Do you eat corn?

[ammiga]

In our house, we don't eat hfcs or regular corn syrup. We also don't really eat corn. My FIL started sending me articles about how healthful corn is and says I am "too hard on corn". He compared it to brown rice, which we do eat quite a bit of.

I mostly figure any food that makes it's way through my body and comes out looking the same way can't be very good for us, but maybe I'm wrong. Most of my quick internet searches also informed me of the benefits of corn. So, should we be including corn in our diet? I'm pretty confused now. Is corn equivalent to brown rice?

[bandgeek]

*Should* you? Well I certainly don't think it's necessary. There's no ONE food everyone needs. We don't eat tons of corn, but we do eat it sometimes because it's tasty. I consider it a grain, not a veggie, so we go easy on it when we do have it.

I'm making sweet corn cake for dessert after our lentil tacos tonight.

[Jaxinator]

I don't think there's any problems with *not* eating corn. We rarely eat it here, more by default that any particular reason.
I wouldn't stress, if you're more comfortable not eating it, then continue on.

[la mamita]

foods that look the same coming out are insoluble fiber, including corn. good for your digestive process. i don't avoid corn the same way i avoid HFCS. for example, popcorn is a good, high fiber, low calorie snack. i don't think you NEED to eat corn, but i don't think there's any reason to demonize it (provided you are talking about GMO-free corn).

[ollyoxenfree]

We love corn, especially freshly harvested corn-on-the-cob. I also make corn fritters with corn kernels and add corn to bean burrito fillings.

I think there is a huge difference between an unprocessed food fresh from the field like corn on the cob or corn kernels and a highly processed derivative of that food like high fructose corn syrup. Lots of people won't consume hard apple cider because of the alcohol content but they eat apples.

If you don't like or can't tolerate corn, or if you have a political/philosophical problem with it, then there's a universe of food to enjoy instead. Personally, I wouldn't avoid it for health reasons.

[Llyra]

We eat corn. We don't eat corn starch, or HFCS, or any other highly processed corn products-- except sometimes when I'm at somebody's house, and it would be rude not to share their food. But at home, never. But we do eat locally-raised sweet corn all summer (Jersey corn is awesome!), and I freeze it, both on and off the cob, for winter use. And sometimes in the late spring, I buy organic canned corn or frozen corn.

We also eat stone-ground cornmeal.

I don't think there's any reason to treat corn as something special, so long as it's whole and minimally processed. Eat it if you like, don't if you don't care for it-- that would be my take on corn.

As far as it going straight through-- that's the insoluble fiber, which is the same as the skins on any other veg or fruit. Tomato skins come through, and the shells of peas, and apple skins. Only they mostly get chewed a bit better than corn does, so they're less visible.

[Alyantavid]

There's nothing better than fresh corn on the cob in the summer. It's part of summertime for us.

We do avoid HFCS and other overly processed corn, but plain old corn isn't something we avoid. We mostly stick to eating it fresh in the summer because that's when it's best.

[SophieAnn]

I enjoy corn, but I agree we don't NEED it.

I enjoy popcorn, fresh local corn on the cob, frozen corn and corn chips. I also keep cornmeal in the pantry and occasionally make cornbread. I've tried making polenta a couple times but haven't been terribly thrilled with the results.

I love green giant canned nibblets corn.

[koru]

It's funny because I've recently switched to eating more corn products in attempts to back off of so many grains as gluten is harder to digest, IMHO. We eat corn tortillas over flour, I often substitute polenta for pasta, etc.

I see nothing wrong with eating the whole vegetable or products made from the whole food without additives or preservatives. Corn was a staple for the Native Americans living on this very soil & there must be something of that, no?

[cristeen]

I do eat minimally processed corn (i.e. No syrups), but only if it's organic. I buy corn tortillas over wheat, keep cornmeal/flour on hand and love it fresh.

I agree w the pp who pointed out that most fruit/veg skin is insoluble... Ever changed a toddlers dipe after he's eaten fruit? All those chunks are unchewed, undigested fruit skin. In adults, we just do a better job of chewing.