Salted popcorn calories come to 130 for a 1 oz (28 g) serving and 464 per 100 g, based on a packaged label. The number to notice is how fast the bag empties: popcorn is light, so a casual handful turns into several ounces, and calories and sodium climb together with every extra ounce.
130kcal
1 1 oz serving · 28 g, packaged, per label
9%protein
3 gProtein
19 gCarbs
5 gFat
How to burn off 130 kcal
—Walking, brisk
—Jogging
—Cycling, moderate
—Swimming
Skip the math. BodyPal counts these calories from your steps and workouts automatically.
Nutrition facts
Packaged, per label · per 28 g
Calories
130 kcal
Protein
3 g
Carbohydrate
19 g
Fat
5 g
Saturated fat
0 g
Cholesterol
0 mg
Sodium
190 mg
Potassium
73 mg
Source: USDA FoodData Central
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Verified nutrition data
Numbers on this page come from USDA FoodData Central, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s food composition database, and from manufacturer labels where a branded product is named. Last verified September 2026. How we verify our data →
Salted popcorn: calories, protein and sodium by serving
Percent of daily value uses the FDA reference of 2,000 kcal a day.
Serving
kcal
Protein
Carbs
Fat
Sodium
% DV kcal
1 oz (28 g)
130
3 g
19 g
5 g
190 mg
6%
100 g
464
10.7 g
67.9 g
17.9 g
679 mg
23%
3 × 1 oz (28 g)
390
9 g
570 mg
5 × 1 oz (28 g)
650
15 g
951 mg
One ounce is 130 calories, a big bowl can reach 650
The label serving is 1 oz (28 g), which works out to 130 calories, 3 g of protein and 5 g of fat. That is 6% of a 2000-calorie daily value. On its own, a modest snack. The catch is that an ounce of popped corn looks small in a bowl, and few people stop there.
Two ounces (56 g) bring the total to 260 calories. Three ounces (84 g) land at 390. Polish off five ounces (140 g) during a movie and you are at 650 calories, roughly the size of a full meal. Nothing about the food changed; only the amount did.
The practical fix is to portion before you sit down. Pour one or two ounces into a bowl and put the bag away. If you eat straight from a large package, use the multiples above as a guide: each extra ounce adds another 130 calories and more salt.
Carbs supply most of the calories, fat a third
Per 100 g, salted popcorn carries 67.9 g of carbs, 17.9 g of fat and 10.7 g of protein. In calorie terms, carbs make up 57%, fat 34% and protein just 9%. That fat share is what separates it from air-popped corn: the oil used in packaged popcorn adds a real chunk of energy.
The upside sits in the fiber row. This label lists 14.3 g of fiber per 100 g, or 4 g in a single ounce, against a daily value of 28 g. Sugars are 0, and so is saturated fat on this label. For a salty snack, that is a cleaner profile than most chips or crackers.
Protein is modest. One ounce gives 3 g, about 6% of the daily value, so popcorn will not do much to hold you over between meals on protein alone. Treat it as a fiber-rich carb snack, not a filling one.
Sodium is the row to watch
One ounce of salted popcorn has 190 mg of sodium, 8% of the 2300 mg daily value. That looks harmless. Per 100 g, though, the figure is 679 mg, or 30% of the daily value, and salt sticks to every kernel you eat.
Follow the multiples and the picture sharpens. Two ounces bring 380 mg, three ounces 570 mg, and five ounces 951 mg. A large movie-night bowl can deliver a sizable share of a day's sodium before dinner has even started.
If you watch sodium, look for the lightly salted versions on the page, such as Field Day Lightly Salted Popcorn or Pop-Secret Lightly Salted Popcorn, and read the label. Or stick to one ounce and balance the rest of the day with lower-sodium foods. Potassium, at 261 mg per 100 g, is low here, so popcorn will not do much to offset the salt.
Salted popcorn works best as a measured snack
At 130 calories with 4 g of fiber, an ounce of salted popcorn is a reasonable afternoon or evening snack. It gives you volume and crunch for fewer calories than many packaged alternatives. The trouble starts only when portions drift.
Pairing helps. Because popcorn is low in protein, adding something like a cheese stick, a yogurt or a handful of nuts can make the snack more satisfying. Drink water with it, since the salt can leave you thirsty. Fruit on the side adds sweetness without any added salt.
Brands vary in oil and salt, from Orville Redenbacher's Simply Salted Popcorn to Popcornopolis Nearly Naked, so check the bag you actually buy. If you want a quick record of what you ate, BodyPal can log popcorn from a photo of your bowl.
How does salted popcorn compare?
Here is how salted popcorn stacks up against microwave and plain popcorn, per 100 g and per usual serving.
Verdict: For the fewest calories and almost no sodium, plain popcorn wins at 387 per 100 g, 31 per cup and only 8 mg of sodium. Salted popcorn at 464 per 100 g still beats a bag of microwave popcorn, which reaches 518 calories and 764 mg of sodium per 100 g.
Most popular salted popcorn brands in the United States
Ranked by popularity in the BodyPal database
# Productkcal / 100 g
1Field Day Lightly Salted Popcorn1 oz · 28 g607 kcal
6Pop-Secret Lightly Salted Popcorn1 oz · 28 g536 kcal
Brands vary in oil and butter content, so lightly salted and kettle-style products range well above or below the 464 calories per 100 g used here. Source: manufacturer labels / USDA FoodData Central.
Salted popcorn FAQs
How many calories are in salted popcorn?
A 1 oz (28 g) serving of salted popcorn has about 130 calories. Per 100 g that is 464 calories.
Is salted popcorn good for weight loss?
Salted popcorn has 464 calories per 100 g, and a 1 oz (28 g) serving carries 130 calories with 17.9 g fat and 3.0 g protein.
Salted popcorn vs plain popcorn: which has fewer calories?
Salted popcorn is 464 calories per 100 g, while plain popcorn is 387, a difference of 77 calories per 100 g.
How much fat is in salted popcorn?
A 1 oz (28 g) serving has about 5.0 g of fat, from 17.9 g per 100 g. It also has 3.0 g of protein and 19.0 g of carbs.
How much sodium is in an ounce of salted popcorn?
One ounce (28 g) of salted popcorn has 190 mg of sodium, or 8% of the daily value. Per 100 g the figure rises to 679 mg, which is 30% of the daily value.
How many calories are in 3 ounces of salted popcorn?
Three ounces (84 g) of salted popcorn come to 390 calories, with 9 g of protein and 570 mg of sodium. That is three times the label serving of 1 oz, so watch bowl size.
How much fiber does salted popcorn have?
Salted popcorn has 4 g of fiber per 1 oz (28 g) serving and 14.3 g per 100 g. The daily value for fiber is 28 g, so even one ounce makes a useful contribution.
Does salted popcorn contain sugar?
This label lists 0 g of sugars for salted popcorn, both per ounce and per 100 g. Saturated fat and cholesterol are also listed at 0, leaving carbs as mostly starch and fiber.
How much protein is in salted popcorn?
One ounce of salted popcorn has 3 g of protein, about 6% of the daily value. Per 100 g it has 10.7 g, so protein supplies only 9% of its calories.
