Popcorn is a fun, easy to make and filling snack. However, many of the microwave popcorn have buttery flavors that make them calorie laden. While some people have found a healthy favorite (mine is Orville Redenbacher Smart Pop), many of the healthier varieties are bland and simply uninteresting. Hence, when I spotted Kernel Season's Butter Popcorn Seasoning, I decided to give it a try.
First and foremost, trying to get the shaker lid and paper seal off of the bottle takes a knife and some major muscle. Thankfully, you only have to do that once; then, all you have to do is twist and shake.
I put that aside and watched the light yellow powder grace a bowl of fresh-from-the-microwave popcorn. If you do not mix your popcorn, then you will be able to taste the buttery/salty flavor that the seasoning provides. The buttery flavoring is very natural tasting (and contains no MSG). However, the minute that you dig your hand into the bowl and mix the kernels around, the seasoning falls to the bottom of the bowl. So you probably need to spray with a low calorie cooking oil spray first.
A serving of 1/4 teaspoon (you will surely need more than that to get the full effect though) provides 3 calories, no fat, 80 mg of sodium (3% of the daily value), and no carbohydrates, sugar or protein. The ingredient list consists of Maltodextrin, Salt, Natural Flavors, Buttermilk, Whey, Dextrose, Oleoresin Turmeric, Disodium Inosinate, Disodium Guanylate, Annatto, Silicon Dioxide Added to Prevent Caking.
In the end, Kernel Season's Butter Popcorn Seasoning will not be adorning my popcorn again; not because of the $1.99 price tag, but because my buttery popcorn topping off choice remains Parkay Spray. With Parkay Spray, not only do you get the beloved buttery flavor, but you also get the butter-like feeling that is so typical of the best movie theater popcorn.