Few things are more enjoyable than sitting in a darkened movie theater munching on a big tub of popcorn. But beware – the yummy popcorn is loaded with salt, fat, and calories, even in the small sizes.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest recently released a new report that examined popcorn from three leading theater chains, and the findings are not pretty. If you happen to be watching a movie at Regal Cinemas, that large tub of popcorn has 1,200 calories, 980 mg of sodium and a whopping 60 grams of saturated fat. That is three-quarters of an entire day’s calories in one sitting. It would be healthier for you to walk out of the theater and eat a McDonald’s cheeseburger instead.

Even a small size of popcorn is loaded with bad stuff. The small holds 11 cups of popcorn which has 670 calories, 55 mg of sodium and 24 grams of saturated fat. You would still be better off getting that cheeseburger.

The culprit behind movie theater popcorn is the oil it is cooked in. Theaters commonly use coconut oil which contains 90 percent saturated fat. Load on the salt and butter and you’re looking at one very unhealthy snack.

In contrast, air-poppoed popcorn with no butter added is low in calories and saturated fat and has the added bonus of containing healthy fiber.

Even the “healthiest” of the movie chains tested still contained lots of fat and calories. The small size from AMC theaters came in at 6 cups of popcorn with 370 calories.

Cinemark fared a bit better than its competitors because it uses nonhydrogenated canola oil for its popcorn. Their large tub clocked in at 910 calories and just 4 grams of saturated fat. The bad news? 1,500 mg of sodium – just about what you should be consuming in an entire day.

Experts say that to make your movie theater popcorn healthier, ask the concession stand to prepare a portion with no salt. However, to really be healthy you will just need to skip the popcorn altogether. No, not as fun as munching on a big tub watching your favorite flick, but a lot healthier.