Orville Redenbacher’s Smart Pop! Butter – Super Bowl Party Treats
Part deuce of my ‘guilt free’ Super Bowl Party series, Orville Redenbacher’s Smart Pop! Butter flavored microwave popcorn. Pop up a few bags early, dump them in a huge bowl, salt and season, and you’re ready to go. Calories are minimal, cost is effective, and everyone loves popcorn. You may even take some chances and throw in some special seasonings to create something all of your own, or you can be lazy like me and serve it straight. It’ll be great either way. Here is a review I composed for the product.
Ol’ Orville. I’ve been eating his popcorn since I was just a tiny little fellow. ‘Movie Theatre Butter,’ and a heaping helping of salt, you couldn’t beat it. It can sure beat up on your waist line though!
I’ve been on a (reasonably) healthy diet for a few years now, and I’ve managed to drop a few pounds. Cravings for junk food will never end though, so I’ve taken to replacing my old favorite snacks with healthier alternatives. While grocery shopping one day a few months (years?) back, I was gazing lustfully at the popcorn displays, remembering all of those good times watching a late night movie munching on the buttery goodness that I had left behind. Then this Smart Pop! stuff caught me eye, ‘Orville Redenbacher’s Smart Pop! 94% Fat Free Butter Popcorn’ if you want to be precise. I bit the bullet, even going as far as to buy the big box, finished my shopping and headed back to the ranch in hopes of finding a good flick.
Well, there were no good movies to be found, apparently they don’t make those anymore. Heh. Popped up the corn anyway, and the scent coming out of my microwave made me happy. This Smart Pop! stuff smelled like the real deal! I pulled open the bag, burnt myself, cursed, and eventually got around to trying a piece.
I’ll admit, I was just a little disappointed, but I think that was mostly my fault. The smell had me setting the bar way too high, and that’s hard for something that’s a diet product to clear. After dumping the rest of the bag into a bowl (no self respecting popcorn eater eats out of the bag), doused it with a heart attacks worth of salt, it got a little better. Note, since there is so little butter, salt has a hard time sticking to it.
With my now slightly lowered expectations, I dove right in, and thoroughly enjoyed myself. While not a true replacement for the real thing, it’s a good substitute as a craving killer. There are 217 calories in the whole bag, not just a serving. Quick lunch at work, maybe? I will defy anyone to try to eat the whole bag though, there are easily three good servings in each one.
All and all, I say give it a shot. It should be a hit at your party, and I think you’ll enjoy it year round. I do. The other varieties are quite solid as well. Easy thumbs up!
–Jeremy Hobbs
January 28th, 2008 at 3:11 pm
Have not most people broken their New Years promise(s) by now? Eat fat-free stuff during the Super Bowl? R U CRAZY?
January 28th, 2008 at 3:32 pm
Not crazy, just trying to offer something different… Everyone else has the junk food party covered. There have to be a few folks out there that want a guilt free party, right?
January 28th, 2008 at 4:36 pm
Ha. I defy you! I could totally eat a whole bag of popcorn that size. My mom seriously eats an entire bag of this exact popcorn that you reviewed at least three times per week. I agree with you about the smell – it is much better than the taste. I personally like to put mine into a paper bag and spray it with spray butter, then add a little sea salt. That makes any popcorn better! By the way, I came here from heateatreview.com !
January 28th, 2008 at 5:06 pm
Heat.Eat.Review has been good to me. Thank you for the comment; I sit here defied.