玉米对你有好处吗? It can be. Sofia Wicker Velez, R.D., L.D.N.他是一名营养学家 约翰霍普金斯儿童中心. She provides insight on corn’s nutritional value and its place in American diets, 还有诱人的食谱.

玉米的营养价值

玉米单独食用有几种健康益处, and, likewise, 以玉米为基础的食物可以成为营养饮食的一部分.

For instance, Wicker Velez说, 玉米饼是墨西哥的主食, 再加上蔬菜和蛋白质, 它们可以创造一顿均衡的膳食. 孩子们喜欢玉米谷物, and the kinds with less added sugar can provide an easy-to-prepare breakfast or snack with the addition of milk, yogurt or fruit.”

用玉米加工的食品, 检查标签是有意义的, 因为添加的成分会影响营养成分. “Be aware of foods with too much added sugar, sodium or saturated or trans fats,” she advises.

低热量，低脂肪

一个中等大小的甜玉米穗或半杯新鲜玉米, 冷冻或罐装果仁(不加糖或盐):

• 大约77到100卡路里
• 是天然无谷蛋白和低脂肪的吗, with only about one gram of fat per ear (not including butter and other oily add-ons). 那克脂肪的大部分是多元不饱和脂肪, the kind of fat that can help reduce cholesterol and inflammation

常量营养素，维生素，矿物质，抗氧化剂

一根中等大小的甜玉米或是半杯新鲜玉米, 冷冻或罐装果仁(不添加糖或盐)含有:

• 大约3克蛋白质
• 5毫克钠 
• 维生素A的244国际单位
• About 15 grams of carbohydrates, including about 5 grams of sugar
• 少量的维生素B，镁和钾
• Antioxidants that ease wear and tear on the body’s cells, including:
  
  • Vitamin C
  • 叶黄素和玉米黄质，支持视力和眼睛健康

High Fiber

玉米含有大量可溶性和不可溶性纤维. The soluble fiber in corn breaks down and forms a gel in the intestines and can play a role in controlling cholesterol. Soluble corn fiber is used in the manufacture of processed foods.

每颗美味玉米粒的外壳都是不溶的. This is the undigestible kind that the body cannot break down and that passes through the body more or less intact, 哪一种可以增加大便体积，缓解便秘. 玉米的不溶性纤维也是一种益生元, 喂养和支持健康肠道细菌的生长.

玉米是谷物、淀粉还是蔬菜?

玉米可以作为谷物或淀粉类蔬菜食用. “When advising our patients with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, 我们教导说玉米应该被视为碳水化合物,Wicker Velez说.

在拉丁文化中，玉米被视为一种谷物. It is harvested once it’s fully mature and dried and ground into flour to make tortillas,” she says. “In contrast, Americans of European ancestry are more likely to harvest corn when the kernel is soft and juicy and serve it as a vegetable, steamed, 煎或烤.”

Hominy is a food made from dried kernels of field corn soaked in an alkaline solution then thoroughly rinsed. Hominy can be ground into grits (a popular item in Southern U.S. 拉丁美洲菜肴用的是masa.

爆米花健康吗??

Popcorn, made from the dried kernels of a type of corn called flint corn, can be a healthy, filling, whole-grain snack if the benefits of the corn aren’t overshadowed by added fat and sodium. Unfortunately, that’s a big “if”: Many prepared popcorn products and popcorn sold at movie theaters and sports events are too high in salt and grease to be good for you. For example, 一桶电影院的爆米花可以装超过1个人,000卡路里和2,650毫克钠.

The healthiest choice is plain air- or microwave-popped popcorn you make yourself (not packaged microwave popcorn). 三杯普通爆米花只有95卡路里和3.6 grams of fiber.

健康微波爆米花

1. Put 1/4 cup of plain popcorn kernels in a paper bag and fold the end of the bag over.
2. Microwave on high until you hear two seconds between popping kernels.
3. Drizzle or mist a small amount of olive oil or other healthy oil on the popcorn and lightly toss with parmesan, 胡椒或你最喜欢的香草和香料.

