Leslie, you did some research…what did you find?

To see how many calories and how much fat and sodium movie theatre popcorn serves up, I commissioned an independent lab to analyze samples of large popcorn -- with and without topping -- from Cineplex Odeon, Empire Theatres and AMC Theatres.

To put the nutrition numbers I am about to tell you in perspective, consider the average adult needs about 2,000 calories, no more than 65 grams of fat and 1,500 milligrams of sodium per day.

On average, a large unbuttered popcorn has 1,100 calories, 60 grams of fat and 1,235 milligrams of sodium. That is the calorie and fat equivalent of eating two McDonald's Big Macs. Sixty grams of fat is what you'll find in 15 pats of butter -- all that oil in so-called plain popcorn! And in terms of sodium, it's almost a day's worth.

On average, a large popcorn with buttery topping has 1,261 calories, 79 grams of fat and 1,300 milligrams of sodium. The large buttered popcorn at Cineplex Odeon had 100 grams of fat -- an increase in fat grams equivalent to another Big Mac! 100 grams of fat is the amount of fat in 25 pats of butter!!

How does that compare to popcorn you make at home?

An equivalent amount of plain air popped popcorn has 340 calories, 4 grams of fat and 7 milligrams of sodium. If you pop it in oil, you will get more fat. A large size, equivalent to the one sold at the movies, of oil-popped has 1,045 calories and 58 grams of fat, a little less than what I found at the theatres. But if you go easy on the salt shaker, you'll save big time on the sodium.

What are some different and healthy ways to make popcorn at home?

Here are three different popcorn ideas - healthy ways to add flavour without salt:

  • Italian seasoned popcorn:  2 tablespoons of grated parmesan + 1 tsp. Italian herb seasoning + pinch of garlic powder
  • Southwest style popcorn: 1 teaspoon chili powder + 1/4 dried oregano + 1/4 tsp. cumin + dash cayenne powder
  • Sweet popcorn: Dash of sugar and sprinkle of cinnamon 

How do your findings compare to what the movie theatres say is in their popcorn?

I asked each company to provide nutrition facts for their popcorn if they had it. Turns out popcorn sold at Cineplex Odeon and Empire Theatres has more calories, fat and sodium than the company admits. AMC, a U.S. based company, did not return my calls.

Cineplex Odeon says its large popcorn, no topping, has 850 calories, 40 grams of fat and 399 milligrams of sodium -- a difference of 291 calories, 27 grams of fat and 729 milligrams of sodium (half a day's worth).

Empire Theatre disclosed their large popcorn, no topping, has 637 calories (actual 1,116), 28.5 grams of fat (actual 51) and 1,297 milligrams of sodium (actual 1,695).

Movie popcorn by the numbers (actual in brackets; for large unbuttered)

Cineplex Odeon

  • Calories: 850 (1141)
  • Fat: 40.5 (67)
  • Sodium: 399 (1128)

Empire Theatres

  • Calories: 638 (1116)
  • Fat: 28.5 (51)
  • Sodium: 1297 (1695)

Why such discrepancy? Actual serving sizes were larger than each company stated. Each company also blamed human error -- inconsistent methods used to prepare the product.

So are there healthier movie theatre snacks?

Movie theatre popcorn will never be a health food. But these findings don't mean you should trade in your popcorn for an oversized bag of candy. (After all, who needs the 15 teaspoons of sugar in a 120 gram serving of M&M's?)

A bag of movie theatre popcorn isn't going to wreak your diet, provided it's a once in a while splurge. If you're a regular movie-goer who loves popcorn, order the small size or kid's size if available. And forgo the buttery topping. That "plain" popcorn already comes with plenty of fat.