Corn is a widely available and beloved crop that is consumed as part of its street food culture, at barbecues, turned into rotis, and many more delicacies.
With corn being so widely available and reasonable, a lot of people may wonder whether it can be considered as conducive to good health and weight loss.
With the controversy surrounding food additives like High Fructose Corn Syrup, and it being high on the glycemic index and high in calories, people might assume that corn in general is high in calories and bad for health.
But they would be mistaken. Pure, unprocessed corn in its natural form is a great addition to your diet if your goal is weight loss.
Even sweet corn is conducive to weight loss when consumed in moderation!
But if you are diabetic or have a certain medical condition, please check with a doctor before eating corn in any form.
Here are the benefits of corn for weight loss:
1. Corn is high in protein
In addition to corn having less calories per 100 grams than both whole wheat and white rice, it’s also higher in protein. Protein has long been known to be a great addition to your diet if you’re looking to shed pounds.
Protein boosts the metabolism and enables the body to shed pounds more easily, and helps in muscle development, as opposed to fat cell growth, when consumed in the right quantities, relative to an individual’s body weight.
2. Corn is low in calories
There is a common assumption that corn is high in calories, but one cob of corn has the same amount of calories as an average sized apple. It’s only when we start to slather our corn with butter, or deep fry it into pakodas, that it begins to settle on our waistlines.
3. Corn is high in soluble fibre
Corn is very high in fibre. There are numerous studies that link a high fibre diet to prevention of fat accumulation around the belly and to the shedding of belly fat. Fibre also keeps you fuller for longer and prevents you from over-eating, which also helps you along on your weight loss journey.
4. Corn is packed with vitamins and minerals
Foods for weight loss need to be able to provide you with all the essential vitamins and minerals, so that you aren’t sacrificing your health in favour of a slender body. Corn does just that! It is high on minerals like magnesium and potassium and high in vitamins like vitamin C, vitamin B1 and Vitamin B9.
5. Easy to eat
I strongly believe that a food that we consume regularly for weight loss needs to be:
* Readily available
* Reasonable
* Easy to prepare
And corn is all of these things!
This makes corn a sustainable option for those looking to consume it regularly.
6. Corn is versatile
Corn can be cooked and eaten in a variety of ways. From Corn Porridge to Maize Flour and Corn Salads, eating corn to shed kilos doesn’t have to boring or monotonous! Are you tempted by the flavourful cup of corn chaat on the streets or outside movie halls? Think again!
With the preparation options that corn offers, weight loss can be a delicious journey!
Corn is a frequently misunderstood food that deserves more recognition as a healthy grain. Start to incorporate corn into your diet, without combining it with copious amounts of oil, sugar and fat, start to exercise moderately and watch the magic happen, and the weight disappear!
