Within the “Dune” films, a huge sandworm can rise from the desert and devour troopers and army autos in its gaping maw. In actual life, people watching films devour popcorn. These two concepts have been mixed to spawn the “Dune” popcorn bucket, a sandworm-shaped tub that’s having a cultural second. The bucket arrives on the heels of different latest popcorn collectibles, like the 16-inch Barbie Corvette snack holder. However is there extra to those vessels than meets the attention?
Lindsay Moyer thinks about popcorn. She is the senior nutritionist on the Middle for Science within the Public Curiosity, a nonprofit shopper advocacy group centered on meals methods and wholesome consuming. She sat down with The New York Occasions to debate what she sees when she considers “Dune: The Popcorn Bucket.” This interview has been edited and condensed for readability.
Have you ever seen the “Dune” popcorn bucket?
I’ve seen pictures. I haven’t seen it in actual life.
First impressions?
It seems fairly wild. It seems like it will really gradual you down when it comes to consuming. It doesn’t appear ideally designed to serve your self popcorn out of.
As a result of it’s formed like a worm’s mouth?
Yeah, due to all of the stuff protruding of it.
Do you want popcorn?
Sure, and I’ve actually hung out taking a look at movie show popcorn, diet info and menus. What I see via that lens is there’s an inordinately massive bucket, and the serving is unreal.
Is that unhealthy?
Popcorn itself is a wholesome meals, entire grain. It’s excessive in quantity and, earlier than you add oil, fairly low in energy.
A filling snack.
However lots of people don’t notice that popcorn like the type you get at a movie show, along with the massive dimension of the bucket, it’s popped in oil. Then, if you happen to add that buttery topping, you’re normally including extra oil on prime of that.
How large is the “Dune” bucket?
Good query. I imply, there are numerous unknowns right here. Though I spend a lot of my time professionally taking a look at menus and diet info, popcorn is usually probably the most sophisticated when it comes to the knowledge that the film chains make out there.
In the event you go to a movie show, energy are listed on the menu. However there are some exemptions to that menu-labeling legislation. One in every of them covers limited-time choices which might be on the menu for lower than 60 days.
An AMC spokesman advised me that the “Dune” bucket, which sells for $24.99, is a “little smaller” than the 130-ounce massive. (The bucket, which comes with out popcorn in it, “is offered with a separate massive popcorn for the visitor to take pleasure in, in case they don’t need to eat popcorn out of their vessel,” he added in an e mail.) And there are free refills. What did you uncover?
My colleague and I known as some AMC places this morning, they usually all advised us that the “Dune” bucket is like getting a big popcorn there, however that it varies by location. We talked to their workers and requested them what number of energy are listed on the menu, and a big has 980 energy. My understanding is that may be earlier than you added any buttery topping your self, if you happen to select so as to add it.
Ah, so there’s a shock ending to the popcorn narrative.
Sure. There are a few surprises. At AMC, you’re getting a big, which is round 980 energy earlier than you add something to it. Then there’s the query of if you happen to’re getting it popped in canola oil or coconut oil — that’s not clear. The coconut oil is increased in saturated fat. Then, are you getting butter, or buttery topping that isn’t really butter?
Wait, the buttery topping isn’t butter?
Typically at film theaters, the buttery topping incorporates no butter. Once I known as my native AMC movie show, the worker there was very good. He listed the elements of their buttery topping for me: extremely refined soybean oil, pure and synthetic buttery taste and beta carotene, which may be added for colour or vitamin A content material. He additionally was capable of learn me the diet info for his or her buttery topping off the package deal. One tablespoon has 120 energy.
In previous articles that our group has carried out on movie show popcorn through the years, we’ve estimated that you simply would possibly add two tablespoons to a big bucket. However for some folks it could possibly be extra; all of it relies upon what number of pumps you give it.
I’m not saying folks shouldn’t take pleasure in themselves. I simply need folks to know what they’re getting.
What does that add as much as, by the tip?
In the event you added two tablespoons, you’d be taking a look at about 1,220 energy. That’s like consuming the energy of two Huge Macs; a Huge Mac is about 600 energy.
However a film is fairly lengthy, proper?
Yeah, you would possibly want a soda and a few sweet too.
