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Portions and preparation · USDA nutrition

Popcorn calories per kernel: 1–3 across all 23 named USDA examples

Across all 23 named USDA examples, a kernel contains 1–3 calories. Their listed weights span 0–1 g, so each calorie value is calculated from that example's own gram weight and published calories per 100 g.

Portion calculator

Estimate your portion

Choose a source measure or enter the weight you ate.

Preparation and portion

Named measures come from this exact source record.

Estimated for 20 g

77calories

Popcorn, air-popped, no butter added

Protein
2.6 g
Carbs
15.5 g
Fat
0.9 g

These values scale the selected reference food by weight. Ingredients, preparation, and portion size can change your meal’s estimate.

FoodData Central Survey Foods (FNDDS) · FDC 2708219 Full nutrition profile →

Compare all 23 food records, nutrition tables and USDA sources

The 23 exact records in this guide report 77–230 calories in the records' own listed source servings and 385–656 calories per 100 grams. Those are observations from named database records—not a universal range or an estimate of an unseen plate.

Match my meal

Start with the description closest to what you ate

For Popcorn, begin by separating “Popcorn, air-popped, no butter added” from “Popcorn, ready-to-eat, plain, light.” Choosing a card filters this source set; it does not infer the portion or fill in ingredients the chosen description does not name.

Showing the first 6 of 23 linked records.

Equal-weight view

How popcorn records compare at 100 grams

Five rank landmarks are shown from all 23 cited records: minimum, 25th-ranked, median-ranked, 75th-ranked, and maximum. Weight is held at 100 grams; source-serving weights are listed in the table.

  1. Minimum: Popcorn, air-popped, no butter added 385 kcal
    385 kcal
  2. 25th-ranked landmark: Popcorn, caramel coated 428 kcal
    428 kcal
  3. Median-ranked landmark: Popcorn, microwave, low sodium 496 kcal
    496 kcal
  4. 75th-ranked landmark: Popcorn, microwave, plain 518 kcal
    518 kcal
  5. Maximum: Popcorn, movie theater, with added butter 656 kcal
    656 kcal

Shared basis: 100 g · kilocalories

What this page compares

Named source records, not one universal meal

This guide keeps 23 named USDA records in view: 23 direct matches. All sit within “Popcorn.” The exact descriptions remain the unit of comparison; the familiar heading is only the doorway into the evidence.

Why these records appear together: The deterministic grouping rule “normalized first description segment” placed these 23 records together under the exact grouping key “popcorn.” That rule determines membership before any nutrition result is read.

For Popcorn, this page can compare 23 named records from FDC 2708219 through FDC 2708233. It cannot observe which preparation was eaten, recover unnamed additions, or supply the eaten grams.

Read the shared calculation, provenance, and uncertainty method →

Editor’s decision brief

The three facts to carry into the table

Carry the denominator, exact identity, and strongest observed contrast into every number below.

Portion

20–42 g before composition

The largest source amount is 2.1× the smallest. Read per-serving calorie differences with that mass gap in view.

Composition

271 kcal separates the fixed-weight endpoints

The lower endpoint is “air-popped, no butter added”; the higher is “movie theater, with added butter.” This isolates density, not ingredient causation.

Discriminator

873 mg sodium gap per 100 g

Of protein, fiber, and sodium, the strongest normalized contrast is between “popped in oil, no butter added” (157 mg) and “microwave, flavored, light” (1,030 mg).

Observed source examples

Three landmarks inside this source set—not universal endpoints

The cards are ordered by calories in each record's listed serving. Serving weights differ, so use per-100-gram values to compare composition. These selected records do not define a calorie range for every popcorn.

Important: “Lower” begins with Popcorn, air-popped, no butter added; “higher” ends with Popcorn, movie theater, with added butter, using each record’s own source amount. Those labels order this selected set only—they are not endpoints for every popcorn meal.

