We tried Mrs. Paul’s Crunchy Popcorn Fish for the first time. Here are our impressions:
Benefits, Features, Pros, and Advantages
- Their box can be re closed with built-in tabs that fit into slots on the top flap.
- This product has a pleasant, not-too-fishy flavor. In fact, their flavor is virtually identical as the Mrs. Paul’s Crunchy Fish Fillets.
- I followed the eighteen to twenty-two minutes in the oven at 425 degrees instructions on the box this time. This yielded very hot, quite crunchy, and golden brown popcorn fish nuggets.
- While baking, the fish gives off a mouth-watering aroma, so that when they’re finally ready to eat, I’m really anxious to devour them. This aromatic preamble makes actually eating this popcorn fish from Mrs. Paul’s even more of a delectable treat.
- These Mrs. Paul’s Crunchy Popcorn fish nuggets are 100% Alaska Pollock fish fillets, without fillers. Alaska Pollock is a meek-tasting yet full-bodied fish (at least, as full-bodied as whitefish can be anyhow). So it accepts flavoring spices well without dominating the dish.
- This seafood product has lots of good-for-the-heart omega-3 fatty acids.
- These breaded fish morsels absorb lots of Frank’s hot sauce; my favorite topping to drizzle over them.
Disadvantages, Cons, Problems, and Concerns
- These crunchy popcorn fish nuggets themselves are packed in a plastic bag for freshness. However, the bag is not resealable. So I just baked the whole box (44 popcorn fixh nuggets), and put the leftovers in the refrigerator for lunch later in the week.
- Each serving (eight pieces) has 280 calories. Yet I must eat three or four servings to really feel full and fulfilled. The breading no doubt add lots of extra calories.
- Mrs. Paul’s makes the breading on these popcorn nuggets from enriched flour. I’d prefer that they use all whole grains in their seasoned coatings.The flour they apply appears to be bleached, though it does not say bleached on the box.
- This Mrs. Paul’s popcorn fish is moderate on the saturated fat content (3 grams per serving). I’d rather eat things with zero saturated fat. But any negative health effects of the saturated fat contained in this popcorn fish is probably offset by the healthy omega-3 fats, which are also contained within.
- They also have added sugar and preservatives. So these popcorn fish nuggets definitely qualify as one of those “dreaded” processed dishes.
- There’s no indication on the box that Mrs. Paul’s popcorn fish has been tested for mercury. That would be reassuring, given the concern these days over heavy metals in the food supply. But I’ve eaten this sort of fish product for so long now without discernible ill effect, that I’m not really worried about mercury in my fish. I just limit consumption to twice or three times per week at most.
Ingredients
Alaska Pollock (fish, sodium tripolyphosphate to retain fish moisture), bread crumbs (wheat flour, sugar, salt, yeast), wheat flour, vegetable oil (cottonseed and / or canola and / or sunflower and / or soybean with TBHQ and citric acid as preservatives), water. Contains 2% or less of flour predust (wheat flour [enriched with niacin, ferrous sulphate, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid], modified cellulose, salt, partially hydrogenated soybean oil), modified food starch, salt, sugar, wheat flour, extractives of paprika (color), leavening (sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate, monocalcium phosphate), dextrose, garlic powder, onion powder, spice, paprika.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving size: 8 pieces (117 grams). Servings per container: about 5.
- Calories: 280. Calories from fat: 120.
- Total fat: 13 grams, 20% DV.
- Saturated fat: 3 grams, 15% DV.
- Trans fat: 0 grams.
- Polyunsaturated fat: 7 grams.
- Monounsaturated fat: 2.5 grams.
- Cholesterol: 40 milligrams, 13% DV.
- Sodium: 570 milligrams, 24% DV.
- Total carbohydrate: 27 grams, 9% DV.
- Dietary Fiber: 1 grams, 4% DV.
- Sugars: 1 gram.
- Protein: 14 grams, 28% DV.
- Vitamin A: 0% DV.
- Calcium: 0% DV.
- Vitamin C: 0% DV.
- Iron: 4% DV.
Product Rating
Though they could be better if prepared with less sugar and salt, Mrs. Paul’s Popcorn Fish is good eating nonetheless; so long as you don’t gorge on this too often. Over all, I love the flavor of these, just as I do the Mrs. Paul’s Breaded Fish Fillets. They cost little, are easy to prepare, taste delicious, and are on the whole quite good for you. So I’d recommend this product to anyone who is hungry for decent fish. If you’re a fish lover as I am, you’ll be quite pleased with the meals in which you serve these popcorn fish nuggets from Mrs. Paul’s. I’d rate this fish at 90 of 100.
Where To Buy Mrs. Paul’s Crunchy Popcorn Fish
Look for them in the green and avocado-colored box in most grocery stores, including Walmart, Giant Eagle, Martin’s, and Hometown Market.
References
Revision History
- : Moved this post to the Tom’s Diet Quest blog, added whitespace, adjusted ad placement, and tweaked the content.
- 2012-03-05: Originally published.