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Hey collegiettes™!
Tonight I have exciting plans for an advanced screening of the latest James Franco movie! Though I’m still debating whether it’s James Franco or free movie tickets that make me more happy, I have something else on my mind: movie snacks.
Last week, The New York Times reported that a proposed legislation would require chain restaurants to provide caloric data for items on their menu, but with the exception of one place: movie theaters.
I don’t know about you, but at the movies, I always have to have soda and candy, while my boyfriend always chooses nachos and popcorn for us to share. Even though the Jump Start Diet offers a snack option of 3 cups of Newman’s Own Natural Flavor Popcorn, I doubt a tub of the theater’s way-too-buttery popcorn is nearly as healthy as that 200-calorie snack.
But how many calories are there in our favorite movie snacks? I did a little research on CalorieKing.com and here are the surprising (and ridiculous) numbers I found:
- large tub of buttery kernels – 1,100 cal.
- nachos and cheese – 1,101 cal.
- slushie, 8.1 oz. – 60 cal.
- Goobers – 210 cal.
- Gummi Bears – 390 cal.
- hot dog – 305 cal.
- M&Ms – 750 cal.
- soft pretzel – 480. cal.
With those numbers in mind, is it possible for us to snack during a flick and still manage to maintain a healthy diet like the Jump Start Diet? Here are two things for your to-do list when planning for a night at the movies:
- Eat a meal beforehand: Keep your tummy satisfied and eat a healthy meal at home or out on the town. Not only are you sustaining your appetite, but you’re avoiding unhealthy grazing while also saving your bucks these over priced and high caloric snacks.
- Prepare at-home treats in your purse: Pop your own popcorn at home, throw in a Lärabar, pack in Nature’s Path Vanilla Animal Cookies, or a sneak in that bag of Popchips– whatever your choice may be, your snacking is easily controlled by sneaking in some treats of your own.
Tonight my purse will have a bag of salt & vinegar Popchips for my boyfriend and I to share, and I’ll pick up a small Coke Zero. Though I don’t need to snack, the social experience of a movie theater rules out fighting temptations and just having self-control, especially because I want to avoid ruining my success so far with losing the freshman 15. My trip to the theater will finally be a healthy one!
What are your favorite healthy–or non-healthy– movie treats? Let me know! Leave a comment below, e-mail me at allylopez@hercampus.com or Tweet me (@allylopez).
If you’d like to join me in my healthy, happy weight loss (and please do), go register for the Jump Start Diet on SELF.com and be sure to use the SELF logs to keep track of your daily workout and meals, which is an awesome way to keep track of your calorie intake and how much you’re burning off!
Love,
Ally
To follow Ally’s journey on the Jump Start Diet, check out her out on Twitter (@allylopez), and while you’re at it, follow the latest news from SELF (@SELFmagazine) and Her Campus (@HerCampus)!