Spicy Cocoa Popcorn

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Well, I did it! I completed my first ever marathon this past Sunday. It was an absolutely incredible experience, and I will be posting about it later this week. In the meantime, I’m telling you this because I can finally start eating more flavorful foods.  Although I running (and eating French Toast), it prevents me from eating spicy foods. The constant up and down motion of running is not conducive for eating spices or fibrous foods (read more about why running upsets your stomach here).  That’s why I celebrated my two-week rest from running by creating a Spicy Cocoa Popcorn.

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I absolutely love to make air popped popcorn at home. It’s not only extremely easy, but it’s such a healthy way to enjoy this whole grain snack without all the extra butter. All you need is a bag of kernels and a popcorn machine. If you don’t have a popcorn machine at home, you can easily make popcorn on your stove top (just follow the direction on the bag). Air popped popcorn is one of my favorite low-calorie snacks, coming in at just 35 calories per cup. Plus, the mixture of cocoa powder, cayenne pepper, a drop of sugar and salt adds a savory and sweet taste with a little kick. And the best part is that it tastes great without any butter!

Makes 5-6 servings (a serving is 1 cup)

Ingredients:
1/4 cup popcorn kernels
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon fine salt

Directions:

1. Make the popcorn in a popcorn maker or on the stove top. If using the stove top, follow the directions on the bag.
2. To a small bowl, add the cocoa powder, cayenne pepper, sugar and salt. Stir the spices together.
3. Place the popped popcorn in a large bowl. Coat with the spice mixture. Toss well until it’s evenly coated.