Full comparison

Compare every selected FNDDS record

For Popcorn, serving columns preserve each record’s own listed amount, while calories per 100 g hold weight constant. A dash means the cited record does not supply that field; it does not mean the nutrient is absent.

On smaller screens, focus the table and scroll horizontally to read every column.

USDA records selected for the Popcorn nutrition guide
Exact source record Match Source amount Calories kcal / 100 g Protein Fiber Sodium USDA
Popcorn, air-popped, no butter added Direct name match 20 gUSDA reference amount 77 kcal 385 2.6 g 2.9 g 32 mg FDC 2708219 ↗
Popcorn, air-popped, with added butter Direct name match 28 gUSDA reference amount 120 kcal 430 3.1 g 3.4 g 64 mg FDC 2708220 ↗
Popcorn, caramel coated Direct name match 35 gUSDA reference amount 150 kcal 428 1.3 g 1.8 g 179 mg FDC 2708239 ↗
Popcorn, caramel coated, with nuts Direct name match 42 gUSDA reference amount 167 kcal 397 2.7 g 1.6 g 203 mg FDC 2708240 ↗
Popcorn, chocolate coated Direct name match 35 gUSDA reference amount 142 kcal 407 1.9 g 2.9 g 173 mg FDC 2708241 ↗
Popcorn, microwave, butter flavored Direct name match 35 gUSDA reference amount 181 kcal 518 3.2 g 3.6 g 267 mg FDC 2708227 ↗
Popcorn, microwave, cheese flavored Direct name match 35 gUSDA reference amount 181 kcal 516 3.2 g 3.6 g 321 mg FDC 2708229 ↗
Popcorn, microwave, flavored, light Direct name match 28 gUSDA reference amount 114 kcal 406 3.3 g 3.7 g 288 mg FDC 2708228 ↗
Popcorn, microwave, kettle Direct name match 35 gUSDA reference amount 176 kcal 504 3.3 g 3.7 g 210 mg FDC 2708230 ↗
Popcorn, microwave, low sodium Direct name match 28 gUSDA reference amount 139 kcal 496 2.5 g 2.8 g 87 mg FDC 2708226 ↗
Popcorn, microwave, plain Direct name match 28 gUSDA reference amount 145 kcal 518 2.6 g 2.9 g 214 mg FDC 2708224 ↗
Popcorn, microwave, plain, light Direct name match 28 gUSDA reference amount 115 kcal 409 3.3 g 3.8 g 214 mg FDC 2708225 ↗
Popcorn, movie theater, no butter added Direct name match 28 gUSDA reference amount 169 kcal 603 1.7 g 1.9 g 213 mg FDC 2708218 ↗
Popcorn, movie theater, with added butter Direct name match 35 gUSDA reference amount 230 kcal 656 1.7 g 1.9 g 265 mg FDC 2708217 ↗
Popcorn, popped in oil, no butter added Direct name match 28 gUSDA reference amount 139 kcal 498 2.5 g 2.8 g 44 mg FDC 2708221 ↗
Popcorn, popped in oil, with added butter Direct name match 35 gUSDA reference amount 184 kcal 525 2.7 g 2.9 g 78 mg FDC 2708222 ↗
Popcorn, ready-to-eat, butter flavored Direct name match 35 gUSDA reference amount 186 kcal 530 3.1 g 3.5 g 267 mg FDC 2708235 ↗
Popcorn, ready-to-eat, cheese flavored Direct name match 35 gUSDA reference amount 184 kcal 526 3.3 g 3.5 g 311 mg FDC 2708236 ↗
Popcorn, ready-to-eat, flavored, light Direct name match 28 gUSDA reference amount 122 kcal 435 3.2 g 3.5 g 214 mg FDC 2708237 ↗
Popcorn, ready-to-eat, kettle Direct name match 35 gUSDA reference amount 186 kcal 531 1.9 g 2.1 g 173 mg FDC 2708238 ↗
Popcorn, ready-to-eat, low sodium Direct name match 28 gUSDA reference amount 136 kcal 486 2.9 g 3.2 g 88 mg FDC 2708234 ↗
Popcorn, ready-to-eat, plain Direct name match 28 gUSDA reference amount 135 kcal 482 2.9 g 3.2 g 172 mg FDC 2708232 ↗
Popcorn, ready-to-eat, plain, light Direct name match 28 gUSDA reference amount 122 kcal 437 3.2 g 3.6 g 168 mg FDC 2708233 ↗

