How much microwave pop corn do you eat?

[Trunk]

[utrl=http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/health/bal-popcorn0905,0,5160090.story]Popcorn lung[/url]

Seriously, is anyone really surprised that microwaving chemicals used in artificial flavors might release shit into the air that is bad to breath in?

The FDA doesn't give a shit, and can't find this stuff out anyway. The free market isn't going to take care of it.

One more thing to throw on the pile of arguments to STOP EATING SHIT.

"Gee, when the pop corn thing came out, I never figured it might also mean my HOT POCKETS are bad for me."

[Anaamika]

That guy ate popcorn several times a day for years. I don't think my twice a week habit is the same thing.

Plus, the possible danger of something happening is not going to limit me enjoying my life. Everything in moderation, including moderation, and you only go around once I believe. Everything is going to give you cancer I think sometimes.

[Trunk]

Originally Posted by Anaamika

That guy ate popcorn several times a day for years. I don't think my twice a week habit is the same thing.

Plus, the possible danger of something happening is not going to limit me enjoying my life. Everything in moderation, including moderation, and you only go around once I believe. Everything is going to give you cancer I think sometimes.

Yeah, except there are better alternatives to eating artificially flavored microwave popcorn. Like eating air-popped, or oil popped with real butter.

And, if you're anything like the people I know who eat microwave popcorn. . .it's popcorn for a snack, hot pockets for lunch, pop-tarts for breakfast, microwave pizza for supper.

It an endless stream pouring shit down one's throat, and just a matter of time before the next thing that isn't "food" but a "food product" is killing people.

[lieu]

While we don't microwave prodigious amounts, I have started buying Jiffy Pop instead, if for no other reason than it's a lot more fun for a six year old to make.

[MovieMogul]

We have 4 or 5 packages of the "Lite" variety in the cupboard, and they've been there for ages. We maybe microwave popcorn once every 6 months or so.

[Elendil's Heir]

About a third of a bag at a time. That's all my boys will let me have as they scarf it down.

[Anaamika]

Originally Posted by Trunk

Yeah, except there are better alternatives to eating artificially flavored microwave popcorn. Like eating air-popped, or oil popped with real butter.

And, if you're anything like the people I know who eat microwave popcorn. . .it's popcorn for a snack, hot pockets for lunch, pop-tarts for breakfast, microwave pizza for supper.

It an endless stream pouring shit down one's throat, and just a matter of time before the next thing that isn't "food" but a "food product" is killing people.

There is no better alternative. Microwave popcorn is quick and easy and I use it solely when I want to curl up with a good book and don't want to think about anything complicated.
I use light butter and low sodium, so I'm certainly not going to make it with oil and real butter.
And as for the rest...nah, I'm nothing like the people you know. Not that I need to justify to you, but for fun...This morning I had a Price Chopper English muffin for breakfast, with delicious yogurt butter on it, and a glass of grapefruit juice and my vitamins (vitamin C and a daily multivitamin). For lunch I have leftovers from yesterday, lightly fried tofu and noodles in a brown gravy. For dinner - well, the SO cooks (he's so much better at it than me), but no doubt it will be something both healthy and good.
Snacks are usually reserved for the weekend and they are usually fruit. I luuuuuurve berries.

But you can pry my microwave popcorn from my cold dead hands.

[kingpengvin]

Originally Posted by lieu

While we don't microwave prodigious amounts, I have started buying Jiffy Pop instead, if for no other reason than it's a lot more fun for a six year old to make.

YEAH BUT IT TASTES LIKE STYROFOAM.. OF IF NOT DONE RIGHT.. BURNT STYROFOAM.

I like to oil pop.. it comes out lighter than Microwave and is cheaper for me.
Plus why go for "butter Flavor" When you can easily provide the real think in a few seconds.

[pbbth]

First of all, what people eat is their own business. Second of all, I think it is a giant leap from "So and so eats microwave popcorn" to "So and so must eat only crap if they enjoy microwave popcorn." I love microwave popcorn but you couldn't pay me to eat a hot pocket. Those things are semi-liquid evil.

And as far as food products killing people, FAR more people became ill and died due to contaminated spinach than people have become ill and died from eating microwave popcorn. This guy is not the normal microwave popcorn eater. Most people enjoy some variety to their diets and will never experience anything remotely similar to this.

[Trunk]

Originally Posted by pbbth

First of all, what people eat is their own business. Second of all, I think it is a giant leap from "So and so eats microwave popcorn" to "So and so must eat only crap if they enjoy microwave popcorn." I love microwave popcorn but you couldn't pay me to eat a hot pocket. Those things are semi-liquid evil.

And as far as food products killing people, FAR more people became ill and died due to contaminated spinach than people have become ill and died from eating microwave popcorn.

