by R. R. Fritz

Created on: October 05, 2008   Last Updated: October 14, 2008

The scariest thing to view at your local theater is not the newest horror flick; it's the nutritional information on the items at the concession stand.

The first thing you notice in the theater is the smell of fresh popped popcorn. It's hard to walk past that counter filled with goodies, but knowing the nutritional facts about the tempting treats can help you make better choices.

Your first thought would probably be to bring healthier snacks from home, but most theaters prohibit outside food and drink. Because theater owners do not keep much of the money from admission tickets, they make the bulk of their profit at the concession stands. If you are going to eat at the theater, do buy your food there.

Popcorn is the most popular snack, but a large tub with butter has around 1500-1650 calories, 116 grams of fat and 90 grams of carbohydrates! This is more than the suggested intake for an entire day for most adults. If popcorn is what you crave, the small size without butter cuts the calories to about 400 and the fat to about 27-30 grams.

It's almost impossible to have popcorn without a drink to quench your thirst. A large Coke packs a whopping 350 empty calories. Instead of all that sugar, consider a sugar free soda or bottled water.

Hot food options abound depending on the theater. Most offer hot dogs, nachos and soft pretzels. The soft pretzel may seem to be the best bet, but it packs between 500-650 calories, depending on the toppings. Nachos and cheese are even worse offenders with more than twice the calories at 1100! Believe it or not, a hot dog with a bun is the "best" bet at a little over 300 calories.

The candy sold at the theater is larger than what you normally find at the grocery store and it's designed to share. A typical bag of M&M's has over 700 calories, and a 6 oz bag of Twizzlers licorice has 600. One of the best bets is 3.5 ounces of Gummi Bears at 200 calories.

Another good option is the child's "meal" that is often offered which includes an even smaller popcorn (about 300 calories without butter), a soda and a smaller bag of candy. Get a sugar free soda and keep the candy for the kids.

Other ways to keep your calories in check include:

-Eat a meal within 2 hours before the movie. The temptation to chow down will be minimized.

-Don't be tempted by the offer of a cheap size upgrade. The clerk will likely offer you larger sized popcorn or drink for just a little more money. While it seems like a better deal financially, the calories increase a lot more than the cost!

-Share with a friend and let them know you are trying to watch your calories. It's a lot easier to dig your hand into your own bag of popcorn again and again than to do it in a shared bag.

-Stop eating when the movie starts. If it's a good movie you should be so wrapped up in the movie that you don't notice the seductive smell of the popcorn. Continuing to snack through the movie is basically automatic eating when you aren't enjoying the food, just eating out of habit. Close the popcorn bag and pop a piece of sugar free gum into your mouth. The chewing motion will satisfy your need to "eat" and for something sweet and will discourage additional eating.

Knowing the facts will help make your movie going experience healthy as well as fun.

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