No known issues Doola Scan's answer in the United States
Popcorn isn't on the pregnancy food lists of the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand or Ireland, so Doola Scan shows No known issues for plain, salted, buttered, microwave, caramel and cheese popcorn. The FDA lists popcorn among the whole grains in its dietary advice for pregnancy. What changes from bag to bag is the topping: the NHS says adults should have no more than 6g of salt a day, and suggests having foods high in fat or sugar less often and in small amounts.
Checked against Doola Scan's pregnancy rules · Updated
Plain or air-popped popcorn
No known issuesIn all six countries
Salted or buttered popcorn, including at the cinema
No known issuesIn all six countries
Microwave popcorn
No known issuesIn all six countries
Caramel popcorn, toffee popcorn or kettle corn
No known issuesIn all six countries
Cheese popcorn
No known issuesIn all six countries
Doola Scan checking a plate
What each country says
Popcorn while pregnant: what each country says.
Each country's own pregnancy guidance on popcorn, with a link to it. Doola Scan uses your country's first.
No known issues
None of the six countries' pregnancy guidance names popcorn.
Questions
About popcorn in pregnancy.
Popcorn isn't named in the pregnancy guidance of any of these six countries, and neither are its usual toppings, so Doola Scan shows No known issues. No rule names popcorn, so there are no extra steps to check on this page.
The guidance is the same in every trimester. None of these countries' pregnancy food lists names popcorn at any stage, and the NHS salt limit of 6g a day for adults applies all the way through.
The FDA's dietary advice for before and during pregnancy lists popcorn among its examples of whole grains, next to quinoa and whole-grain cornmeal, and asks that at least half of your grains are whole. The FDA says grains are among the important sources of vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber. The NHS suggests wholegrain or higher-fibre starchy foods in pregnancy.
It depends on how much is added. The NHS says adults should have no more than 6g of salt a day, about 1 level teaspoon, and suggests checking the salt content on the back or side of the packet. The FDA says less than 2,300 mg of sodium a day.
Microwave popcorn isn't on any of these countries' pregnancy food lists, so Doola Scan shows No known issues. Flavors differ, so read the salt on the label: the FDA counts 20% Daily Value of sodium or more per serving as high, and 5% or less as low.
Caramel and toffee popcorn and kettle corn aren't named in any of these countries' pregnancy guidance, so Doola Scan shows No known issues. The NHS suggests that foods high in fat and sugar are had less often and in small amounts.
Cinema popcorn is popcorn with salt and butter or oil, and none of those are on these countries' pregnancy food lists, so Doola Scan shows No known issues. A large tub can add a lot of salt towards the NHS limit of 6g a day.
Popcorn isn't on the pregnancy food lists of the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand or Ireland, so Doola Scan shows No known issues for it. The FDA counts popcorn as a whole grain.
Popcorn isn't named in the pregnancy guidance of any of these six countries, so Doola Scan shows No known issues, plain or with toppings. The NHS advice on salt and sugar is about how much and how often.
Yes. Take a photo of the ingredients label, and Doola Scan checks every ingredient against your country's pregnancy guidance. Food scans are free, 3 a day.
Doola Scan
Not sure about a meal? Scan it.
Point Doola at a plate, a menu or a label. It checks every ingredient against your country's pregnancy guidance and shows its sources. Food scans are free, 3 a day.
Doola shows what official guidance says; it never diagnoses. No known issues means none of these countries' pregnancy guidance names it, not a promise that a food is safe.
Doola Scan's answer in the United States
No known issues