Healthy cinema snacking

SuprSi

I'm cutting at the moment which is presenting a problem with something I enjoy doing - going to the cinema. Usually when watching a movie I will happily munch away on a large popcorn and Coke during the 2+ hours I'm in there, which is a big no-no at the moment.

So, can anyone recommend alternatives? Tbh I could probably get through it with a little willpower but it would be nice to be able to enjoy the experience with a snack while the movie is playing.

JamieKCCO

Nuts! Not the nuts the cinema sells mind you, go to Holland & Barrett and pick up Walnuts, Almonds, Pistachios and/or Pecans.

They contain protein and good fat, which will keep your metabolism going longer than popcorn will. Also they contain lots of nutrients

Hanley

JamieKCCO wrote: »

Nuts! Not the nuts the cinema sells mind you, go to Holland & Barrett and pick up Walnuts, Almonds, Pistachios and/or Pecans.

They contain protein and good fat, which will keep your metabolism going longer than popcorn will. Also they contain lots of nutrients

...and an absolute TON of calories.

Very, very easy to over eat on nuts, so be careful!

puffishoes

smaller popcorn,no butter and a water should be fine.

Hanley

puffishoes wrote: »

smaller popcorn,no butter and a water should be fine.

I'd go with this. And try to under eat slightly during the day to "save" some calories.

Gummy Panda

Beef Jerky or Biltong. Lovely stuff.

SuprSi

I've given up nuts while I'm cutting due to the calories and as Hanley mentioned if I was in a cinema with a bag of cashews I would probably finish them off.

Water and a smaller popcorn sounds like a good plan though. Hadn't thought of a beef jerky but there's quite a bit of fat in there, isn't there?

Zamboni

Chewing gum ftw

Dotcomdolly

Jerky is made with leaner cuts of meat so shouldn't be too bad. You'd prob eat the equiv of half a portion of sirloin. I make my own so it's sugar free too.

I usually go for a bottle of fizzy water and a tub of blueberries or other nice "treat" fruit.

madma

a popcorn nd coke is not going to set you back

just eat healthy the other part of the day or eat nothing...

Roger Sterling

Fresh fruit and water.

If youre gonna diet do it properly anf committ yourself fully. No short cuts.

Zamboni

SuprSi wrote: »

I'm cutting at the moment which is presenting a problem with something I enjoy doing - going to the cinema. Usually when watching a movie I will happily munch away on a large popcorn and Coke during the 2+ hours I'm in there, which is a big no-no at the moment.

So, can anyone recommend alternatives? Tbh I could probably get through it with a little willpower but it would be nice to be able to enjoy the experience with a snack while the movie is playing.

Or you could go to the cinema on your cheat day.

Molly

If you have your own dehydrator you can make some really good jerky in a relatively calorie free marinade. Something as simple as some franks and some extra chilli peppers chopped up. There's a tonne of recipes out there.

rubadub

madma wrote: »

just eat healthy the other part of the day or eat nothing...

+1 I never got the fascination with eating in cinemas. You don't often see people eating at seated concerts or plays (or saying they wish they were allowed to eat at them).

enjoy the experience with a snack while the movie is playing.

I enjoy the cinema experience more if nobody is eating near me. Don't like the smell or noise or sticky floor they often leave behind.

SuprSi

It's a tradition thing tbh. I love popcorn anyway, and a big bucket of it with some coke in the cinema to me is like drinking a pint in a pub. I don't think I've ever been to the cinema without at least 1 of them.

Zamboni wrote: »

Or you could go to the cinema on your cheat day.

No cheat days on this diet!

Zamboni

SuprSi wrote: »

It's a tradition thing tbh. I love popcorn anyway, and a big bucket of it with some coke in the cinema to me is like drinking a pint in a pub. I don't think I've ever been to the cinema without at least 1 of them.


No cheat days on this diet!

Sucky diet you're on dude. Just hit the cinema when you're finished cutting then - there is nothing really out except the Expendables

DL Saint

It's not really a snack but have u ever thought about bringing one of your meals to the cinema in a lunchbox?

When I was cutting I would either bring some chicken and brown rice or whey protein and rice cakes into the film with me. Sure you may get some funny looks but u'll be a ripped c*nt so who cares

ray jay

Why not just eat a normal meal before you go to the cinema? That way you won't be hungry.

WHIP IT!

My own personal preference: Bring along a protein bar; grab one of those yogurt/muesli mixes in Boots (I go to cinema in Liffey Valley - don't forget to grab a disposable spoon as well, they're right beside the yogurts! speaking from experience there) and a bottle of water... optional miniature bag of jellies...

Chancer3001

a medium american popcorn (prob similar to a large one here) has only about 650 calories apparently.

Should be well able to cater that into your cut. Diet coke ftw then!

JJayoo

Most cinemas have diet coke

POSSY

JJayoo wrote: »

Most cinemas have diet coke

And remember half the "coke" they give you is water... sneaky feckers!

banquet

POSSY wrote: »

And remember half the "coke" they give you is water... sneaky feckers!

Stench Blossoms

Bring your own popcorn.

JoannaJay

Is too much butter fattening?

SuprSi

So small/medium popcorn and a diet coke - doesn't sound too bad!

KABLOOEY

Popcorn isn't too high in calories although you get huge portions in cinema. Ya could just bring in 3 or 4 of the Perry/Tayto packs (90 kcals each I think). Forget the coke imo. As said just make up for it with a smaller breakfast, lunch & dinner.

