POPCORN DAY.

January 19 is Popcorn Day, a day bursting with goodness and good taste. Popcorn Day celebrates one of nature’s most extraordinary foods: popcorn! Popcorn has the unique ability to literally turn itself inside out, providing whole-grain goodness in a tasty snack.

Popcorn Planting

Most of the world’s popcorn is grown in the

United States

Corn Belt of Illinois,

Indiana,

Iowa,

Kentucky,

Michigan,

Missouri,

Nebraska and Ohio.

Each spring, farmers plant popcorn seeds about

11/2 inches deep and 6 inches apart in the soil.

That’s nearly

28,000 seeds per acre.

Breeding the Popcorn Seed

Popcorn seeds are bred to produce desirable traits such as stalk strength, grain color and successful popping. Plant breeders select popcorn for genetic traits by using inbreeding. Inbreeding is taking the pollen from the tassel (male flower) from a single plant and using that pollen to fertilize the silk (female flower) of that same plant. Inbreeding leads to genetic segregation, whereby the plant breeder is able to identify, select and save the seed of desirable plants. The breeder then takes the seed and inbreeds it again, and continues to select for desirable traits. It takes eight years of inbreeding until the plant selection is stable and is no longer segregating. Finally, two inbreds are crossed together to produce a hybrid, which is then planted as popcorn seed.

Nutritional Information

• Air-popped popcorn has only 30 calories per cup; oilpopped popcorn has only 35 calories per cup.

• When lightly buttered, popcorn is about 80 calories per cup.

• Popcorn is a whole grain and provides energy-producing complex carbohydrates.

• Popcorn contributes fiber to the diet. Dietary fiber from whole grains or other foods may help reduce blood cholesterol levels and may lower risk of heart disease, obesity, and Type 2 diabetes.

• Popcorn is naturally low in fat and calories.

• Popcorn has no artificial additives or preservatives, and is sugar-free.

• Popcorn is ideal for between meal snacking since it satisfies and doesn’t spoil the appetite.

• 3 cups of popcorn equal one serving from the grain group.

• Whole grains are important sources of nutrients such as zinc, magnesium, B vitamins, and fiber.