玉米棒之外:玉米的其他用途

Corn is a major crop in the United States, and a large portion of the continental U.S. 是否适合种植. Corn types eaten by human beings comprise only a small fraction of the corn grown and harvested. 剩下的是田地里的玉米, processed for animal feed and used in the manufacture of ethanol, a fuel additive.

除了可食用的玉米粒，玉米还提供:

• Corn flour that can be used to make cornbread, tortillas or polenta.
• Corn oil, which is a natural source of CoQ10, a vitamin associated with heart health.

“玉米用途非常广泛，”威克尔·韦莱斯说. “整个工厂都有用途. For instance, corn husks can be used to make tamales or woven as a textile to make shoes or baskets. Cornsilk is dried and used in traditional Chinese and Native American medicine as a tea.”

Corn Syrup

也许美国最常见的玉米品种是玉米.S. diet is corn syrup, which goes into many processed foods to add texture and sweetness. Derived from the starch of field corn, corn syrup comes in several different varieties.

“玉米糖浆的基本形式是纯葡萄糖, 不同于蔗糖的分子, 哪种是砂糖,Wicker Velez说. “高果糖玉米糖浆, or HFCS, is another variety that is processed to change glucose into fructose, 哪一种比蔗糖甜两倍.”

Wicker Velez notes there is little nutritional difference between table sugar, 高果糖玉米糖浆和其他糖浆——甚至很流行, 昂贵的，比如龙舌兰. 而是因为高果糖玉米糖浆的制造成本很低, it finds its way into a lot of processed snacks and beverages where it contributes to obesity and associated conditions such as metabolic syndrome.

糖果和其他加工过的烘焙食品, sweets and soft drinks made with HFCS are likely to have little or no protein or fiber, 所以它们不会让人觉得饱,” she explains. “It may be easy to overeat the types of foods sweetened with HFCS and end up consuming too many calories.”

食谱:彩虹玉米沙拉

This tangy, colorful combination makes a great side dish with fish or lean protein, 非常适合参加聚餐.

INGREDIENTS

• Two medium limes
• 1/4杯橄榄油
• 半茶匙粗盐
• 1/4茶匙现磨黑胡椒
• 2杯罐装玉米(沥干水分)
• 半杯黑豆(沥干)
• 1/2中号红洋葱
• 1品脱樱桃或葡萄番茄
• 1/2 small bunch fresh herbs, such as cilantro, parsley, dill, basil or a combination
• 两个中等熟的牛油果
• cotija cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

1. 榨两个中号酸橙汁. 放两汤匙果汁, 1/4杯橄榄油, 半茶匙粗盐, 在大碗里放1/4茶匙黑胡椒, 然后搅拌均匀.
2. Add each to the bowl with the dressing as you complete it: 2 cups of canned corn, 半杯黑豆. 1/2中号红洋葱切丁(约3/4杯). 将1品脱圣女果切成两半. Coarsely chop 1/2 small bunch fresh herbs until you have 1/4 cup. 用柔韧的抹刀搅拌均匀.
3. 两个中等成熟的牛油果切丁，放入一个中号碗中. 淋上剩余的酸橙汁，搅拌均匀. Just before serving, add the avocado to the salad and stir gently to combine.
4. 在上面撒上科提亚奶酪，就可以享用了!

共同的遗产

玉米对栽培和饮食都很重要. It was domesticated in the Americas thousands of years ago and was sacred to ancient people of Mexico. Some Native American nations’ lore tells of a nurturing spirit who gave corn to her people to sustain them, and some tribes still celebrate the ripening of the corn harvest with spiritual ceremonies, 舞会和宴会. Wicker Velez points out that corn was on the table at the first Thanksgiving in what would later become the United States.

Explorers first introduced corn to Europe in the late 15th century. 尽管它从未取代小麦面包, 意大利面和土豆在大洋彼岸, 玉米对美洲来说仍然是必不可少的. 以这样或那样的形式, corn still appears regularly on tables from Canada to the southernmost points of Chile and Argentina.