Nutrition

IN DEFENCE OF CORN

WORDS RACHEL HART

Corn on the cob is right up there with sunshine and ocean swims—a simple pleasure we get to enjoy every Kiwi summer. But despite its standing as a vegetable, corn often finds itself the subject of controversy, opponents declaring it unhealthy, a food to be limited or even avoided. In this article, we aim to clear the confusion, defending corn’s honour, so you can get back to enjoying it without worry!

The primary argument is that corn is packed with sugar, its deliciously sweet flavour used as irrefutable evidence. Something that sweet can’t possibly be healthy, right? Wrong. While corn is on the higher end of the sugar spectrum for vegetables, it’s far from a high-sugar food. In fact, with around six grams of sugar per cob, it’s roughly equivalent to a banana or a kūmara, and less than you’d get in a serving of beetroot. It’s also worth noting that the sugar in corn is naturally occurring, which makes all the difference. You’re not eating sugar on its own—unlike in cookies or cakes—rather its being consumed alongside the vegetable’s water and fibre content. This gives corn a low glycemic index, meaning it digests slowly and offers a steady release of glucose into your bloodstream rather than a sudden blood sugar spike. Plus, this fibre content feeds the good bacteria in your gut, improving digestion and giving your immune system a boost.

If you’ve been told that corn offers little in the way of nutritional value, you’ll be pleased to hear that this isn’t the full picture either. Corn contains a small amount of several nutrients including iron, potassium, magnesium, vitamin C and B vitamins. While none of these values alone are particularly high, every drop in the nutrient bucket adds up and contributes to overall health. That’s the nature of fruit and vegetables—eat your five a day, corn included, and you’re likely meeting all your nutrient needs. The final argument against the humble cob of corn seems to be a worry around the GM (genetically modified) status of the vegetable. But don’t worry—we’re not getting into this debate today! Whatever your feelings are towards genetically modified foods, all you need to know is that New Zealand doesn’t grow GM corn, so if it’s locally grown, you can avoid this concern completely. Admittedly, when served smothered in butter and with lashings of salt, you have turned healthy corn into something of a treat, but what vegetable isn’t immune to the sauces and seasonings we pair them with? Asparagus and hollandaise sauce; potatoes mashed with butter, milk and salt; cauliflower covered in cheese sauce. If you do find yourself a little heavy handed with that salt shaker, there are other, healthier ways to enjoy fresh corn. Try slicing the kernels off the cob and adding them into stir fries, salads and salsas. Or if you can’t go past corn on the cob, give olive oil, garlic and fresh herbs a go instead of the traditional butter-and-salt, and enjoy your corn guilt-free this summer.

Rachel Hart

Hailing from Canada, Rachel has fallen in love with life in the beautiful Bay of Plenty where she is a freelance writer with a passion for healthy food. She splits her time between telling people’s stories, creating web content and experimenting in the kitchen.

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