I often see people snacking on Skinny Pop when they want a healthy, low calories snack. Yes, it is indeed low in calories, but is it actually healthy? Is it as good for us as we are led to believe? We can easily answer this question by looking at the ingredient label.

The brand definitely gets an A+ in marketing and deception. I mean, Skinny Pop? Any person trying to lose weight will eat this right up. They want you to feel like you are making a great choice by choosing their brand. Unfortunately, Skinny Pop is one of the popcorn brands that you should avoid.

Let’s look at the ingredients:

Simple, right? Only 3 ingredients. That part is definitely good. However, sunflower oil is the oil used in the snack. This is one of the processed vegetable oils that should always be avoided. Whenever you see oils like sunflower, canola, or soybean on an ingredient label, steer clear of that product.

Why is sunflower oil so dangerous? It is mainly comprised of an inflammatory fatty acid called omega-6s while having 0 healthy fatty acids called omega-3. While omega-6 is necessary in our diet, the average American gets way too much of it. The ideal ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 is 4:1 or lower. Maintaining this ratio has been linked to a 70% decrease in overall mortality rates, making it a powerful factor in our health (“The importance of the ratio of omega-6/omega-3 essential fatty acids”). An increased omega ratio has also been linked to chronic conditions such as obesity, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and IBD (“Health Implications of High Dietary Omega-6 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids”).

Additionally, when buying popcorn you want to get one that is organic. Corn is one of the most common GMO crops in the United States and is often sprayed with glyphosate. According to a 2017 test done by the FDA, 59% of corn tested positive for glyphosate residue, yet it was below the standards in place. I don’t know about you but any trace of glyphosate is bad to me whether its above or below “standards”. A recent study from the University of Washington found that exposure to glyphosate increased risk of cancer of the immune system (Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma) by 41%.

While it is not guaranteed that organic crops have no traces of pesticides, they are less likely to have any and won’t contain nearly as much as crops purposely grown using these chemicals.

Recommendation:

Instead of Skinny Pop, try Lesser Evil Organic Popcorn. They make the most delicious popcorn and only use quality oils like ghee, avocado oil, and coconut oil. They also use organic popcorn. Try my personal favorite- the Himalayan Pink Sea Salt!

Lesser Evil Himalayan Pink Salt Popcorn Ingredients

Much better. Organic, non-gmo popcorn and a healthy oil!

Read more about the omega-6 to omega-3 ratio in my post Is almond milk good for you or could it be causing inflammation?.

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