How to make healthier sweet and salty popcorn

(NaturalNews) This fun recipe is guaranteed to satisfy your cravings for your favorite store-bought sweet and salty popcorn snack! And, since you're making it yourself, you can choose the quality of your own ingredients. With the help of the additive-free grocery shopping guide included here, you'll know exactly what's in your snack, so you can feel good about serving it!

Sweet 'n' Salty Popcorn Recipe

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup popcorn kernels
• 4 TBSP butter (or coconut oil)
• 2 TBSP honey (preferably raw)
• 1/8 - 1/4 tsp sea salt, to taste

Directions

• Pop the popcorn into a large bowl using an air popper. (If you prefer, you may use the stove-top method, instead, using the directions printed on most bags of popcorn kernels. In that case, coconut oil is a great choice for stove-top cooking.)
• Meanwhile, melt the honey and butter (or oil) together on the stove in a small pan over low- to- medium-low heat.
• When the popcorn is done, pour the butter/oil and honey mixture over the popcorn and toss to coat.
• Sprinkle the popcorn with sea salt and toss to coat it evenly.
• This treat is sticky and delicious, and it makes enough to serve 2 to 4 people.

Additive-Free Grocery Shopping Guide

Butter

Real butter is a dairy product made from cream. It should only contain "cream" or "cultured cream" and, possibly, "salt." Avoid brands containing "natural flavor" because this ingredient can disguise MSG. "Natural flavor" is especially common in unsalted varieties of butter.

To avoid genetically-modified organisms (GMOs), choose certified organic dairy products whenever possible. Many conventional (i.e., not organically-raised) dairy cows are given genetically-modified artificial growth hormones (i.e., rbGH) and fed diets containing genetically-modified corn and soy. If organic butter is not available to you, at least look for labels that state "No rbGH," so you can avoid the artificial growth hormones if possible.

Absolutely never buy margarine. It's not real food and it generally contains trans fat, which is associated with heart disease and other health problems. If you can't eat dairy products, coconut oil makes a great butter substitute in many recipes (including this one).

Honey

Some brands of honey contain corn syrup or other strange ingredients, so always read the ingredients label. The only ingredient listed should be "honey." Most honey you find in the baking aisle of your regular grocery store is heated/cooked (i.e., pasteurized). In contrast, "raw honey" has not been heated and is generally a thicker consistency. Raw honey is found at most health stores, and it is full of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

Popcorn kernels

Popcorn kernels are available at most regular grocery stores in the snack aisle. Much of the corn grown in the U.S. contains genetically-modified organisms (GMOs). However, there is currently no popcorn on the market that is genetically-modified. However, certified organic corn products are still a great choice for reducing your exposure to pesticides, herbicides, etc.

Sea salt

Many salt and sea salt varieties contain "anti-caking agents" (e.g., dextrose, cornstarch) to keep the granules from clumping together, and these are generally listed in the ingredients list. Anti-caking agents can disguise the dangerous food additive MSG and should be avoided.

Avoid iodized salt, as well, because the process used to make this type of salt may result in hidden MSG being added - and that won't be disclosed in the ingredients list. To find brands of salt that do not contain additives, you may need to shop at a natural foods store or the health section of a regular grocery store. Look for brands that are not iodized and contain just "sea salt" in the ingredients list.

Sources:

http://www.naturalnews.com

http://www.naturalnews.com

http://responsibletechnology.org

About the author:
Christy Pooschke is a natural health advocate who became passionate about avoiding food additives after healing from years of chronic illness. Want more simple & tasty natural recipes? Check out her e-book, Eating Additive-Free- a natural cookbook packed with 160 recipes and a complete additive-free grocery shopping guide!