Group · Snacks & nibbles
Plain popcorn
Plain popcorn is popping corn puffed without oil and without salt. The popping happens when the water inside the kernel vaporises and bursts the hull: no ingredient is needed.
In terms of nutrition facts: 419 kcal per 100 g, with 59.7 g of carbohydrate, 12.8 g of fibre, a remarkable level, and 11 g of protein. It provides 358 mg of phosphorus, 144 mg of magnesium, 329 mg of potassium, 3.19 mg of iron and 3.08 mg of zinc per 100 g, with 0.02 g of salt.
Macronutrient breakdown
Nutrition table per 100 g
| Calories | 419 kcal |
| Kilojoules | 1760 kJ |
| Protein | 11 g |
| Carbohydrate | 59,7 g |
| Fat | 12,3 g |
| Fibre | 12,8 g |
Micronutrients per 100 g
All measured nutrients, ranked by share of the daily reference intake.
- Manganese1,11 mg56 %
- Phosphorus358 mg51 %
- Magnesium144 mg38 %
- Zinc3,08 mg31 %
- Copper0,26 mg26 %
- Iron3,19 mg23 %
- Omega-6 LA2,06 g21 %
- Potassium329 mg16 %
See the other 12 nutrients
- Vitamin B931 µg16 %
- Vitamin B32,31 mg14 %
- Omega-3 ALA0,26 g13 %
- Vitamin B60,16 mg11 %
- Vitamin B10,1 mg9 %
- Vitamin B50,51 mg9 %
- Vitamin B20,08 mg6 %
- Vitamin E0,29 mg2 %
- Iodine2,5 µg2 %
- Vitamin K11,2 µg2 %
- Vitamin A7,42 µg1 %
- Calcium7 mg1 %
Anses Ciqual 2025. Source: Anses, 2025, Ciqual food composition table
Tips
A bowl of popcorn weighs 20 g: count on 84 kcal. The 419 kcal per 100 g look alarming, but popcorn is extremely bulky. A large bowl remains a reasonable snack.
12.8 g of fibre: it is a wholegrain cereal. The whole kernel is puffed, bran included. Few snacks reach this level, and it is what explains its filling power.
Everything depends on what you add. The oil-popped, salted version rises to 477 kcal and 2.61 g of salt, and the caramel one to 421 kcal, with more than a third of its weight as sugars. Plain, it is a completely different food.
Make it yourself, in a saucepan or the microwave. Corn kernels, a lid, three minutes: it is ten times cheaper than ready-made bags, and you control the oil and salt.
Avoid microwave bags. They contain the oil and salt built in, sometimes artificial flavourings. A simple covered bowl does the same job with plain kernels.