Yeah, and how many people have died from heart failure because of the obesity from eating shit filled with corn syrup and partially hydrogenated oils?

Or have colon cancer, and diabetes, and now lung issues because they spent the last 30 years eating food they can prepare during commercial breaks?

How much have they spent on surgery, and lipitor, and insulin?

How many people have thyroid issues from eating food filled with soy byproducts?

[tremorviolet]

I stopped eating microwave popcorn when a friend showed me how to cook your own popcorn in the microwave.

Just get a brown lunch bag, put in a couple of handfuls of popcorn, tape the bag shut (otherwise the volume of the popping popcorn will spill out into the microwave) and press on. Cut it off right when the kernals stop popping. (usually about 2 and half minutes for me) You get a fair amount of left over kernals but popcorn is cheap. Then I melt real butter (takes 20 second in the microwave) and have fresh delicious popcorn in the same amount of time as microwave popcorn. Yeah, it's not a convenient at work but none of your coworkers want to deal with the skanky smell of microwave popcorn anyway.

[pbbth]

I am aware of the negative effects one's diet can have, I am just saying that to assume that someone who likes microwave popcorn, a product that is really pretty harmless when not eaten in enormous quantities like this man seems to have done, is automatically sitting in bed with a can of crisco and a spoon is wrong.

If you take in enough water that will kill you too. In fact, it has killed more than a couple of college students chugging water as a dare or frat initiation kind of thing and the occasional athlete has been hospitalized for over hydrating themselves. E-coli on spinach sent dozens of people to the hospital, killing some who were very young or very old. The avian flu has been affecting the health of thousands of people across the globe who have better dietary habits than anyone in the USA could ever hope for. These things are no less true because they are not chemically altered products or prepackaged foods. I am not saying you are wrong, I am not saying that faux butter flavoring is something that we should be eating regularly, I am just saying that there seems to be a bit of vitriol to your post that seems unwarranted.

[susan_foster]

Originally Posted by tremorviolet

I stopped eating microwave popcorn when a friend showed me how to cook your own popcorn in the microwave.

Just get a brown lunch bag, put in a couple of handfuls of popcorn, tape the bag shut (otherwise the volume of the popping popcorn will spill out into the microwave) and press on. Cut it off right when the kernals stop popping. (usually about 2 and half minutes for me) You get a fair amount of left over kernals but popcorn is cheap. Then I melt real butter (takes 20 second in the microwave) and have fresh delicious popcorn in the same amount of time as microwave popcorn. Yeah, it's not a convenient at work but none of your coworkers want to deal with the skanky smell of microwave popcorn anyway.

I do this. Don't tape bag, but just use 2 tbsp of popcorn so it doesn't overfill. With that little popcorn, I do 1 minute, 20 seconds. I drizzle it with extra virgin olive oil - yum!

Susan

[Anaamika]

Originally Posted by Trunk

Yeah, and how many people have died from heart failure because of the obesity from eating shit filled with corn syrup and partially hydrogenated oils?

Or have colon cancer, and diabetes, and now lung issues because they spent the last 30 years eating food they can prepare during commercial breaks?

How much have they spent on surgery, and lipitor, and insulin?

How many people have thyroid issues from eating food filled with soy byproducts?

But what is any of that to you? I have a fairly balanced diet, but I am not going to give up my treats and eat grass just so I can live longer.

Reminds me of that old joke wherein the guy says he wants to live to 100, and the doctor says, no alcohol, no women, no fatty foods, etc. The guy says, "Well then why do I want to live that long?"

That's how I feel. Everything in moderation! I will continue to eat my yummy foods.

[Harmonious Discord]

Here be microwave popcorn is bad thread #4 for the week.

[Miller]

Originally Posted by Anaamika

Everything is going to give you cancer I think sometimes.

Cancer is what happens when everything else in the world fails to kill you.

[MyglassISfull]

I eat popcorn in between my daily doses of lard, take aways, ice cream and sucking on a crackpipe and a car exhaust.
Am I happy? YES !!
Do I care what anyone thinks? Huh?

[I actually love salty microwave popcorn and (once or twice a month) like to eat it watching movies, as I think it's healthier than chocolate, chips or ice cream. If anyone has a problem with that it's their problem, not mine]

[Liberal]

Originally Posted by Trunk

The free market isn't going to take care of it.

Yeah, I hate it when the free market makes me do things against my will.

[Cluricaun]

Originally Posted by Miller

Cancer is what happens when everything else in the world fails to kill you.

I always thought that cancer is what all those suppressed thoughts and deeds of rage and dissappointment became after a lifetime of stuffing them into a little ball inside your head.......I'd rather have some microwave popcorn.

