How much popcorn can I eat and stay in ketosis? (2023)

How much popcorn can I eat on keto?

"Even though popcorn is technically a grain food, it can be enjoyed on a Keto diet... in moderation," Kleiner advises. "Stick with one cup of popcorn, which contains 6 grams of carbohydrate. Of course, as serving sizes increase, so do the number of carbs.

Once you figure out how many daily carbs your body can take in to remain in ketosis, you can divvy up your allotment however you like, but popcorn can easily fit in a ketogenic eating plan. “For all intents and purposes, it is a keto-friendly food,” says Rissetto.

Some people swear by three square meals a day while others prefer five or six small meals. And while similar diets such as Whole30 frown upon snacking throughout the day, some have found success eating three moderate meals a day and two small snacks.

Each day you can have 5 to 8 ounces, or equivalents, from this food group. At least half of your servings, or about 3 to 4 ounces, should come from whole-grain sources, like popcorn. Based on this recommendation, set forth in the USDA's ChooseMyPlate.gov, a 1-ounce equivalent from the grain group is 3 cups of popcorn.

That's because this diet relies on your body staying in ketosis. To do so, you need to eat fewer than 50 grams of carbs per day. Eating more than 50 grams can kick your body out of ketosis ( 2 ).

According to Experts, when the body receives less than 50 grams of carbohydrates per day, it will be depleted of its preferred fuel source — glucose — and this typically happens 3 to 4 days after the beginning of the diet but can vary from person to person.

A slice of cheese, a few olives, some fatty cold cuts, or a few slices of bacon make excellent keto snacks. Or choose a small portion of nuts that are very low in carbs, like macadamia nuts, pecans or Brazil nuts (be careful of cashews.) A hard-boiled egg is another ideal keto snack.

While it's true that the keto diet involves eating lots of protein and fat with very limited carbohydrates, it doesn't mean you can eat in infinite quantities. Like any diet, its success depends on you achieving a calorie deficit.

Can I eat a lot of popcorn and not gain weight?

Because of its low calorie content, low energy density, high fiber content and increased satiety, eating popcorn may help you eat fewer calories and lose weight. However, moderation is key. Even though it is much more filling than many other snack foods, it can still be fattening if you eat too much of it.

Another health benefit of popcorn is its high satiety. Because of popcorn's high fiber content, its low calorie count and its low energy density, popcorn is considered to be a food that can aid in weight loss.

If you're eating microwave popcorn or movie theater popcorn every day, you might be taking in a lot of extra salt and calories, as well as potentially harmful chemicals and artificial ingredients. However, homemade popcorn that's made with olive or avocado oil can be a healthy addition to your daily diet.

Vegetables like leafy greens, mushrooms, tomatoes, carrots, broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, spinach, kale, sea veggies, and peppers are great choices. And if you want to kick-start ketosis most efficiently, be sure to emphasize low-carb veggies like asparagus, cucumber, greens, and zucchini.

The most common reason for not getting into ketosis is not cutting back enough on carbs. According to a 2019 article on the ketogenic diet, carbohydrates should represent only 5–10% of a person's calorie intake. Specifically, most keto diets require a person to cut down to between 20 and 50 grams of carbs each day.

Regular Crust

This type of pizza crust can have up to 33g of carbs without any added sauce or cheese. If you're limiting your carbs to 20-50 grams per day, one slice of this type of crust will likely kick you out of ketosis.

Can You Have a Cheat Day on Keto? Having a cheat day while you're on the keto diet will take you out of the state of ketosis, Fears says. “It can take several days for the body to achieve ketosis, so having a cheat meal every week or every couple of weeks means you won't be in ketosis a majority of the time,” she says.

The easiest and fastest way to get into ketosis is by fasting and exercising. Fasting allows the body to burn its stored glucose essentially forcing it to create a new type of fuel called ketone bodies. Exercise on the other hand also helps to burn glucose.

