Unpopped popcorn calories come to 108 for 1 oz of dry kernels (28 g) and 387 per 100 g. The number to watch is the scoop, not the bowl. Those kernels puff into several cups, and a single cup popped is only 31 calories. Weigh kernels before popping and the count stays honest, whatever ends up on top.
108kcal
1 ounce of kernels · 28 g, dry kernels, by weight
13%protein
3.6 gProtein
22 gCarbs
1.3 gFat
How to burn off 108 kcal
—Walking, brisk
—Jogging
—Cycling, moderate
—Swimming
Skip the math. BodyPal counts these calories from your steps and workouts automatically.
Nutrition facts
Dry kernels, by weight · per 28 g
Calories
108 kcal
Protein
3.6 g
Carbohydrate
22 g
Fat
1.3 g
Saturated fat
0.2 g
Cholesterol
0 mg
Sodium
2 mg
Potassium
92 mg
Iron
0.9 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 →
Unpopped 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 kernels (28 g)
108
3.6 g
21.8 g
1.3 g
2 mg
5%
1 cup popped (8 g)
31
1 g
6.2 g
0.4 g
1 mg
2%
100 g
387
12.9 g
77.8 g
4.5 g
8 mg
19%
3 × 1 oz kernels (28 g)
325
10.9 g
7 mg
5 × 1 oz kernels (28 g)
542
18.1 g
11 mg
One ounce of kernels is a 108-calorie snack
Kernels are dense, so small scoops add up fast. One ounce (28 g) is 108 calories, or 5% of a 2,000-calorie day. Double it to 56 g and you reach 217 calories. Three ounces, 84 g, comes to 325.
The big jump happens when a whole jar of kernels goes into a movie-night pot. Five ounces, 140 g, lands at 542 calories before any butter or salt. That is a light meal's worth of energy, and it disappears quickly once it is popped and shared from one bowl.
The easiest fix is to measure dry. A kitchen scale on the kernels tells you exactly what you are eating, because popping adds air, not calories. If you track by the cup after popping, use 31 calories per 8 g cup and count the cups honestly.
Carbs supply 77% of the calories, with real fiber attached
Popcorn is a whole grain, and the calorie split shows it. Carbohydrates bring 77% of the energy, protein 13%, and fat only 10%. Per 100 g that works out to 77.8 g of carbs, 12.9 g of protein and 4.5 g of fat.
The carb number looks high until you read the fiber row. Every 100 g carries 14.5 g of fiber, and a single ounce of kernels gives 4.1 g against a daily value of 28 g. Sugar barely registers: 0.9 g per 100 g and 0.2 g per ounce.
Protein is a modest bonus rather than a reason to eat it. An ounce delivers 3.6 g, which is 7% of the daily value. Three ounces reach 10.9 g. Useful, but popcorn stays a carb snack first.
Plain kernels start with almost no sodium or fat
Dry kernels are about as clean as a snack label gets. Sodium is 8 mg per 100 g and just 2 mg per ounce, which rounds to 0% of the 2,300 mg daily value. Saturated fat is 0.6 g per 100 g and cholesterol is 0.
That means every notable number on a finished bowl comes from what you add. Oil in the pot, melted butter and salt are where the calories and sodium climb. Packaged microwave popcorn shows the gap clearly: 30.2 g of fat and 763 mg of sodium per 100 g, against 4.5 g and 8 mg for plain kernels.
If you watch sodium, salt lightly and measure it rather than shaking it straight from the canister. If calories are the goal, air-pop or use a measured spoon of oil and count it separately.
Popcorn earns its place as a high-volume snack
The appeal is volume. A cup of popped corn weighs 8 g and costs 31 calories, so a few cups feel like a real snack without a heavy count. The fiber helps the bowl feel more substantial than its calories suggest.
Because protein is low, popcorn pairs well with something that fills that gap. A glass of milk, a cheese stick or a handful of nuts alongside makes the snack more balanced. Seasonings like smoked paprika, nutritional yeast or cinnamon add flavor for very little energy.
Portion it into a bowl instead of eating from the pot, and decide on the ounces before you start. BodyPal can log your bowl from a photo, which helps if you skip the scale.
How does unpopped popcorn compare?
Here is how unpopped kernels stack up against popped, plain and microwave popcorn, per 100 g and per usual serving.
Verdict: Plain, popped and unpopped popcorn are the same food at 387 calories per 100 g, so choose air-popped kernels for the lightest bowl at 31 calories a cup. Skip microwave popcorn if you are counting, since one 87 g bag is 465 calories with 763 mg of sodium per 100 g.
Unpopped popcorn FAQs
How many calories are in unpopped popcorn kernels?
About 108 calories in 1 oz of dry kernels (28 g), and 387 calories per 100 g.
Do kernels have the same calories as popped popcorn?
By weight yes, 387 calories per 100 g, because popping mainly changes the volume. A popped cup weighs only 8 g, so it is about 31 calories.
Is popcorn good for weight loss?
One popped cup from plain kernels is about 31 calories, and 100 g of kernels carries 14.5 g of fiber with 12.94 g of protein.
How much protein and carbs are in popcorn kernels?
Per 100 g there are 12.9 g of protein, 77.8 g of carbs (14.5 g of that fiber) and 4.5 g of fat. One ounce gives 3.6 g of protein and 21.8 g of carbs.
How many calories are in one cup of popped popcorn?
One cup of plain popped popcorn (8 g) has 31 calories. It also carries 6.2 g of carbs, 1.2 g of fiber, 1 g of protein and 0.4 g of fat, as long as nothing is added.
How many calories are in 2 ounces of popcorn kernels?
Two ounces of dry kernels (56 g) contain 217 calories. That scoop also gives 7.2 g of protein and only 4 mg of sodium before any oil, butter or salt goes on.
How much fiber is in popcorn kernels?
One ounce of kernels has 4.1 g of fiber, and 100 g has 14.5 g. Against a daily value of 28 g, a single ounce covers a solid share of the day's fiber.
How much sodium is in unpopped popcorn?
Unpopped popcorn has 8 mg of sodium per 100 g and 2 mg per ounce, which is 0% of the daily value. Nearly all the sodium in a finished bowl comes from added salt or toppings.
Is microwave popcorn higher in calories than plain kernels?
Yes. Microwave popcorn has 535 calories per 100 g versus 387 for plain kernels, about 1.4 times as much. The difference comes mostly from fat: 30.2 g per 100 g against 4.5 g.
