You’ve most definitely heard of the vegan snack Skinny Pop, right??! Well, did you know that Skinny Pop also has microwavable popcorn bags?? Today on the Vegan’s Pantry, we’re going to dive into this snack to first determine if it is indeed vegan, how great it tastes (or not), and how great it is for you (or not). Ready to come along for the ride?! It’ll be a popping good time 😉 and if you want to see what other reviews have to say about Skinny Pop Microwavable Popcorn, head over HERE now!
First, let’s determine if Skinny Pop Microwavable Popcorn is vegan? We’ll dive more into the ingredients below but yessss….the Sea Salt Skinny Pop Microwavable Popcorn and the Butter Flavored Skinny Pop Microwavable Popcorn is vegan. How is the butter flavor vegan you ask?? Interesting, isn’t it. Well, Skinny Pop uses a “natural non-dairy butter flavor.” Now what exactly that is, I’m not entirely sure and I will say that the Sea Salt Skinny Pop does have less ingredients in general if you are looking for a cleaner vegan microwavable popcorn. Today, we’ll be reviewing the Sea Salt flavor but if you’ve tried the butter flavor or the Sea Salt Skinny Pop Microwavable Popcorn, comment below and let us know what you thought of them! It’s pretty exciting in the vegan world to find vegan microwavable popcorn as most microwavable popcorn contains some kind of milk/dairy ingredient and oftentimes your best bet is to make popcorn completely from scratch at home (which isn’t too terribly difficult) or buy the pre-made vegan flavors of Skinny Pop or Boom Chicka Pop.
Taste Experience
First of all, let me just say that the bag of Skinny Pop popcorn popped beautifully and didn’t result in a bunch of burnt kernels or a bunch of unpopped kernels but rather a nice balanced, level amount of popcorn. That in and of itself I found to be pretty impressive! I do think it can still vary microwave to microwave but I found the estimated cooking times on the bag to be pretty accurate.
Skinny Pop Popcorn available in microwavable bags is light and airy and only a smidgen salty. It’s no where near the days of the movie theater style microwavable popcorn! It doesn’t leave oily patches on your fingers nor does it feel like you just consumed a major salt bomb. The vegan Skinny Pop Popcorn is a great afternoon snack when you want something a bit crunchy and a bit salty or you have a case of the munchies but you don’t want to overeat as popcorn (especially this microwavable Skinny Pop) is naturally low in calories and high in fiber ….in general popcorn is a fantastic snack option and it’s only when a lot of butter and salt gets added that it becomes a not so great snack.
Honestly, in terms of microwavable popcorn, I think Skinny Pop Sea Salt Popcorn may be my favorite. It’s just salty enough, just crisp and airy enough, and still is ultra satisfying available in only a few minutes in my microwave. Pick up a box of Skinny Pop Sea Salt Microwavable Popcorn HERE.Â
Nutrition
When it comes to the nutrition of Skinny Pop Sea Salt Microwavable popcorn, in one serving (which is a little less than half of a bag), you’ll find 130 calories (so that means just about 300 calories if you did eat the whole bag) with 6 grams of total fat and only 1.5 grams of saturated fat (from the palm oil).
Each serving is cholesterol free as there is not any animal products or byproducts in the Skinny Pop Sea Salt Microwavable Popcorn and each serving has 260mg of sodium. This is less sodium than many other microwavable popcorns or less than other snack foods but considering for most people 1500mg sodium per day is an appropriate amount, it is still a decent amount. Honestly though, the salt is what makes it taste so delicious with the light crunch of the popcorn kernel!
Popcorn is naturally a good source of fiber. With 2 grams of total fiber per serving (17 grams of total carbohydrate), popcorn is a great afternoon or evening snack that will help keep you satisfied. The Skinny Pop Sea Salt Microwavable popcorn does not have any added sugar (hallelujah!).
There is also 2 grams of protein per serving of this microwavable popcorn and that’s because popcorn is a whole grain and most whole grains contain protein! Who says you have to eat meat to get protein when it sneaks into vegan foods like this all the time!
In terms of overall ingredients, there are only four ingredients in the Skinny Pop Sea Salt Microwavable Popcorn: popcorn, sunflower oil, palm oil, and salt! So if you’re looking for a whole food based minimalist nutritious snack with only a few ingredients, Skinny Pop Sea Salt Microwavable Popcorn is a fantastic choice!
Parting Thoughts
Skinny Pop Sea Salt Microwavable Popcorn is a healthy, nutritious afternoon or evening snack that’s shelf stable and readily available in only a few minutes in your microwave! The whole grain popcorn provides fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals but more importantly, Skinny Pop microwavable popcorn tastes better than most microwavable popcorns! First of all, it’s vegan without any butter but has just the right amount of oil and salt to create a crave worthy snack that you won’t want to put down. Do yourself a favor and even if you’ve had the pre-popped Skinny Pop, check out the vegan Skinny Pop Sea Salt Microwavable Popcorn for a real vegan treat!
