After all the chili dogs, apple pies and well … everything else I’ve been eating, I decided it was finally time to give both myself and my health-minded readers a small reprieve. This comes in the form of HealthWeek: For the next few days I will only eat foods lower in calories, fats, etc.

I’ve had the SmartFood popcorn variety in mind to kick off this week of good taste and good health, but lo and behold the gas station wasn’t carrying it. I think the gas station gods are telling me not to try and predict what they wish to offer me. Lesson learned. But Rocky Mountain Popcorn Company was there as a sky blue substitute.

This bag boasts many of the typical buzzwords “All Natural”, “Gluten & Nut Free”. Evidently it’s whole grain with zero artificial flavors. Normally I would roll my eyes at this hippie bullshit but when you look around at Rocky Mountain Popcorn Company’s neighbor on the shelves, well … they’re buffalo and bleu cheese flavored Combos. Well played, RMPC (Rocky Mountain Popcorn Company, come on, that’s wordy), you are one of the few truly healthy options for me.

This is what guilt-free eating looks like .

I may have had Pirate’s booty once, and SmartFood definitely once or twice. I cannot claim that I am a connoisseur of popped corns. They all taste light, snackish and delicious enough to be a healthy indulgence. They are gluten-free*, which seems to be a major selling point for some.

*Personal note: I always though gluten-free foods were for women from West LA for whom the word “Atkins” had become taboo, and needed a new term for low-carb living. After checking the gluten Wikipedia page, it turns out gluten is actually most of protein in wheat products? Why are people hating on protein? I need somebody to clarify this for me as I am way too lazy to finish reading said Wiki page.

Rocky Mountain Popcorn Company, you make a delicious bag of popcorn. My taste buds gladly enjoyed the soprano notes of the white cheddar coating. The white, fluffy popcorn was the booming tympany that complemented it perfectly. Although I must say I am somewhat biased, as I really, really, really like popcorn. Like a lot. However, when I make it at home, it never looks like this at the end:

Where da kernels at?!

Although the bag encourages me to “Grip ‘n Pour”, I figured a person who enjoys popcorn as much as I do would run the risk of forgetting to swallow as the barrage of popcorn came at me. It’s a cute, clean-fingers alternative to the crazy white cheddar dust mess left over on my fingers. I finished the entire bag, which is a little high in fat to be completely healthy, but I feel full and satisfied after eating this snack.

Nutrition Info (per bag)

*These calculations are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, which is indulgent and wholly unrealistic.