[fishbicycle]

I've eaten microwave popcorn maybe twice, ever. Don't like it; it somehow tastes or chews differently than stove-popped corn. And I almost never eat that, either.

[GingerOfTheNorth]

So you're saying that microwaved popcorn, with its high fibre and low calorie content, is shit? Then I'm a shit eater. Except that the occasional popcorn snack does not equal eating shit consistently, which you seem to be implying.

[Ephemera]

I think I'll go pop a bag now.

[cochrane]

I nuke a bag of popcorn when I watch a movie on TV. Which can be two or three times a week if I DVR enough good stuff. I also eat a couple of Hot Pockets and some microwave pizza a couple of times a week. Got a problem with it? Well, then,



Bachelor Chow doesn't exist only in the 31st century.

[Sublight]

Admonishments that my lifestyle is going to lead to an early grave would be taken a lot more seriously if they weren't coming from someone who brags about running red lights.

[Trunk]

Originally Posted by GingerOfTheNorth

So you're saying that microwaved popcorn, with its high fibre and low calorie content, is shit? Then I'm a shit eater. Except that the occasional popcorn snack does not equal eating shit consistently, which you seem to be implying.

Just like grandma used to say. . .everything in moderation, even microwaved, vaporized diacetyl.

Jesus Christ, I could see if someone mentioned that you might not want to eat a chocolate cake with eggs and butter and sugar every day. We're talking about the product of research from a chemical lab at ConAgra foods.

Yum. Yum.

Originally Posted by Sublight

Admonishments that my lifestyle is going to lead to an early grave would be taken a lot more seriously if they weren't coming from someone who brags about running red lights.

My God are you stupid.

Can I say one last fucking time and see if it sinks into your brain that no one with half a fucking brain is barreling through red lights on a bicycle.

Coming to a slow-roll, checking both ways, and then going through is a different story. It's one of the first things my mommy taught me how to do. It's too bad you're still unable to grasp the difference.

[Sublight]

Originally Posted by Trunk

no one with half a fucking brain is barreling through red lights on a bicycle.

This part, I agree with.

[C K Dexter Haven]

Moderator speaketh [Official]:
Trunk, personal insults are not permitted in Cafe Society forum. You're WAY the hell over the line. Please see FAQ - Rules for Posting on the Straight Dope Message Boards and note Post #10. And, of course, there's also Forum Rules -- PLEASE READ and Post #3. Calling another poster "stupid" and "with half a fucking brain" seems to me to be a pretty clear violation of the rule.

You've been around long enough to know better. Don't do it again.

[Trunk]

Originally Posted by Sublight

This part, I agree with.

Then we're agreed. What you seem unaware of is that I don't do that nor advocate it nor brag about doing it.

[AskNott]

Ah, but the free market IS taking care of it. The Weaver Popcorn Company (Pop Weaver), one of the leading brands, has stopped using dicetyl, the ingredient in artificial butter that gave some of their workers popcorn lung (not cancer.) They were under no governmental pressure to change the recipe, but they did anyway.

Some of their workers were exposed to the stuff all day, every day, and they got sick. As the story says, the consumer would have to eat a whole lot of microwave popcorn every day to get popcorn lung. Now that the recipe has changed, perhaps nobody will ever get popcorn lung again.

I think I'll go pop a bag right now.

[D_Odds]

I have about 2 bags a month, and because I love my popcorn really, really buttery, I'll micropop plain popcorn, melt my butter, and butter it myself. That way I'm getting real butter, second only to bacon fat in deliciousness factor - guess my clogged arteries are safe from cancer!

[Freudian Slit]

I don't eat popcorn that often. But I do agree that eating things that aren't a hundred percent good for you is fun. It's working for me at any rate...

[GingerOfTheNorth]

It occurs to me that the type I eat doesn't have butter flavouring. Ergo, no dicetyl.

[Rubystreak]

Originally Posted by Anaamika

There is no better alternative.

Are you kidding? Air popped or stove popped corn with real butter is soooo much better and not that much harder to make. One tablespoon of butter and a little salt is enough fat/sodium for two people, which I don't consider excessive, and it tastes a million times better than microwave popcorn. Can't understand why anyone would choose to microwave if they could spend literally 5 minutes to make real popcorn-- health issues from the microwave stuff completely aside. If you can also eliminate some random health risk AND get many magnitudes better food, how is that not a better alternative? I mean, I'm lazy as hell, but it's worth the slightly extra effort.

