The TODAY Show on NBC recently ran a story about the health dangers of popcorn, and other snacks, at the movie theater. Check out the full article and the clip from the show here.

Its a great article, covering everything from sodas and Nerds, to the buckets of popcorn we all enjoy. The calories counts on some of the snacks we enjoy can be astronomical, with real dangers coming from the sugars in sodas and candies, and the saturated fat in buttery popcorn.

So what options do we have?

Clearly, your healthiest option is nothing from the snack bar at all. Eat something healthy before, or after the movie.

If you have to choose anything unhealthy, be it popcorn, candy, or soda, get the smallest serving you can stand. This will minimize the caloric impact it has.

If you are going to get popcorn, try to make sure that it is popped in heart-healthy canola oil, as opposed to coconut oil that is loaded with saturated fat. Performance Fitness contacted the local movie theaters to ask them what they pop their corn in. This is what we learned:

AMC Loews Foothills – Coconut Oil
Century 20 El Con Mall – Canola Oil
Grand Cinemas Crossroads 6 – Canola Oil
Century 20 Park Place – Canola Oil
Century Gateway 12 Kolb – Canola Oil
Century Park 16 Grant – Canola Oil
Century Theaters at the Oro Valley Marketplace – Canola Oil
Grand Cinemas Oracle View – Canola Oil
Harkins Tucson Spectrum Theater – Canola Oil
Tower Theater at the Arizona Pavillions – Canola Oil

And what if you want something besides popcorn?

Your best bet for a beverage is water. Sodas have absolutely no redeeming qualities whatsoever, and should simply be avoided. Candies? Most are sugar bombs waiting to explode. If your sweet tooth won’t shut up, choose Peanut or Almond M&M’s. The nuts provide unsaturated fats, which will balance out the saturated fat that chocolate provides. Sort of.

Watch your indulgences and your waistline and cardiologist will thank you!