How to make your popcorn mixes more colorful.

By Kristy Kim

As a college student, we know how difficult it can be to budget when it comes to fun snacks. In order to help, we’ve listed some toppings to add to your basic microwave popcorn to make it feel more loved and alive! Popcorn is not only a cheap and healthy option but a crowd favorite.

Starting off with sweets, if your friends have sweet tooths, we recommend adding fruit gummies or Sour Patch Kids. For our health-conscious friends, you can add freeze-dried fruits and mix it along with your popcorn. In addition, adding anything mini will surely be a crowd favorite. This includes mini marshmallows, mini chocolate chips, mini Oreos, or chopped-up chocolate bars. Drizzle some melted chocolate on top and you’re done. If you have the option, you can make it even sweeter and use kettle corn instead.

If you want something savory, you can add chips to the mix, such as Doritos, Chex Mix, or potato chips. The best part of popcorn mixes is that there is no wrong way to make it. It is tailored to your liking. Adding nuts can also be a crunchy and yummy inclusion. Sprinkle in some seasoning, and just like that, it’s complete. We know that Trader Joe’s has some funky seasoning flavors, such as the ketchup and pizza seasoning, that you could try if you are feeling adventurous!

The great thing about popcorn mixes is that they can be made uniquely to your own liking. Whether you want a Sour Patch mix, a chocolate mix, a spicy mix, or a salty umami mix — popcorn can do it all. There is no wrong way to fail this. But when bringing this to a party or even making it at home for yourself, all food is guilt-free! And the best part is you can use whatever is in your pantry, so you don’t have to think much about making a complicated grocery list. 

You can combine both sweet and salty options if you feel like trying something out of the box, and let us know what you think!