[Anaamika]

Originally Posted by Rubystreak

Are you kidding? Air popped or stove popped corn with real butter is soooo much better and not that much harder to make. One tablespoon of butter and a little salt is enough fat/sodium for two people, which I don't consider excessive, and it tastes a million times better than microwave popcorn. Can't understand why anyone would choose to microwave if they could spend literally 5 minutes to make real popcorn-- health issues from the microwave stuff completely aside. If you can also eliminate some random health risk AND get many magnitudes better food, how is that not a better alternative? I mean, I'm lazy as hell, but it's worth the slightly extra effort.

*shrug* To me, it's not. I like the taste of microwave popcorn, and no, I don't particularly want to cook it.
How can you not see there is a difference between me pressing two buttons on the microwave and all that other stuff to cook it, by the way? Five minutes is five minutes I don't want to spend. It's comfort food!

[drm]

Microwave popcorn tastes like cardboard....yech. It's about on par with that filth they serve you at movie theatre.

My mom's a huge nutrition person and she says that either Smart Pop or Buttery Light (orville) is reasonably decent for you as far as microwave popcorn goes but a lot of the other crap sold is really terrible for you.

Nah, for me it's a popcorn popper or nothing. Usually nothing.

[Rubystreak]

Originally Posted by Anaamika

*shrug* To me, it's not. I like the taste of microwave popcorn, and no, I don't particularly want to cook it.

Well, taste (or lack thereof)... no accounting for it.

How can you not see there is a difference between me pressing two buttons on the microwave and all that other stuff to cook it, by the way? Five minutes is five minutes I don't want to spend. It's comfort food!

Same way you can't see that for minimal effort you can have infinitely better tasting comfort food that's better for you. Eh, whatever, if you like it, it's your look out. I don't get it, though, I agree with drm about it tasting like cardboard. It's like having a fast food burger when you could have steak. Homemade popcorn with real butter and some garlic salt on it is freakin' delicious. DELICIOUS. I doubt you could say that about the microwave crap.

[RedRosesForMe]

I never eat microwave popcorn. About 3 years ago I bought a few pounds of popcorn kernals from a healthfood store, and just recently ran out. I spent less than $3 on 3 years' worth of popcorn! And I eat a fairly decent amount of popcorn, especially when watching movies (which is all I can do now without cable). I'm thinking about buying an air popper to further cut down on the fat.

And Rubystreak, what an awesome idea- I've never thought of putting garlic salt on popcorn before! Think I'll go make a batch.

[SeaDragonTattoo]

I must be hungry. Both of my first two posts are about food.
Air popped popcorn:
Savory = light-flavored olive oil with a sprinkling of Lawry's Seasoned Salt
Sweet = light flavored olive oil with a little salt, light brown sugar, and cinnamon

I used to say I liked microwave popcorn too, but once I got the air popper, there really is no comparison. The few minutes it takes is worth it every time, and when I taste the microwave stuff people make at work (because it does smell good), it always disappoints now that I'm used to the air popper.

[SeaDragonTattoo]

I must be hungry. Both of my first two posts are about food.
Air popped popcorn:
Savory = light-flavored olive oil with a sprinkling of Lawry's Seasoned Salt
Sweet = light flavored olive oil with a little salt, light brown sugar, and cinnamon

I used to say I liked microwave popcorn too, but once I got the air popper, there really is no comparison. The few minutes it takes is worth it every time, and when I taste the microwave stuff people make at work (because it does smell good), it always disappoints now that I'm used to the air popper.

[gfloyd]

Diacetyl is formed natural in the process of beer brewing from the valine synthetic pathway. It's said to add the slippery mouth feel, whatever that means. It also adds the buttery notes in some alcoholic beverages. I'm not sure about the relative concentrations, but it most certainly occurs in nature. Not saying it's good for you, I certainly wouldn't want Bronchiolitis Obliterans, which is the actual name of the disease, but it isn't an evil artificial chemical, it's just something that has nasty side effects in too high of a dose. This is why we need scientists researching this before everyone gets all up in arms.

[shamrock227]

The best popcorn popper I've ever used is my wok. I think because it keeps the unpopped corn corralled right over the heat. It pops up so light and fluffy. The only issue is that my wok weighs approximately 18 million pounds, so I am exhausted by the time the corn is popped

Forget the garlic salt (although that is delicious), my newest favorite thing is to grate over fresh Parmesan cheese with a really fine grater while the popcorn is still steaming. YUM!

ETA: I do eat microwave popcorn (light butter flavor) in times of popcorn desperation. But that's only a couple times a year. It's not my first choice.

[SkipMagic]

As long as a worthwhile post is being added (i.e., not a "me, too!" post) zombie threads in Cafe Society are usually okay to bring back from the dead. In this case, however, interest in this thread probably stems from the OP's suspension announcement. So, I'll close it down. If, however, someone wants to start a new thread and link to this one, please feel free to do so.