No trip to the movie theatres is complete without a bucket of popcorn, and no surprise Cruise is a fan (Pic: Instagram/iStock)
Tom Cruise is one of the most bankable actors in the world today. And it is all because even at 62, he keeps himself super fit and healthy—doing his stunts and making superhit movies.
So, what keeps the Mission Impossible star going all these years? Apart from his deep love for movies, Cruise is also known to take care of his health and follow a strict fitness routine. According to news reports, his personal food preferences—snacks, in particular—are of extreme interest to everyone. As for the man who loves movies, Cruise's favourite snack is popcorn.
No trip to the movie theatres is complete without a bucket of popcorn, and no surprise, Cruise is a fan. “I’ll go with my friends and get a big thing of popcorn, and I love that,” he told Just the Nobodys in an interview.
What is a popcorn?
Popcorn is a special type of corn that “pops” when exposed to heat. At the centre of each kernel is a small amount of water, which expands when heated and eventually causes the kernel to explode. Today around 1.2 billion pounds, or 500 million kg, are consumed by Americans every year, making it America’s most popular snack food by volume.
Why should you snack on popcorn?
Popcorn is a healthy snack when it’s air-popped and served without ingredients high in fat, salt, or sugar. Popcorn is high in important nutrients, including fibre.
Experts say popcorn is a whole-grain food – making it naturally high in several important nutrients. Many studies link whole grain consumption to health benefits like reduced inflammation and a decreased risk of heart disease.
Popcorn is loaded with antioxidants
Popcorn is high in polyphenols – antioxidants that protect your body cells from free radicals that cause inflammation and diseases like cancer. Polyphenol, on the other hand, helps better your blood circulation, improves digestive health, and reduces the risk of many diseases, including hypertension and diabetes.
Various studies have shown that polyphenols also reduce the risk of cancer, including prostate and breast cancer.
Aids weight loss
Being high in fibre, popcorn is low in calories and has a low energy density – making it among the healthiest weight-loss fried foods. With 31 calories per cup, air-popped popcorn contains many fewer calories than many popular snacks.
How can you make healthy popcorn at home?
Experts say the popcorn you make on the stove or in an air fryer would be the healthiest option. Here's how you can make it:
Ingredients
- A tablespoon of olive oil
- Half a cup of popcorn kernels
- Half a teaspoon of salt
How to make:
Place oil and kernels into a large pot and cover it.
Cook over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes or until the popping almost stops.
Remove from heat and pour into a serving bowl.
Season with salt.
For extra health benefits, sprinkle it with nutritional yeast – which has a cheesy flavour and contains several important nutrients, including protein, fibre, B vitamins, and several minerals.
