When did snacking at the cinema become compulsory?  

A post on a discussion board today has prompted me to give this a little thought.  The post asked readers which low calorie snacks they could enjoy whilst taking their children to the cinema.

The truth is, if you are going to buy your snacks there, there are no low calorie snacks.  The following nutritional information is taken from the Cineworld website:

Large sweet popcorn                                  1,005 calories
Small sweet popcorn                                     458 calories
Regular rollover nachos                                 539 calories
Large hotdog                                                 406 calories
Large Nachos                                                 808 calories
Large Coke/Sprite/Fanta                                407 calories 
Large Tango Ice Blast Bubblegum (blue)          900 calories

I am pleased to say that I have broken this “habit” as I realised that was all it was for me.  I now sit smugly at the back of the cinema watching people juggle their large buckets of popcorn, their flimsy gallon paper cup of pop and do my very best to enjoy the film above the rustle of thousands of collective calories being consumed.

Many of those consuming these “treats” will return home to dinner, a take-away or possibly travel on to a pizza restaurant and eat twice as many calories again!

Breaking the “movie = snacking” cycle was not a difficult one for me.