Will one cheat meal break ketosis?

Yes, a Cheat Day on the Keto Diet Could Throw You Out of Ketosis. Something to keep in mind this holiday season. If you're on the keto diet, you might be wondering if you get a pass here and there to enjoy your favorite carb-y foods.

Back to the snack in question: One cup of air-popped popcorn has 6 grams of carbs, and 1 gram of fiber, for a total of 5 grams of net carbs, says Natalie Rizzo, M.S, R.D. Unless you're eating some kind of wacky sugary caramel-coated popcorn, that's not a ton of carbs.

You can still enjoy a serving of popcorn while on a low-carb diet. The fiber content will help keep you full and the volume might prevent you from giving in to cravings for cake and cookies. If you do choose to eat popcorn as your snack, you may have to minimize other sources of carbohydrates for that day.

Can I Have Movie Theater Popcorn On Keto? A typical cup of movie theatre popcorn contains about 10 grams of net carbs – which for many might be too high. Half a cup contains 5 grams, so you can have a taste as long as you stick to a small portion!

Although popcorn can fit into a ketogenic diet, it still contains carbs. If you are being strict on carb intake, here are other snack options to consider.

That's because this diet relies on your body staying in ketosis. To do so, you need to eat fewer than 50 grams of carbs per day. Eating more than 50 grams can kick your body out of ketosis ( 2 ).

While the question of "is popcorn keto" can be debated, most would agree that movie theatre popcorn, specifically, is not keto-friendly because it is loaded with carbs, sodium, calories, sugar, and other additives. One ounce of unbuttered, white popcorn has 21.8 carbs[*].

Can You Have a Cheat Day on Keto? Having a cheat day while you're on the keto diet will take you out of the state of ketosis, Fears says. “It can take several days for the body to achieve ketosis, so having a cheat meal every week or every couple of weeks means you won't be in ketosis a majority of the time,” she says.

It typically takes 2–4 days to enter ketosis if you eat fewer than 50 grams of carbs per day. However, some people may take longer depending on factors like physical activity level, age, metabolism, and carb, fat, and protein intake.

Does popcorn turn to sugar in your body?

Share on Pinterest Popcorn does not cause a spike in blood sugar due to its low GI. For people with diabetes, the glycemic index (GI) is an important number to consider when choosing what foods to buy and eat. Air-popped popcorn has a GI of 55.

Carbs in popcorn are healthy because the food is a whole grain. The Atkins diet, a low-carbohydrate eating plan designed for weight loss, includes popcorn in its list of acceptable snacks ⁠— if it's cooked at home.

The ketogenic diet typically reduces total carbohydrate intake to less than 50 grams a day—less than the amount found in a medium plain bagel—and can be as low as 20 grams a day. Generally, popular ketogenic resources suggest an average of 70-80% fat from total daily calories, 5-10% carbohydrate, and 10-20% protein.

It can take 2-4 days or longer to start losing weight in ketosis, although the rate of weight loss depends on various factors such as your metabolism, carb-protein-fat intake, fitness level, and how strictly you follow the diet.

As popped 1 cup provides 0 g of total fat (0 g saturated fat), 0 g cholesterol, 35 mg sodium, 15 mg potassium, 3 g total carbohydrates (less than 1 g dietary fiber), and 0 g protein].

A ketogenic diet does many things to make you feel much better. Keto ketone bodies, nutritional habits, increased nutrient absorption, hormone improvements, electrolytes and hydration, health and energy improvements, etc. all work together to help you feel so much better on a ketogenic diet.

What is a healthy portion size of popcorn? A healthy portion size of popcorn is about 25-30g. While plain popcorn can be enjoyed as a low-calorie snack, portion size is key to keep calories in check.

The starches in corn convert to glucose at a moderate to rapid rate, which gives popcorn its moderate-to-high GI value. However, the GI ranking of a food doesn't necessarily reflect its nutritional value, notes the American Diabetes Association, or ADA.