Popcorn Alternatives

Popcorn. Popped corn. I'm not sure which one is politically correct, but one thing I do know is that many people, with and without IBD, can’t break it down during digestion. And not just popcorn, but corn in general, seems to be troublesome for many of us. I’m not a huge fan of corn, except in popped form. It’s essential to my movie theater experience (along with the Twizzlers and Reese’s Pieces I smuggle in). My boyfriend, who also had Crohn’s, is a whole different beast. He loves popcorn, just about any time. He’ll make a meal of it. And while he’s so darn cute gobbling it up, he often pays the price. Tummy aches, bloating, diarrhea, and gas are frequent symptoms for those that have issues digesting this treat. For me, the risk is an ostomy blockage. Luckily, I don’t have many issues with that, and can eat popcorn with no ill effects. Now, if I eat an entire bag… and then eat a second batch… not that I’ve done that… I mean, of course I’d own up to it if I had… OK. I did. Anyway, I had a bit of a stomach ache after, but was ok. I don’t make a habit out of this, though. It just so happened that I had two separate movie dates that weekend. But I digress…
 

So, we all love popcorn (I think). But it doesn’t love all of us back. Meanie. But you’re in luck! There are some great alternatives that can hit the same sweet (or salty) spot that popcorn does. Let’s start with the easy, store-bough options. Even though I do avoid packaged foods and try to stick to a whole-food diet, I believe in moderation for just about everything.

First up, there are “Pop Chips”. This is a brand that does a variety of healthy chip-alternatives, and one of those is a “Pop Chip” made from corn. But they’ve removed the casing/kernel shell, which is often the culprit for all of our discomfort. My boyfriend discovered these and really likes them. Pop Chip isn’t the only brand (in fact, this isn’t the brand that my bf loves, but it is an option and is pretty good tasting), just check out the health food section of your grocery store. Check the label if you do get the brand Pop Chips, because they’re all about “popped” snacks, but not all of them are corn-based. Just a note. You wanna be sure of what you’re getting and eating. Although if they sound good, give their other varieties a try, they might be another alternative to corn-based products all together.

The second store-bought swap is mini rice cakes. The brand I’m familiar with is Quaker, but I know our stores always have a generic, and there are other name brands, I’m sure. You can get these little guys in savory flavors like cheddar cheese (my favorite) or sweet like caramel. Great for those of you that like sweet popcorn, caramel corn specifically, of course. These are made from puffed rice, so they’re easily digestible, and they taste great. 

These two swaps are good for ease and convenience, but there's another option. You can do a homemade swap as well. There are two healthy, high-protein grains that can be popped just like popcorn on your stove-top at home: quinoa and amaranth. Technically, quinoa is a seed, but it has similar properties to grains, and it’s much healthier. It’s my personal preference, but either one will be a good pick. So, here’s the recipe, and the directions.

You’ll need:

-1/2 to 1 cup of quinoa or amaranth (pre-washed)

-1/2 to 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil

-Any desired seasonings, such as salt, pepper, powdered cheese, Italian seasoning, cinnamon and brown sugar, anything herbs, spices, etc that you want to use.

Directions: Put pan over medium-high heat. Add ½ teaspoon of oil to the pan, then add about ¼ a cup of quinoa or amaranth. Don’t overcrowd the pan; you want the bottom of the pan to have light, single-layer covering. Stir the grains with a wooden or heat-safe (not metal) spoon and watch as they begin to pop. It can get a little crazy; you’ll hear them pop, and some may even pop right out of the pan (especially so with amaranth). It’s ok, most will stay in. Amaranth will change in color when popped, from yellow to white (sound familiar?), while quinoa turn a toasty-brown color. 

Keep stirring so they don’t get burned and all of the grains have a chance to pop. Once most of them have popped, remove them from the pan to a bowl, toss in your choice of seasoning, and toss to coat. Continue to do this in batches until you have the desired amount (you can do it in batches, putting each batch into the same bowl and season them at the end if you like, or do separate bowls so you can try out different flavors). You can even drizzle in a little butter if you like, or use “butter flakes”, found on your cooking/baking isle or popcorn/snack isle.

Some flavor ideas:

-Pizza flavored: Sprinkle with dried parmesan cheese topping and Italian seasoning

-Traditional: Season with salt and butter to taste, or try the powdered butter-flavored seasoning I mentioned above

-Sweet: Sprinkle with cinnamon, a dash of nutmeg, and a little brown sugar. Yum!

-Sweet #2: Make a trail mix variety by adding in chocolate chips and dried fruit.

Please note that these are both grains as well, and you may tolerate them better than popcorn, or you may not. IBD dietary issues are sometimes trial and error, and everyone is different. Start with a small amount and see how you do before consuming bigger quantities. 

I hope this post has given you guys some ideas!

Until next time, I hope everyone is as happy and healthy as they can be!