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USDA record comparison

Popcorn calories and nutrition: 23 USDA records compared

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.

What this page compares

Named source records, not one universal meal

This page includes every selected Feast nutrition record whose normalized USDA description begins with “Popcorn” under the documented one-segment family rule. The records fall within Popcorn. Exact descriptions remain visible so this grouping does not erase preparation, ingredient, or source-serving differences.

How this guide was assembled: Feast deterministically grouped exact USDA FNDDS records by their source descriptions. Every nutrient number is computed from the linked source fields; this page does not use generated or invented nutrition estimates.

Every number on this page comes from the exact linked record. Values are descriptive observations from the selected records; they are not personalized estimates, recommended portions, or measurements of a meal in front of you.

Match my meal

Start with the description closest to what you ate

Choose an exact FNDDS description to focus the record cards and comparison table. This narrows the source evidence; it does not infer your portion or ingredients.

Showing all 23 linked records.

Observed source examples

Lower, middle, and higher within this selected set

These cards order the selected records by calories in each record's own FNDDS source serving. They do not define the calorie range of every popcorn and should not be used as a personalized estimate.

Important: “Lower,” “middle,” and “higher” refer only to order within the selected source set above. Different source-serving weights and, where labeled, contextual records mean these cards are examples—not endpoints of a meal estimate.

Full comparison

Compare every selected FNDDS record

Serving values preserve each record's listed amount. Per-100-gram calories provide a shared weight basis. Dashes indicate that a value is not available, not that the nutrient is absent.

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 gQuantity not specified 77 kcal 385 2.6 g 2.9 g 32 mg FDC 2708219 ↗
Popcorn, air-popped, with added butter Direct name match 28 gQuantity not specified 120 kcal 430 3.1 g 3.4 g 64 mg FDC 2708220 ↗
Popcorn, caramel coated Direct name match 35 gQuantity not specified 150 kcal 428 1.3 g 1.8 g 179 mg FDC 2708239 ↗
Popcorn, caramel coated, with nuts Direct name match 42 gQuantity not specified 167 kcal 397 2.7 g 1.6 g 203 mg FDC 2708240 ↗
Popcorn, chocolate coated Direct name match 35 gQuantity not specified 142 kcal 407 1.9 g 2.9 g 173 mg FDC 2708241 ↗
Popcorn, microwave, butter flavored Direct name match 35 gQuantity not specified 181 kcal 518 3.2 g 3.6 g 267 mg FDC 2708227 ↗
Popcorn, microwave, cheese flavored Direct name match 35 gQuantity not specified 181 kcal 516 3.2 g 3.6 g 321 mg FDC 2708229 ↗
Popcorn, microwave, flavored, light Direct name match 28 gQuantity not specified 114 kcal 406 3.3 g 3.7 g 288 mg FDC 2708228 ↗
Popcorn, microwave, kettle Direct name match 35 gQuantity not specified 176 kcal 504 3.3 g 3.7 g 210 mg FDC 2708230 ↗
Popcorn, microwave, low sodium Direct name match 28 gQuantity not specified 139 kcal 496 2.5 g 2.8 g 87 mg FDC 2708226 ↗
Popcorn, microwave, plain Direct name match 28 gQuantity not specified 145 kcal 518 2.6 g 2.9 g 214 mg FDC 2708224 ↗
Popcorn, microwave, plain, light Direct name match 28 gQuantity not specified 115 kcal 409 3.3 g 3.8 g 214 mg FDC 2708225 ↗
Popcorn, movie theater, no butter added Direct name match 28 gQuantity not specified 169 kcal 603 1.7 g 1.9 g 213 mg FDC 2708218 ↗
Popcorn, movie theater, with added butter Direct name match 35 gQuantity not specified 230 kcal 656 1.7 g 1.9 g 265 mg FDC 2708217 ↗
Popcorn, popped in oil, no butter added Direct name match 28 gQuantity not specified 139 kcal 498 2.5 g 2.8 g 44 mg FDC 2708221 ↗
Popcorn, popped in oil, with added butter Direct name match 35 gQuantity not specified 184 kcal 525 2.7 g 2.9 g 78 mg FDC 2708222 ↗
Popcorn, ready-to-eat, butter flavored Direct name match 35 gQuantity not specified 186 kcal 530 3.1 g 3.5 g 267 mg FDC 2708235 ↗
Popcorn, ready-to-eat, cheese flavored Direct name match 35 gQuantity not specified 184 kcal 526 3.3 g 3.5 g 311 mg FDC 2708236 ↗
Popcorn, ready-to-eat, flavored, light Direct name match 28 gQuantity not specified 122 kcal 435 3.2 g 3.5 g 214 mg FDC 2708237 ↗
Popcorn, ready-to-eat, kettle Direct name match 35 gQuantity not specified 186 kcal 531 1.9 g 2.1 g 173 mg FDC 2708238 ↗
Popcorn, ready-to-eat, low sodium Direct name match 28 gQuantity not specified 136 kcal 486 2.9 g 3.2 g 88 mg FDC 2708234 ↗
Popcorn, ready-to-eat, plain Direct name match 28 gQuantity not specified 135 kcal 482 2.9 g 3.2 g 172 mg FDC 2708232 ↗
Popcorn, ready-to-eat, plain, light Direct name match 28 gQuantity not specified 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 span 20–42 grams, a 2.1× difference in mass before recipe or preparation is considered. Within the selected set, the source servings report 77–230 calories in the records' own listed source servings; the fixed-weight view reports 385–656 calories per 100 grams. A serving total and a per-100-gram value answer different questions, so neither should be substituted for the amount actually eaten.

