By: Therese Leyton
Sweet Corn Is Nutritious and Healthy
Grill, sauté, stir fry, bake, broil, add it to your salads, soups, stews, or salsas. Sweet Corn is delicious and it is a great source of whole grain fiber for your diet.
Corn is an excellent nutrient of Vitamin A, B, and C, Folate, Phosphorus and Potassium. Yellow Sweet Corn offers lutein which helps our cardiovascular system and vision. One ear of corn has 1 gram of fat, saturated fat .2g, polyunsaturated fat .4g, and monounsaturated fat .4g. Also one ear does not have any cholesterol, low sodium, high in B6 and Vitamin C, and Iron. Based on a 2000 calorie diet 1 ear of sweet corn has the same number of calories as a medium apple. Antioxidant levels are increased when corn is cooked. One ear of sweet corn has 3.6g of whole grain fiber.
Domesticated Grown Corn goes back in time to 7000 BC in Mexico in the Rio Balsas Valley. In Mexico, corn is a very important ingredient. Corn tortillas are popular and corn is mixed with vegetables and peppers and basically everything. Our American diet has incorporated many recipes from the Mexican culture. Salsas are very popular with corn, peppers and tomatoes.
FYI-the tassel on a corn plant release as many as 5 million grains of pollen, carried by the wind rather than insects. So it is nature’s way of pollinating many plants. The average ear of corn has 800 kernels arranged in even rows. Corn is the 3rd most important food crop of the world. It is an ingredient in many products and field corn is grown for animal feed. Organic Corn is free of pesticides and is not engineered chemically only naturally. Be careful when you buy any vegetable these days. Look for a label Non GMO (not genetically modified)
Grocery stores, farm markets and farm stands offer fresh sweet corn as well as many vegetables. Buy fresh. Look for green leaves and peel back the husks and squeeze a kernel. If there is a milky white juice from the kernel then it is fresh. If the juice is watery then it is not ready to eat. August and September is Michigan’s Season for Sweet Corn.
Grilling corn in the husks has become popular. Pull back the husks and remove the silk from the cobs of corn. Then pull the husks back on the corn. Soak the whole cob in cold water for 15 minutes. Grill away from the heat for approximately 15 minutes. Then remove the husks and eat. Some people remove the husks and add a bit of seasoning, oil, and wrap in tin foil. Either way grilled sweet corn is wonderful and compliments a fish, chicken, or beef dish. Remove the kernels from the cob, add tomatoes and onions or peppers or any combination and you have delicious salsa for your chips, baked potato, or salads add nutrition and fiber.
Color and texture is very important when preparing a meal. Sweet Corn offers both color and texture to any meal. The best tasting sweet corn is corn that is picked fresh from the garden and cooked right away. It is best to store fresh corn in the refrigerator and use within 1 or 2 days. Do not remove the husks until ready to eat. A great source of fiber and nutrition one ear is very filling which is figure friendly. It’s all about knowing the facts.
One of my favorite shows is “The Chew” which illustrates many ways of preparing food.
Corn Relish Recipe from Carla Hall of “The Chew” on ABC –
CARLA’S SWEET CORN & TOMATO RELISH
Heat grill on high until hot. Rub corn with oil to lightly coat. Grill until done until blackened and starting to pop. Don’t overcook. Corn should still be yellow and have a bite. Transfer to plate and let cool.
When cool enough to handle lay each ear of corn on its side and cut off one side of kernels. Rotate cob and cut off another side of kernels. Keep rotating and cutting off until all kernels are of
Transfer kernels to large bowl and add tomato, onion, jalapeno, garlic, lime peel and juice, cumin, salt, and 2 Tbsp. oil. Toss until well mixed. Garnish with cilantro.
