Popcorn has a bad reputation. At the cinema - drowned in butter, sugar and salt. In supermarkets - microwave bags full of preservatives and flavourings. So the news that nutritionists recommend popcorn as part of a balanced diet sounds almost like a provocation. But when you read the detail - it isn't about whether popcorn is healthy, it's about how it's made.

Selena Sains from the Spanish centre „Naturae Nutrición" explains that the key isn't in the popcorn itself, but in the context. Popcorn made with air, no oil and no sugar - has about 30 calories per cup. A normal portion of three cups - 100 to 150 calories. The same popcorn at the cinema, drowned in butter - can pass 1,000 calories. The same kernel, two completely different products.

What popcorn actually has, and what wouldn't be silly to expect from it: polyphenols, ferulic acid, vitamin E. Antioxidants that help against oxidative stress and inflammation. Because of the low water content, those concentrations are actually higher in popcorn than in many fruits or vegetables. Nutritionists aren't saying replace fruit - they're saying if you're eating something that isn't fruit, popcorn is a better choice than crisps.

The second point experts insist on is the content of insoluble fibre. It stimulates gut motility and can help with a balanced diet in terms of glycaemic and cholesterol values. But there's a trap here: people with sensitive digestion sometimes find it heavy. The nutritionists' advice is simple - start with a small amount and watch how the body reacts.

For those who want to make it at home, the recipe is simple: 25 to 50 grams of raw kernels, giving three to four cups of finished popcorn. Without oil - the lightest. With a little olive oil - tastier and more filling. The fight isn't with the recipe, it's with the industry. Microwave versions usually have refined oils, a lot of salt, and flavourings. Same product, different outcome.

In the Balkans popcorn has never been seen as a healthy choice - just something from childhood, something to eat while watching films or sitting in the park. That might actually be a better approach than the colleagues who now market it as „superfood". Popcorn cures nothing. But in a culture where popular snacks are crisps, homemade lecso and overly sweet flour-based desserts - a little fibre and antioxidants is probably not wasted time.