Right after buying tickets, the first thing you see at the movie theater is food. Not just food– but non-nutritional, high sodium, preservative-packed food that is, more often than not, overpriced. Let’s take a look at where some of the most popular movie theater munchies weigh in on calorie counter.
Popcorn
No food goes quite as hand-in-hand with movies as popcorn does. Just about every movie theater in the U.S. sells popcorn, and at one point or another, the majority of people have eaten popcorn while enjoying a film.
It’s commonly referred to as a healthier snack option, but that’s before adding salt, butter and flavored toppings. At movie theaters, it definitely doesn’t fall under that umbrella.
According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a small bag of popcorn from AMC Theaters contains 370 calories and 20 grams of saturated fat. The medium has 590 calories with 33 grams of saturated fat, while the free refill large contains 1,030 calories and 57 grams of saturated fat.
All of this is before adding your favorite powdered topping and the extra butter.
Soft Pretzels
Another salty snack, and movie-goer favorite, is the soft pretzel.
According to MyFitnessPal, a calorie counter application, a generic movie theater soft pretzel weighs in at 483 calories. When it comes to sodium however, soft pretzels have 2,008 milligrams.
The whole soft pretzel alternative are pretzel bites, which are somewhat more healthy at 370 calories.
But keep in mind this is without nacho cheese sauce, which boosts the calorie count by just under 100.
If you’re craving this salty snack but trying to stay on the healthier side, opting out of the cheese sauce is a good move. And scraping some salt off the pretzel might not be a bad idea either.
ICEEs
When you’re not hungry but still looking for something to buy at the concession counter, frozen ICEEs are a popular choice.
According to The ICEE Company’s website, the standard serving size for their ICEEs are six to eight fluid ounces. However, most movie theaters sell ICEEs in 16 and 32 fluid ounce cups. That means a 32 fluid ounce ICEE contains four servings.
The Coca-Cola flavored ICEE has a serving size of eight fluid ounces and contains 65 calories. Therefore, a 32 fluid ounce cup contains 260 calories.
The cherry flavored ICEE has a serving size of six fluid ounces and contains 80 calories. Thus, a 32 fluid ounce cup contains approximately 427 calories.
When it comes to movie theater snacks, it’s difficult to find something healthy. Your best option? Split the pretzel in half, and share your bag of popcorn with someone else.