Portion analysis

Serving total and calorie density answer different questions

The listed source amounts run from 20 to 42 grams—a 22-gram gap before composition enters the comparison. Their own source servings run from 77 calories for “air-popped, no butter added” to 230 for “movie theater, with added butter.” At a fixed 100 grams, “air-popped, no butter added” is 385 calories and “movie theater, with added butter” is 656—a fixed-weight separation of 271 calories. For Popcorn, the serving view answers “how much is in the database portion?”; the 100-gram view answers “how concentrated is the matched record?” Neither reveals how many grams were actually eaten.

The scaling rule: multiply a per-100-gram value by eaten grams ÷ 100. The arithmetic is exact; the result is only as defensible as the record match and portion estimate.

Preparation analysis

The long description carries the evidence

The published descriptions distinguish forms such as “air-popped, no butter added”, “microwave, cheese flavored”, “microwave, plain, light”, “ready-to-eat, cheese flavored”, and “ready-to-eat, plain, light”. The source formulations contain 17 distinct ingredient codes; examples that appear in only part of the set include salt, table, snacks, popcorn, air-popped, oil, corn, and snacks, popcorn, home-prepared, oil-popped, unsalted. On this Popcorn page, those rows make the records inspectable, but they are not a controlled experiment: they cannot tell us that one named input, by itself, caused a nutrient difference.

Database precision is not meal certainty. Retain the exact description beside the number so later corrections remain possible.

What changes the comparison

Four drivers worth checking before choosing a record

The family label “Popcorn” cannot resolve the differences between Popcorn, air-popped, no butter added and Popcorn, ready-to-eat, plain, light. The four checks below identify the record wording, source weight, and formulation evidence that can.

  1. 01

    Source weight before serving calories

    The source amounts span 20–42 grams. Compare per 100 grams before reading a serving-calorie gap as a composition gap.

  2. 02

    The words that split the family

    Representative record-level distinctions include “air-popped, no butter added”, “microwave, cheese flavored”, “microwave, plain, light”, “ready-to-eat, cheese flavored”, and “ready-to-eat, plain, light”. Those phrases are evidence for choosing a record, not decorative subtitle text.

  3. 03

    Formulation evidence, with limits

    17 source-input codes appear across the selected records. Their presence and listed weights describe USDA formulations, not finished plated proportions.

  4. 04

    The unresolved plate

    Even “Popcorn, air-popped, no butter added” leaves the eaten grams and unnamed oils, sauces, toppings, substitutions, or leftovers unresolved. Preserve those Popcorn unknowns for correction instead of converting them into false precision.

Record matching

Match identity first; scale quantity second

Read the source name as a sequence of decisions. First confirm that popcorn is the right meal family. Then resolve the phrases that actually separate this set—“air-popped, no butter added”, “microwave, flavored, light”, “popped in oil, with added butter”, and “ready-to-eat, plain, light”—before comparing gram weight. If a package, menu, or known recipe provides a closer first-party description, prefer it and keep this USDA record as a transparent fallback.

A practical matching checklist

  1. Read the complete Popcorn source description, including preparation and additions.
  2. Compare the listed source weight with the amount actually eaten.
  3. Prefer a current package or restaurant source when a specific branded item is known.
  4. Record toppings, sauces, cooking fat, sides, and substitutions that the selected description does not name.

