Is Organic Popcorn Keto-Friendly?

Popcorn is everyone’s go-to snack at home and at the movies. It’s best enjoyed with the family, friends, or even alone when watching a film or just chilling. It is a type of kernel that, when you heat it, it pops to become light, airy, and fluffy. 

So, is organic popcorn keto-friendly? Popcorn contains carbs, so consuming it on keto requires self-control and discipline. Find out how much you can eat, how it compares with regular popcorn, and the best type of organic popcorn for keto!

Overview of the Keto Diet

Let’s quickly recap what the keto diet is.

The keto diet recommends a dramatic reduction in carb intake and replacing them with fats. This helps your body to undergo a metabolic process called ketosis, where your body produces ketones from fat breakdown to use for energy in the absence of glucose from carbs.

What Does it Mean When Food is Organic?

When food is marketed as “organic”, it means that they are grown and processed based on federal guidelines addressing soil quality, animal raising practices, pest and weed control, and the use of chemicals and additives. Organic products make use of natural substances and methods to the fullest extent possible.

That means organic popcorn is 95% free from synthetic additives like pesticides, chemical fertilizers, and dyes, and is not manufactured using solvents, genetic engineering, and more. Sometimes, it can be 100% organic too!

One benefit of organic foods is that they are often fresher because it doesn’t have too many preservatives. They are also better for the environment as they don’t use production methods that contribute to pollution and excessive water consumption. Farming without pesticides is also better for nearby birds and animals as well as people who live close to farms.

Despite this, there is still not enough evidence shows how organic food is richer in nutrients. A study even found that organic foods have no substantial vitamin or mineral advantage over conventionally grown foods.

However, organic food can ensure a lessened chance of food-borne illnesses. Eggs, spinach, peanut butter, melons, and foods from fast-food restaurants are some examples of causes of food-borne illnesses since their production is primarily centered on agribusiness gains. Even the animals are sick as a big percentage of them are drugged, vaccinated, and fed on animal byproducts to enhance their productivity to meet the ever-growing agribusiness demands.

The best way to prevent these illnesses is to stick to organic food products.

Lastly, organic food can guarantee a stable immune system. When humans consume non-organic food products, they indirectly consume the antibiotics, growth hormones, and vaccines which weaken immune systems on the account of antibiotic, vaccines, hormones, and animal byproducts overdose.   

Carbs in Regular Popcorn

Regular popcorn can be homemade or bought pre-popped. Homemade popcorn can be prepared in four ways, and here are their respective carb counts for plain popcorn:

• A cup of air-popped popcorn has about 6 grams of carbs or 2-5 grams of net carbs
• A cup of microwaved popcorn has about 5-10 grams of carbs or 3-8 grams of net carbs
• A cup of oil-popped popcorn has about 5-10 grams of carbs or 3-8 grams of net carb
• A cup of kettle corn has about 10-21 grams of carbs or 8-11 grams of net carbs.

Remember that carbs include all the different types of carbs in a food or meal, such as starches, dietary fiber, and sugars, while net carbs only include carbs that the body will digest and absorb into glucose. You can compute the net carbs of a meal by simply subtracting the fiber content from the total carbs. 

You may notice from the list that all but kettle corn are keto-friendly popcorns, monitor your intake and that it fits with your overall macros for the day. 

Carbs in Organic Popcorn Kernels

Homemade organic popcorn has a very similar carb count, depending on the brand and how it is made. For instance, a cup of air-popped Jolly Time Organic Popcorn contains 5 grams of carbs and 4 grams of net carbs, compared to regular air-popped popcorn which has 6 grams of carbs and 2-5 grams of net carbs.

Clearly Organic Best Choice Yellow Popcorn, on the other hand, has 4.4 grams of carbs per cup and 3.6 grams of net carbs per cup.

That said, the carb count in regular homemade popcorn and the carb count in organic homemade popcorn is very similar. The only difference is the added benefits of the popcorn being organic.

Organic popcorn is fresher, safer, and better for the immune system, although it can be relatively more expensive. 

Carbs in Organic Popped Popcorn

The amount of carbs in bags of pre-popped organic popcorn depends on the ingredients and the brand. Some organic popcorns have flavorings that are high in carbs, especially if they are sweet.

On the other hand, a cup of plain organic popcorn, like Whole Foods Organic has 5.1 grams of carbs. Trader Joe’s Popcorn, which is also organic, has 9 grams of carbs per cup, meaning it is not keto-friendly.

Regular bagged popcorn, like Skinny Pop, only has 4 grams of carbs per cup, which is similar to organic bagged popcorn and organic homemade popcorn.

That said, the keto-friendliness of bagged popcorn does not depend on whether they are organic or not! Some are not organic but keto-friendly, while others are organic but not keto-approved. 

We recommend homemade organic popcorn over bagged ones so you can control the serving and the oils to be used. Plus, homemade popcorn has lower amounts of preservatives than bagged popcorn.

Homemade and Organic is Better

The difference between organic and regular popcorn occurs only in terms of environmental impact, the safety of manufacturing, and enhancing the immune system. As for carb count in both regular and organic homemade popcorn it is very similar. 

If you want to receive the best of both worlds, we recommend organic homemade popcorn, since it is lower in carbs and contains little to no preservatives.

Homemade popcorn also lets you have more control over the oil you will use and the amount you will serve rather than bagged ones. Pre-popped popcorn in a bag can leave you with a tendency to finish it all in one sitting if you have no willpower! 

You can enjoy organic popcorn on the keto diet so long as you make sure not to go beyond your carb limit so as not to get kicked out of ketosis!