{"id":1354,"date":"2020-03-07T11:00:55","date_gmt":"2020-03-07T04:00:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/illume-emag.com\/?p=1354"},"modified":"2020-03-07T10:16:37","modified_gmt":"2020-03-07T03:16:37","slug":"corn-grain-fruit-vegetable-heres-nutritionists-say","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lavyon.com\/en\/corn-grain-fruit-vegetable-heres-nutritionists-say\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Corn A Grain, A Fruit, Or A Vegetable? Here’s What Nutritionists Say"},"content":{"rendered":"

Or…all three?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Thanks to the carb-shunning ways of keto and the grain-free philosophy of paleo, many a health-conscious eater has recently kicked corn to the curb.<\/p>\n

But is the yellow stuff really all that bad? And is corn a grain, fruit, or vegetable?<\/p>\n

That’s where the confusion lies, really. Corn kind of has multiple identities\u2014hence why it gets booted out of many of today’s trendy diets.<\/p>\n

Like other fruits, vegetables, and grains, corn is high in carbs, fiber, vitamins, and minerals\u2014and low in protein and fat.<\/p>\n

Similar to potatoes, there are several varieties of corn (white, yellow, red, purple, and blue), each with a slightly different texture and flavor.<\/p>\n

Similar to grains, meanwhile, its kernels can be milled into flour and used as the base of baked goods.<\/p>\n

And, like fruit, corn is high in simple sugars, which can be pressed out and turned into syrup.<\/p>\n

Confused? Thought so. Luckily, New York City-based nutritionist Amy Gorin, RDN, is here to set the record straight, so you can decide whether corn bread, tortilla chips, popcorn, and good ol’ corn on the cob deserve a spot on your plate.<\/p>\n

Is corn a grain?<\/strong><\/span>
\nFirst, let’s tackle this whole grain thing, for all you paleo eaters.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you look at Merriam Webster\u2019s definition of corn, you\u2019ll see that there\u2019s a reference to corn as a grain,\u201d says Gorin. So yes, corn is technically a grain.<\/p>\n

Corn kernels (the part you use to make popcorn), when in their full form, are considered whole grains because they contain all three of their parts\u2014the germ, the endosperm and the bran\u2014intact.<\/p>\n

So, when you eat popcorn, you’re eating whole grains, because you eat the entire kernel, explains Gorin.<\/p>\n

Processed grain products, like white flour made from wheat or fine cornmeal made from corn, often only contain the endosperm, Gorin says. As a result, they lack the fiber and nutrients of bran and germ provide.<\/p>\n

Though eating the whole corn kernel is more nutritious, eating only its endosperm doesn\u2019t disqualify corn as a grain.<\/p>\n

Is corn a vegetable?<\/strong><\/span>
\nHere\u2019s where things get a bit complicated: Although corn falls into the grain category, it also fits into the definition of a starchy vegetable.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe definition of a vegetable is \u2018a usually herbaceous plant grown for an edible part that is usually eaten as part of a meal,\u2019\u201d Gorin says. Yep, corn definitely fits the bill.<\/p>\n

Plus, the 2015-2020 U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans also lists corn as both a vegetable and a grain, she adds. So the double-identity is actually legit.<\/p>\n

Since corn is higher in carbohydrates and calories than vegetables like leafy greens and cruciferous veggies (think broccoli), it’s typically considered a starchy vegetable. (Other examples of starchy veggies include potatoes and squash.) As part of a meal, corn and other starchy vegetables are more energizing than their non-starchy counterparts.<\/p>\n

Is corn a fruit, too? Technically, yes.<\/strong><\/span>
\nThere are a few different definitions of “fruit” out there, and corn fits them all.<\/p>\n

One super broad definition of fruit: “a product of plant growth (such as grain, vegetables, or cotton).”<\/p>\n

“In this sense, corn could be considered a fruit,\u201d Gorin says.<\/p>\n

Another definition defines fruits as what grows from the seed or flower of a plant (while vegetables grow from the leaves, stems, or other parts). Here, too\u2014along with tomatoes and cucumbers\u2014corn falls into the fruit category.<\/p>\n

Not to mention, \u201ceach corn kernel is considered a caryopsis, which is a dry, one-seeded fruit,\u201d adds Gorin.<\/p>\n

So what is corn?!<\/strong><\/span>
\nUltimately, like many other types of produce, corn can be considered a grain, a vegetable, and a fruit.<\/p>\n

No matter how you categorize it, though, corn provides energizing carbs, filling fiber, and nutrients like vitamin C, thiamine, folate, and potassium, making it a worthwhile part of a healthy diet, says Gorin.<\/p>\n

\u201cI really enjoy corn in salad, such as my grilled corn salad recipe,\u201d she adds. Gorin also loves grilled corn on the cob with Trader Joe\u2019s new Everything But the Elote seasoning blend. When in doubt, it always makes a great addition to vegetarian rice bowls.<\/p>\n

Source: Women’s Health<\/p>\n

Photography: Getty Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Or…all three? Thanks to the carb-shunning ways of keto and the grain-free philosophy of paleo, many a health-conscious eater has recently kicked corn to the curb. But is the yellow stuff really all that bad? And is corn a grain, fruit, or vegetable? That’s where the confusion lies, really. Corn kind of has multiple identities\u2014hence […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1355,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[1015,1017,1019],"class_list":{"0":"post-1354","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-food-drink","8":"tag-corn","9":"tag-facts-of-corn","10":"tag-heathy-life"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lavyon.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1354","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lavyon.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lavyon.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lavyon.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lavyon.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1354"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lavyon.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1354\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lavyon.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1355"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lavyon.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1354"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lavyon.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1354"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lavyon.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1354"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}