Take Control of your Movie Theatre Experience

This is a topic of frequent discussion with clients – what can I eat at the movies? Since the usual movie fare of popcorn with cheap oils, hot dogs, soda, nachos with sodium laden condiments, and candy hardly qualifies for a health contest how can you transform your movie experience into an enjoyable and healthful experience?

LA Times writer Mary MacVean wrote an article earlier this year on Snack Bar Health Reform.  She interviewed some key chefs to see what they would recommend for healthy movie food available for purchase.

Evan Kleiman, chef-owner of Angeli Caffe and host of the weekly radio food show “Good Food” on KCRW suggested fruit and veggies with peanut butter for dipping.

Stefan Richter, the chef at LA Farm in Santa Monica suggested hummus or a fruit and cheese platter.

These are wonderful choices but since movie theaters seem more interested in selling snacks than providing health options what can one do for healthful choices at the movies?  Here’s your grocery list for a good movie viewing experience:

1.  A baggie of your favorite mixed raw or dry roasted nuts with a few chocolate chips or dark chocolate squares to sweeten up the mix

2.  3-4 cubes of your favorite hard sliced cheese with apple slices or grapes

3.  A cup of your favorite tea or a decaf latte with extra foam and some cocoa powder on top to sweeten a little

4.  Celery topped with natural peanut, almond or cashew butter and a few raisins, also known as ants on a log in a children’s world

One thought to consider:  are truly hungry when you attend a movie, or is it just a habit to eat while watching?  A few years ago I started bringing a bottle of water and made sure I ate a meal or a snack prior to the film. 

If you are hungry, consider one of the above options.  Otherwise, maybe rethink your default response of movie eating.  You don’t have to be lured by the sounds and smells of fellow movie goers consuming unhealthful fare. Healthful eating can make your experience even more enjoyable….even at the movies.

What about that Movie Popcorn?

One of the things I hear in my office on a regular basis is “and why aren’t I supposed to be eating that movie popcorn?”  This week’s LA Times “Movie Popcorn Still a Nutritional Horror” gives the stats on the nutritionals of movie theatre popcorn.  American culture associates popcorn with movies, or eating with movies.   How bad is movie popcorn and is it really going to break your health bank?  It all depends on your goals, and how often you go to the movies.  If you are normal weight, and go to the movies sporadically this blog may not be for you.

If you need to lose weight and/or are insulin resistant here’s the scoop.  The average medium sized movie popcorn adds up to somewhere between 700-1300 calories which are coming from carbohydrate and fat. 

Let’s say you work hard all week long at your lifestyle changes– you are watching your bites closely and have averaged eating 200 calories less per day.  You’ve gone to the gym diligently and are getting your rest.  Your deficit for the week is 1400 calories and some change for the extra calories you have burned during your workouts.  For simplicity let’s say your total deficit is 1800 calories.  A weekly movie popcorn could wipe out at least half that work and one or two other blips could obliterate it.  Ask yourself – “if I work hard all week, is it worth it to change that hard work in a 2 hour movie”?

Sometimes all it takes is telling yourself you are changing the habit and re-wiring your brain to accept new scenarios – when going to the movies you can go after a meal, or bring your usual snack of nuts and fruit, or just stick to water.  Your brain and body will fight with you for a few times but will eventually give up and get used to your new routine.   In A Recipe for Life I outline how all the little extra bites DO add up.  How about starting with the movies?  Your Lifestyle bank will thank you.