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Sweet Corn Is A Stellar Snack

June 20, 2011   16 Comments

Don't tell me you haven't noticed the piles of corn at the front of your local grocery store. The stacks of 10 ears for $2 are calling Snack Girl.

Sweet Corn is a Healthy Snack

Sweet corn, sometimes called a vegetable (and always called a grain) is a great source of thiamin, folate, fiber, vitamin C, phosphorous, manganese, and those great cancer fighting phytochemicals.

On the ear, corn is not the evil processed grain that is dumped into our foods via high fructose corn syrup or other additives. It is more like a vegetable because it is FRESH and it is intact.

I have heard parents complain that their children will only eat corn (my son will eat it off the cob without even cooking it) and this is probably because it is sweet. But, you are getting a bunch of necessary nutrients with that sugar - so stop worrying about it.

Hey, better than an Oreo, right?

Corn is considered a "starchy" vegetable like a potato, but a medium potato has 36 grams of carbohydrates versus an ear of sweet corn's 14 grams of carbohydrates. Or course, portion size is going to play into how much starch you actually consume.

If you avoid adding butter to your corn, you are eating only 60-80 calories of a snack. How do you avoid butter?

Try using a little salt, chile, and lime. These flavors contrast with the sweetness - so you get sweet, sour, salty, and hot in one glorious bite. It is intensely flavorful.

After you purchase corn, cook it right away. I made the mistake last week of leaving it my fridge for 3 days before cooking it and the sugars had turned all starchy and it didn't taste very good :(

I salvaged it by cutting the cooked corn off the cob and making a corn, tomato, cilantro, and lime salad - which tasted delicious. Once the corn is cooked, you can toss it in your fridge as use it and it will remain fresh for a couple of days.

I like the simplicity of corn on the cob. I have included two methods of cooking it. The grilling method is very effective because the husk steams the corn. If you choose to boil or steam it, be sure not to overcook it. Nobody likes soggy corn.

How do you eat and/or prepare corn on the cob?

chilelimecornb

Chile Lime Corn Recipe

1.6 from 24 reviews

(serves 4)
4 ears corn
1 lime
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chile powder

Stove Method: Put a large pot of water on to boil. Shuck corn. When water is boiling add corn and cook for 2 minutes. Taste the corn for doneness - and let it go 2 more minutes or until you have cooked it to your desired tenderness.

Grill Method: Heat your grill with direct high heat for 10 minutes. Place the corn IN THEIR HUSKS on the hot grill. Cover. Turn the corn a couple of times until the husks are charred on all sides, about 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes and using gloves remove the husks and silk.

Final Step: Slice lime into 4 quarters and mix salt and chile powder in a small bowl. Dip lime into chile-salt mixture. Squeeze lime onto cooked corn and enjoy!

63 calories, 0.9 g fat, 13.9 g carbohydrates, 2.4 g protein, 2.0 g fiber, 592mg sodium, 2 Points+

Points values are calculated by Snack Girl and are provided for information only. See all Snack Girl Recipes

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16 Comments:

I LOVE corn. It's my favorite "veggie" - although my husband always says it's not a veggie, it's just a starch. I don't need butter on mine, I just sprinkle on some cayanne pepper!

I liked when you said that corn is not the evil processed grain. Just because we hate high fructose corn syrup we should not hate corn. Corn is nutritious.

I also watched a documentary called 'king corn' a couple of months ago. After watching this film, I think it is still a good idea to find quality corn (which is true with any produce).

Corn on the Cob in the microwave is totally the way to go. You do NOT shuck it. Just cut off the tip where the silks poke out. Toss it into the microwave as is. Cook on high for about 3-5 minutes per ear. Three ears usually cook in 10 minutes. They will be super hot when they come out so grab a towel and let them rest for a moment. Then shuck as usual. The silks will simply FALL OFF. So easy and yummy!!! And no hot stove and a lot faster!!!

I absolutely love corn on the cob. I grew up down the street from a farm that grew the best sweet corn of all time. I really like your chili lime flavoring idea, although nothing beats raw fresh in season sweet corn. I microwave my cobs in wax paper, but I am waiting a few more weeks until corn is in season before I get myself some ears.

Thanks for this recipe! I love corn on the cob but we don't have any fresh showing up in the Farmer's markets here just yet (Colorado).

Love, love, love corn on the cob! I've tried the lime and salt instead of butter and it is sooooooooooooooo good! My family thinks I'm nuts but it is so yummy and I can justify a lime wedge in a light beer to go with it. :)

I've been eating corn like this since you first posted it last year. I think it tastes better this way than with salt and butter.

@sallyjrw - Thanks! I am glad you like it - I decided to repost so that I could address the corn is a vegetable vs. grain issue. Sweet corn and processed corn are very different things. Thanks for being such a loyal reader!

I like to cut it off the cob, cook it in milk and pulse in the blender or processor a few times for a yummy soup.

mmmmmmmmmmm looks marvelous

If you're grilling, it helps to soak the ears in water for about an hour ahead of time, too. Helps it to steam cook, too, and not burn as easily. You have to keep turning it on the grill to make sure it doesn't burn... baby sit it and you'll be glad you did. And don't forget to buy extra and freeze it! Yes, stock up NOW and freeze it! Shuck and all! Thaw it in a sink of water for a few hours and throw it on the grill. In addition, if you can plant it yourself and want to eat some of the BEST corn you'll ever eat, get some SWEET "G90" or "Ambrosia" seeds, they're a bicolored sweet corn and are the best you'll ever eat. You'll get 2 cobs to each corn stalk, so plant a bunch. We just harvested about 100 ears and they're happily waiting in my freezer for us to eat for the rest of the year. Thanks for the recipe, SG! I usually eat mine with nothing on it because ours is so yummy, but i love the idea of a chile/lime garnish. One of my fave mex food places to eat serves roasted corn as an optional topping on their dishes, so that's on my to-do list to try, as well, this winter... oven roasted corn. MMMM.

Yum! I love corn. I use to plant corn at my old house (because there was a lot of land, the house that I live in now has little land). Now, where I live, you can buy 5 or 10 ears of corn for only $1-$4! Plus it's fresh because it's seriously right by the farm!

We made this for guests last night and it was phenomenal. I'll never put anything else on my corn ever again. Simply amazing!

One question - how do you determine the calories in an ear of corn? I've seen everything from 60 to 130 calories...

Also, we always cook our corn in the microwave. Just clean the ears well, and while they're wet individually wrap them in wax paper and twist the ends. Microwave on HIGH for about 4 minutes (2 ears), and they are just about perfect every time with no cleanup!

hi ,,, is the sweet corn increase the body weight ?

When I microwave corn I simply run it under the faucet for a minute or so to get the husk pretty wet which must help it steam because I only nuke it for 2 and a half minutes per ear.

When boiling on the stove, try putting ears in cold water. Turn up the heat and when it boils it's ready!

I don't ever put anything on corn. It's so good hot or better yet as a cold leftover snack the next day!

Microwave is the way to go. Do not shuck, cut the stem end off to fit in the oven. In a 1000W microwave, 2 ears cook in 4 minutes. Remove from microwave cut a 2 inch slice off the stem end of the ear and squeeze the silk end until the ear falls out. Sometimes you have to shake a little or squeeze down a little further. This is absolutely the perfect ear of corn. Did it last night with fresh Silver King corn. Perfect

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