Movie Theater Nutrition Guide
As a kid, I would go to movies fairly often. Looking at these numbers, I shouldn’t be surprised that I was a chubby child.
Before we dive in too much, understand that popcorn is actually one of the healthier snacks out there. If you make your own, that is. At the theater, even “plain” popcorn is popped in oil, which is where all of that fat content comes from. That doesn’t include that extra butter that we so often add on top. While there’s no way to know exactly how much butter topping (it’s not actual butter) you’re adding, I took the very conservative approach here and estimated 2oz worth. In many cases, it is definitely more.
As you look through this list, note that these numbers are never going to be exact. You’ll get different amounts of nachos, fries, etc, everywhere you go- but these are the numbers provided by AMC Theatres for their typical portions, so they’re rough estimates.
If you truly need food when you go to the movies, I highly recommend packing your own snacks. Theaters make most of their money from concessions, so technically they don’t “allow” you to bring in food, but I’ve never had an issue. Throw some snacks in your pockets or purse and you’re good to go. If you want to bring in a full pizza or rotisserie chicken, you better have a giant jacket.
If you DO want to grab some concessions at the theater, just go into it with the mindset that it’s a treat. I would never to tell you to turn down pretzel bites and cheese, that’s just crazy. But if you’re watching your calories, I wouldn’t recommend relying on the theater to get your food.