KTRIC

I'm in the same boat as the OP, on a strict diet but I love my cinema junk

boogle

Bag of Manhattan popcorn is 135 kcals. Bring that and your diet coke. Problem solved.

Librium

bring in a naggin

Ayrtonf7

banquet wrote: »

Its post-mix.

Its a mixture of gas,syrup and water!

rubadub

Ayrtonf7 wrote: »

Its post-mix.

Its a mixture of gas,syrup and water!

But coke in a can is a similar mixture. I think the other guy was referring to them giving you a cup loaded up with ice rather than full of cold coke. Like in many pubs if you ask for a pint of coke you get 2x200ml bottles or a splash with loads of ice. It'd be like asking for a pint of bulmers and them pouring in a longneck with loads of ice in a pint glass!

KTRIC

rubadub wrote: »

But coke in a can is a similar mixture. I think the other guy was referring to them giving you a cup loaded up with ice rather than full of cold coke. Like in many pubs if you ask for a pint of coke you get 2x200ml bottles or a splash with loads of ice. It'd be like asking for a pint of bulmers and them pouring in a longneck with loads of ice in a pint glass!

When I'm ordering Coke in the cinema I ask for it without ice. Its cold enough and I found its nearly half full with ice when I'm done anyway. 90% of the time they oblige and fill it to the brim.

rubadub

Good idea, and probably the healthier option contamination wise, though of course you get more calories. I remember some schoolgirl somewhere doing a project on ice in pubs, and some of the water from the toilet bowls in the same pub was cleaner than the ice.

nice_guy80

rubadub wrote: »

Good idea, and probably the healthier option contamination wise, though of course you get more calories. I remember some schoolgirl somewhere doing a project on ice in pubs, and some of the water from the toilet bowls in the same pub was cleaner than the ice.

its why a lot of pubs and restaurants get ice cubes ordered in, and don't use ice cube making machines

DL Saint

POSSY wrote: »

And remember half the "coke" they give you is water... sneaky feckers!

I think what the poster was getting at here was that with those self pouring machines they use a mixture of coke and water when filling them. Sure u can even see the water coming out when you are filling your cup.

Fitseeker

Not sure if mentioned already, but I recently brought garbanzo beans to the cinema, provided some nice munch. They're just roasted chickpeas, come in two flavours (tomato garlic and herb or bombay firecracker), 88 kcals a bag and they taste quite a bit like peanuts. I probably wouldn't eat them in a packed cinema as they're seriously crunchy and would probably annoy people closeby :P

Edit: For anybody interested, they look like this: http://kabochafashion.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/dsc_00064.jpg and you get them in health food stores.

WHIP IT!

Off to see Expendables 2 tonight - with me protein bar, yogurt/muesli mix & a bottle of H2Ooooooo yeah!!

emeraldstar

DL Saint wrote: »

I think what the poster was getting at here was that with those self pouring machines they use a mixture of coke and water when filling them. Sure u can even see the water coming out when you are filling your cup.

No, they don't.

It's not water + Coca-Cola.

It's water + Coca-Cola syrup. This equals Coca-Cola.

Those machines simply do the mixing at the dispensing point, rather than the pre-mixed version you get in bottles, cans etc.

Librium

i just bring a macdonalds in from the across the road

SuprSi

Librium wrote: »

i just bring a macdonalds in from the across the road

Mmmm, healthy and odour-free

Librium

if it's good enough for usain bolt it's good enoguh for me

KTRIC

SuprSi wrote: »

Mmmm, healthy and odour-free

I hate when bastards do that, the stink has me starving

Librium

well it's an improvement on a snack box

POSSY

DL Saint wrote: »

I think what the poster was getting at here was that with those self pouring machines they use a mixture of coke and water when filling them. Sure u can even see the water coming out when you are filling your cup.

That's exactly what I was getting at!

POSSY

emeraldstar wrote: »

No, they don't.

It's not water + Coca-Cola.

It's water + Coca-Cola syrup. This equals Coca-Cola.

Those machines simply do the mixing at the dispensing point, rather than the pre-mixed version you get in bottles, cans etc.

It may just be me, but I don't trust them at all... it's probably the only thing I'm suspicious of! Was dying for a cheat-day yesterday. Tried to talk the gf into going to the cinema so I could get popcorn, she didn't go for it so I'd to sit there while she attacked a Cadbury's Caramello... torture.

hellosunshine2

Try fruits (apple or grapes) or chew gum and water. I think those would be enough.

WHIP IT!

POSSY wrote: »

It may just be me, but I don't trust them at all... it's probably the only thing I'm suspicious of! Was dying for a cheat-day yesterday. Tried to talk the gf into going to the cinema so I could get popcorn, she didn't go for it so I'd to sit there while she attacked a Cadbury's Caramello... torture.

Hanley

Gnna get me some of these to try http://paleo-meal-deliveries.myshopify.com/collections/paleo-gym-kits-1

Dotcomdolly

Hanley wrote: »

Gnna get me some of these to try http://paleo-meal-deliveries.myshopify.com/collections/paleo-gym-kits-1

Or you could get some ziploc bags and make them yourself
I made a huge lunchbox of same for travelling. I had beef jerky, dried cherries and macadamias.

siblers

I wish popcorn was banned, does my head in when all I can hear is people munching on the stuff. Personally I always have a maxi twist and a medium fanta . I see some people go in with a big bag of mnms and a large popcorn, dunno how they do it.