Stove Top Popped vs. Microwave Popcorn

My family and I love popcorn. It's fast and easy and hard to run out of. We pop our popcorn the old fashioned way, on the stove top. Frankly, I prefer the taste to that of microwave popcorn. Microwave popcorn leaves a greasy pasty sticky feeling in my mouth, especially on the roof of my mouth. It reminds me of the way grocery store icing tastes when you buy a bakery cake. Yuck!

You can't believe everything you see or read on the Internet, but I heard that microwave popcorn was bad for you and that workers in the plants that make microwave popcorn often get very sick. Well, it turns out to be true.

Microwave popcorn may be very bad for you. More importantly, it might be bad for your children. When the chemicals used to coat microwave bags is heated, some compounds are known to break down into a substance called perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). The problem with the FDA is that they have not determined how much PFOA is enough to cause cancer in humans. The Food and Drug Administration estimates that blood levels of PFOA from microwave popcorn may account for only about 20% of the average level found in the blood of US consumers.

Diacetyl used to be a component in microwave popcorn. It was used to get the butter taste into your microwave popcorn. The FDA claims that diacetyl is harmless in the many foods that contain it, the problem manifests when diacetyl is subjected to high temperatures and as a vapor it becomes toxic to us. It's the heat from the microwave oven that gets the diacetyl heated. As of two years ago, manufacturers stopped using diacetyl as an ingredient in their microwave popcorn.

Between the trans fat in the so-called 'buttery stuff', and the cancer causing agent in the popcorn bag; isn't that enough reason to stop eating microwave popcorn? Two dozen workers at a microwave popcorn plant in 2001 developed a deadly disease that destroyed their lung tissue. According to a report from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the lung disease was triggered by exposure to the artificial butter flavoring.

Yes, it's true, we are all going to die of something. I am used to hearing that when I sound the warning on water, mercury in children's shoes, growth hormone in milk and fast food and I guess I'm gonna hear it again with popcorn. If you knew you were going to die today, do you think it might be possible you'd want to live until tomorrow, or perhaps the next day? Stop making American companies rich off of our ignorance and stupidity. Do something for yourself and live a little longer.

Stove Popped Pop Corn

Vegetable oil
Bag of popcorn kernels
Melted Butter
Red Pepper or Black pepper
Seasoning Salt
Brewers yeast (optional)

Turn your burner on high and pour two tablespoons of vegetable oil in your pot (enough to coat the bottom). Wait for the oil to get hot. Pour kernels into the bottom of the pot with enough to hide the bottom of the pot. Cover the pot with the top and let the popcorn pop. When you hear the corn is slowing down in intensity or not popping anymore, turn off the heat and remove pot from the hot burner. Remove top and pour popcorn into bowl. Lightly season and pour melted butter over popcorn after it's had a chance to cool down. I used to use Lawry's Seasoned Salt but now my kids and I prefer Adobo. If you chose to add the optional brewers yeast, it provides vitamin B12, Folic acid, Chromium, Niacin and also helps to rid the body of unwanted belly fat.

Enjoy, but be forewarned. Kids today have been poisoned by what they think real popcorn tastes like. Taste buds however can adapt. Just ask a diabetic or a heart patient who has had their diet restricted. Kids can adapt even better than adults.

Why not make a huge bowl of popcorn or use popcorn holders for each person and put in a good family movie. Our family watches VeggieTales like some people watch the news! Whatever your family likes becomes that much better with good food. Family, food and fellowship.