To scale a record, divide the eaten grams by the record's source grams and multiply the listed serving values by that ratio. This assumes the eaten meal has the same composition as the matched record.

Preparation analysis

The dish name leaves ingredients unresolved

The record names distinguish microwave, ready-to-eat, air-popped, caramel coated, and movie theater. USDA formulation rows also identify 17 distinct source-input codes across the set, including salt, table, snacks, popcorn, air-popped, oil, corn, and snacks, popcorn, home-prepared, oil-popped, unsalted. These details can help select a closer record, but they do not isolate the cause of a nutrient difference or reconstruct a recipe.

A precise-looking result is only as specific as the record match and the portion information supporting it.

What changes the comparison

Four drivers worth checking before choosing a record

The visible dish name is a starting point. These details usually explain more of the variation in the selected source records.

  1. 01

    Source-serving weight

    The exact records list 20–42 grams, so serving totals can move even before composition is compared.

  2. 02

    Named source variant

    The set explicitly distinguishes microwave, ready-to-eat, air-popped, caramel coated, and movie theater; those words identify different records rather than optional SEO phrasing.

  3. 03

    Nutrient profile

    Across each record's own source serving, the displayed data span protein 1.3–3.3 g, fiber 1.6–3.8 g, sodium 32–321 mg. Different serving weights remain visible beside those values.

  4. 04

    Formulation evidence

    The source rows include 17 distinct input codes across this set. Input presence and weight describe standardized source formulations, not final plated proportions.

Record matching

How to find the closest description

Begin with the full source description rather than the shortest dish name. Check whether the named form—such as microwave, ready-to-eat, air-popped, caramel coated, and movie theater—matches the meal, then compare the listed source weight with the portion actually eaten. If the brand, recipe, toppings, cooking fat, or portion is known, keep that information with the estimate instead of assuming the generic record already includes it.

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-serving calories, 100-gram values, nutrients, preparation details, and citations. Focused guide Popcorn, ready-to-eat Popcorn, ready-to-eat: compare 7 exact USDA records by source-serving calories, 100-gram values, nutrients, preparation details, and citations.

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