also add to a delicious and fragrant topping for the popcorn. Alternatively, dried herbs can be used - be careful about overdoing it though. ~ Spices: Spices in themselves can be quite a healthy option but it may depend on how much of them you actually use to flavor your food with. There is nothing more delicious than a moderate serving of freshly ground peppercorns to add to a new batch of popcorn. A sprinkle of ground rock salt (as pure quality as possible) adds an extra zing to the crunchy treat. ~ Lemon Zest: This is one of my favorites. Grate the rind of 1 - 2 lemons with a very fine cut and sprinkle over the top of the corn. The rind of limes also adds a delicious and piquant kick to a batch of popcorn. A touch of rock salt may just give an added boost to the citrus brilliance. ~ Low fat Cheese: Some people love to sprinkle a generous amount of finely shaved or grated cheese on top of popcorn. It is a good idea to do it when the popcorn is still hot so that the cheese can melt over the top of snack for a creamy, gooey coating. Depending on your preference of taste, you may choose a mild variety of cheese or one more at the vintage end of the range - best with a reduced fat content. Some love Parmesan cheese on top - try it for a tangy sharpness. ~ Sauces: Anything from hot chilli sauce to a subtle herb and tomato can be used to dress up popcorn but you want to make sure that you choose a condiment that has all natural ingredients and low sugar and salt levels in the recipe. Ease back on the preservatives and synthetic enhancers too. Homemade sauces can be the best choice as you know exactly what you are putting in to them. Don't drown your popcorn with a large quantity of sauce or you may end up with a soaked, inedible mess.

2. ~ Sweet: If you are the sweet tooth type then a sprinkle of cinnamon on your popcorn may be the go. Sugars and sweet sprinkles are not usually healthy options and any types of honey and caramel additives will make the popcorn higher in calories so beware!