Khaane bhi do yaaron: Are there healthy eating options at the movie theatre?

Khaane bhi do yaaron: Are there healthy eating options at the movie theatre?

Watching a movie in a multiplex seems incomplete without a tub of popcorn and cold drink. But what you don't realise is the amount of calories you add within those two hours. Earlier people often brought something from home to munch on whilst enjoying the film. But those days are gone when you could sneak in your own snack in the theatre. Nowadays, there's no choice but to buy those overpriced snacks sold by the multiplexes. These can be very unhealthy. Nutritionist Sweta Uchil-Purohit tells us how to choose wisely when buying snacks in the theatre.

Here's a quick look at the approximate calorie count of some of the popular snack combinations sold at movie theatres:

Snacks

Calories (approx)

2 vada pav + soft drink

670 kcal

Veg burger +soft drink

530 kcal

Chicken sandwich +soft drink

460 kcal

Veg grilled sandwich + soft drink

450 kcal

2 samosas+ soft drink

440 kcal

Potato chips (small)+ soft drink

315 kcal

2 bondas + soft drink

368 kcal

Butter popcorn (tub) + soft drink

320 kcal

Caramel popcorn + soft drink

330 kcal

Nachos (1 bowl) + iced tea

405 kcal

If you look at the calories, some of the snacks have almost as many calories as an entire meal! If this leaves you wondering what to do, firstly just keep in mind that the star of the outing is the movie. The snacks and the drinks are just add-ons that contribute to 'mindless eating' (eating food without actually paying attention to what and how much is being eaten). (Read: Eating healthy at a pub, possible!)

That being said, there are ways to avoid or reduce the amount of mindless eating at the movies:

Eat a small snack/dinner before the movie: A bowl of fruits, chana chaat, home-made soup or proper meals are great to fill you up. Chances are that if you are already full, then you won't be tempted to overeat on the snacks.

Pick a snack to share: Nothing better than sharing the calories. Popcorn is always great to share – keep passing on the tub so that you end up consuming lesser calories. You can buy the smaller packets of snacks if there are less people to share with and the larger sizes if there are more.

Avoid aerated drinks: Drink water or fresh juice without sugar. Iced teas, bottled juices and aerated drinks sold at multiplexes are loaded with sugar, so avoid ordering them unless you have people to share it with.

Check if you can get made-to-order snacks: Grilled sandwich without the butter or mayo, steamed corn without the dollop of butter, plain popcorn instead of the cheese or caramel flavours, lime juice with 2 tsp sugar (or a dash of salt), fruit chaat without the honey, cream or sugar are all tricks to reduce the number of calories.

Recommended snacks

Calories(approx)

Steamed corn (no butter) 1 cup

130

Grilled tomato sandwich (no butter/mayo)

170

Plain popcorn (1 cup)

64

Lime juice (2 tsp sugar)

60

Fruit chaat (no sugar/honey)

100

Plain nachos (4-6 nachos) +salsa

135

Choose the lesser evil: In case you are left with no choice, then pick the snack with the least number of calories and share it.

Even though Bollywood movies are longer and last up to two-and-a-half to a good three hours, just remember that nobody has till date starved to death at the theatre. You can always grab a healthy bite after the movie.

(For more tips on nutrition, check out the health.india.com megaguide to healthy eating!)

For more articles on diet check out our Fitness Section and for videos check out our YouTube Channel.

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