Snack
How many calories in Popcorn?
Popcorn has about 93 calories per 3 cups air-popped. This is a practical estimate for calorie tracking; the exact number changes with recipe, restaurant, oil, ghee, sauce, toppings, and serving size.
| Serving size | 3 cups air-popped |
|---|---|
| Gram reference | About 24g |
| Calories | 93 kcal |
| Protein | 3g |
| Carbs | 19g |
| Fat | 1g |
What affects Popcorn calories?
Plain popcorn is light by volume, but oil, butter flavoring, caramel, cheese dust, and movie-theater portions can change the total.
Tracking tip: Name air-popped, microwave, kettle corn, or movie popcorn and include butter topping.
Also called: air-popped popcorn, movie popcorn
Variables that can change the estimate
- oil
- butter topping
- caramel
- container size
Preparation and serving variations
The reference above is one practical serving. The same food can change substantially with portion size, cooking method, toppings, and restaurant preparation.
| Variation | Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat | Why it changes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microwave popcorn, 3 cups | 180 kcal | 3g | 18g | 12g | Oil and flavoring add fat. |
| Movie theater popcorn | 800 kcal | 10g | 60g | 55g | Large tubs and topping pumps are not a small serving. |
Common questions
How many calories are in Popcorn?
Popcorn has about 93 calories per 3 cups air-popped. The exact number can change with portion size, recipe, restaurant prep, oil, sauce, toppings, and sides.
What are the macros in Popcorn?
A typical serving of popcorn has about 3g protein, 19g carbs, and 1g fat per 3 cups air-popped.
How should I track Popcorn accurately?
Name air-popped, microwave, kettle corn, or movie popcorn and include butter topping.
Track Popcorn in Calofy AI
Calofy AI lets you log popcorn by photo, voice, or text. Instead of searching a database and guessing the closest match, you can describe the actual plate and get a meal-specific calorie and macro estimate in seconds.
Track Popcorn freeHow this estimate was built
Calofy AI calorie guides use practical serving-size estimates for everyday tracking. We keep the answer visible in text, include the macro table on the page, and mark up the same visible facts with structured data so search engines and AI answer systems can understand the page without relying on hidden content.
For packaged or weighed foods, use the nutrition label or weighed portion when available. For home-cooked and restaurant foods, use the estimate as a starting point and adjust for visible oil, butter, sauces, toppings, and portion size.
Generic food references are checked against public nutrition data where possible, including USDA FoodData Central. Mixed dishes and restaurant meals are presented as practical ranges because recipes and portions change. This page was reviewed on 2026-08-08.
Related calorie guides
Keep tracking the bigger picture
A food lookup is a starting point. Use your daily target and weekly pattern to understand how this meal fits into the rest of your day.
Last updated 2026-08-08. Nutrition values are estimates for general tracking and are not medical advice. Recipes and restaurant portions vary. Calofy AI is designed for practical daily consistency, not lab-grade measurement.