Explore this meal family

2 more-specific popcorn guides

Use a focused guide when its description matches your meal. Each one keeps its own exact source records and links back to this broader family.

Focused guide Popcorn, microwave Popcorn, microwave: compare 7 exact USDA records by source calories, 100-gram values, portions, and citations. Focused guide Popcorn, ready-to-eat Popcorn, ready-to-eat: compare 7 exact USDA records by source calories, 100-gram values, portions, and citations.

Decision support from the exact records on this page

Turn source data into a better next decision

These conclusions and reading paths are computed from 23 exact records behind Popcorn source-record guide. Links are chosen by record identity, controlled contrast, formulation input, nutrient spread, or serving context—not by loose keyword similarity.

Equal-weight result

Popcorn, caramel coated is higher in total sugars per 100 g

Popcorn, caramel coated reports 52.8 g versus 0.3 g for Popcorn, movie theater, with added butter: a 52.5 g difference when both are normalized to 100 g.

Inspect the underlying evidence

The denominator changes the answer

Popcorn, air-popped, with added butter is denser; Popcorn, caramel coated, with nuts is higher in its source amount

Popcorn, air-popped, with added butter reports 430 kcal per 100 g and 120 kcal in USDA source amount (28 g). Popcorn, caramel coated, with nuts reports a lower 397 kcal per 100 g but a higher 167 kcal in USDA source amount (42 g).

Choose the record before reading the number

Popcorn, microwave, low sodium and Popcorn, microwave, plain, light are not interchangeable

The page keeps both records at the same 100 g denominator and makes Sodium wording (reduced- or low-sodium wording versus No matching controlled term in the source name) the explicit record-description contrast. It does not show that the wording difference caused a nutrient difference. Pick the description that matches the food in front of you rather than averaging away the distinction.

Inspect the underlying evidence

Contextual knowledge graph

Follow the relationship that matches your question

For Popcorn source-record guide, each path states why the destination belongs here, so you can distinguish a true evidentiary connection from a merely similar label.

Compare two records on this page Popcorn, microwave, flavored, light vs Popcorn, microwave, low sodium

Both records appear in this page’s evidence set. The explicit record-description contrast is Sodium wording: No matching controlled term in the source name versus reduced- or low-sodium wording; it is a selection cue, not evidence of cause.

Follow this evidence path Compare two records on this page Popcorn, microwave, low sodium vs Popcorn, microwave, plain, light

Both records appear in this page’s evidence set. The explicit record-description contrast is Sodium wording: reduced- or low-sodium wording versus No matching controlled term in the source name; it is a selection cue, not evidence of cause.

Follow this evidence path 23 context records in this source topic Popcorn

Popcorn, air-popped, no butter added and Popcorn, air-popped, with added butter belong to this USDA source-category collection. Its displayed ranges and complete exact-record catalog provide the peer set for a manual comparison; the destination does not preselect this page’s record.

Follow this evidence path A formulation detail that separates records Oil, corn

USDA input 4518 appears in 7 of 23 context records; its summed listed input weight spans 10–40 g across those source formulations. These are source-formulation input weights, not plated or serving weights. Follow the code to inspect every represented occurrence.

Follow this evidence path A formulation detail that separates records Salt, table

USDA input 2047 appears in 21 of 23 context records; its summed listed input weight spans 0.4–2.5 g across those source formulations. These are source-formulation input weights, not plated or serving weights. Follow the code to inspect every represented occurrence.

Follow this evidence path Put the observed spread in corpus context Calcium: density and serving context

In this page’s records, calcium runs from 4 mg in Popcorn, ready-to-eat, kettle to 113 mg in Popcorn, ready-to-eat, cheese flavored, all per 100 g.

Follow this evidence path Put the observed spread in corpus context Sodium: density and serving context

In this page’s records, sodium runs from 157 mg in Popcorn, popped in oil, no butter added to 1,030 mg in Popcorn, microwave, flavored, light, all per 100 g.

Follow this evidence path