Microwave popcorn has been a staple in every American household for decades, but it should really be staying on the shelf in the grocery store. We all love the taste of warm, buttery popcorn, but if it comes from a bag, it comes with a price.

The bag itself is lined with perfluorooctanoic acid. The fact that it’s pretty much impossible to pronounce should tell you something about its contents.

Let’s talk about fake butter.

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Gif courtesy of giphy.com

It’s funny that real, natural butter gets more shit than fake butter does. We avoid butter on anything, but we are willing and able to shove our faces in a bowl of the artificial version. Butter flavoring is called diacetyl, and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention has some words on it (yes, it really is a legitimate health concern). Not only is this stuff bad for you to eat, factory workers often suffer from lung problems due to breathing in the workplace.

It shouldn’t be this complicated.

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Photo by Caitlin Schnack

The only ingredient required is the kernels, but the packaged kind somehow has upwards of 10 ingredients. Not only can you save money, you can avoid additives that even scientists can’t explain. All you need is the kernels and a brown bag. That’s it. No weird extras that you can’t pronounce. You can even order kernels on Amazon if you don’t feel like going to the store. It’s that easy.

So next time you’re craving microwave popcorn, ditch the prepackaged stuff. Your body will thank you later.