I think one of the biggest problems for people with ADHD is that most of us are fast food eaters or we eat lots of snacks and not so many REAL meals. I am guilty. I admit it.
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Rest easy, I am NOT going to tell you to stop eating fast food or stop snacking. No. I won’t do that. I’m not that kind of guy and I really should not give advice I am not going to follow myself. Stop snacking? As if!
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Instead, I am going to tell you about a snack I love: POPCORN! A Recent study showed that it is actually a pretty healthy snack and that’s exactly what I needed. Scientists reported that popcorn may have more healthful antioxidants than fruits and vegetables. It’s also filling, which is important because IF I do not feel full I will continue to snack. I love snacking, so to do less of it fullness is very important.
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However, let’s be honest here, I use microwave popcorn and most of the available packages in grocery stores include ingredients that pretty much overtake any possible health benefits. Therefore, I eat an ALL NATURAL type with no sugar and no salt added, and with very little other ingredients. My advice, if you really like butter or salt, get a natural package, then add real butter and sprinkle a bit of salt or other toppings as YOU want it. It’s up to you.
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I also discovered something else. (I have been in a strange discovering mode lately.) HOME MADE MICROWAVE POPCORN (Shut-up! Really!?)
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This is how you make it:
1) Need: Brown paper lunch bag & Bulk Popcorn Kernels.
2) Put single half Scoop of Kernels in paper bag. Adjust as needed.
3) Fold top of bag closed. (As if you are closing it for lunch twice over. Ha! See image.)
4) Pop in Microwave. (Mine takes about 4 minutes, but yours might take longer or shorter depending on wattage etc, so start with fewer minutes and increase if necessary. Your ears will know when to stop the microwave as the popping slows WAY down. It’s kind of obvious. Burn at your own risk. I burned mine the first couple tries. I kept getting distracted.)
5) Add toppings as you like.
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There you go, much cheaper and probably a healthier alternative than prepackaged microwave popcorn!
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Enjoy your snack 
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
That is SO true! Snacking is my main mode of nutrition so I always make sure I have plenty of fruit that requires very little in the way of preparation.
Everything I eat must be edible with one hand, so as not to interrupt whatever I am doing during the day. I only sit down to eat a “real” meal in the evening with my family. Actually, sit down is an exaggeration, as it takes me about 5 minutes to wolf down my food, quickly ready to move on to the next thing. My family is used to carrying on the conversation with me while I clean up as they finish their supper.
Except my ADHD son, who is able to converse with us after he is done wolfing down his meal, usually as he works his way from the table towards his personal lair to continue with his most interesting project of the moment.
Thank goodness my husband, a gourmet that enjoys food preparation, food consumption and the whole ritual that goes with along with a meal, has a great sense of humour and is accepting of our “ways”. Plus, he never feels pressured to eat faster, often ending up sitting alone at the table while he finishes up his culinary experience. With me hovering in his vicinity, waiting to snatch up the last of the dirty dishes so we can move it on out of there:)
Poor thing. I sometimes wonder if he gets lonely being so slow. LOL
Judy- your comment cracked me up on many levels and, alongside Bryan’s blog, explained yet another quirk of my personality to me… I love these “Oohhhhhhh! I get it now!” moments when behaviors and thought processes get to move from the “I’m crazy” pile into the “Thank goodness I’m not crazy” pile.
I use an an air popper to pop my corn, and then I add some melted butter and a magic ingredient — powdered salt. The magic is that powdered salt dissolves in your mouth much faster than ordinary table salt, so you get a burst of salt flavor with your corn, but the quantity of salt you will have to add to the popped corn is less than if you were to use table salt.
How do you get powdered salt with paying some exorbitant price for “popcorn salt”? Get a small ceramic mortar and pestle usued for grinding spices and herbs and use it with only some table salt to make your own popcorn salt. I use about half of a teaspoon of salt in my mortar. Your salt should be sufficiently powdered after 15 or 20 seconds. But you can grind your salt longer without harm.
Use a large salad bowl to catch your popped corn. If you start with 1/2 cup of unpopped corn, your salad bowl should be about 2/3 to 3/4 full. Now sprinkle 2 ounces of melted butter (half of a quarter pound stick of butter) on the popped corn. Be sure not overheat the butter. Now distribute the butter and salt by stirring the popped corn with a large wooden or plastic serving spoon.
I think once you have tried buttered and salted popcorn made this way, you will never want microwave popcorn again.
LinearBob- A few months ago I found an old air popper (just like the one my amazing kindergarten teacher used in class) at the local Goodwill for $5. My son and I love to use it and now, thanks to you, I will not have to add a whole salt shaker of salt to my share just so I can taste it! Thank you so much for the awesome salt powder tip… it has me thinking that McD’s uses the same type of salt on their fries(one of my major weaknesses). That, in itself, is cause for great joy. Now I know why their salt sticks so well!
Great idea. Another healthy way to make popcorn is to cook it on medium heat in about a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan on the stove…with a lid (or else look out!) Olive oil is one of the “good” fats with essential fatty acids. We sometimes drizzle a little extra olive oil on top and salt lighty, when done, as a healthy alternative to butter. Yum!
Mine is with butter… a lot of it. Yes, finally the world is making sense. Popcorn is not bad at all. It is filling, tasteful, and makes me happy.
Its a fabulous snack for those of on Weight Watchers. Full of fiber and low in fat. Great idea on making your own, think I’ll have to try LinearBob’s idea – perhaps adding some other spices along with the salt?
Great ideas!! Love them. I’ll have to try each. I love butter, too, but I can do with or without. A little bit of salt is needed for my taste, so I really like the idea of using powdered salt.
Thanks for sharing with us! Any other ideas, please feel free to share them.
Bryan