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Not many people don't like corn! There's plenty of nutritional reasons to eat corn, but now a doctor from Cherry Hill, New Jersey says raw corn can help you lose weight, too! He says it's tasty and healthy and all you need do is husk the corn and wash it. If you boil corn, you do lose most of the nutrients in the cooking water; however, you can use that nutritious cooking water as the base for soup.

Since fresh sweet corn consists primarily of simple and complex carbohydrates, it's a superb energy source. It fulfills our energy needs without providing us with a substantial amount of fat.

Get the most bang for your buck

Shop by color. Yellow corn has only about 2 grams of fiber per serving, but white corn more than doubles that.

Make sure your corn is mature. Look for ears that have full, plump kernels. To see if corn is ripe, puncture one of the kernels with your fingernail. If the liquid that comes out isn't milky colored, the corn is either immature or over-ripe and you should pass it by.

Get the whole kernel. When eating corn on the cob, you invariably leave a lot behind. To get the most out of each kernel, you are better off buying frozen or canned corn. Or you can cut the kernels from the cob with a knife.

Buy your corn vacuum packed. While canned corn can be almost as nutritious as fresh, it loses some of its value when it's packed in brine, which leaches nutrients. To get the most vitamins, look for vacuum-packed corn, which does not contain brine. COrn taht is vacuum packed (it will say so on the label) usually comes in short, squat cans. Or choose frozen corn instead. Studies at the FDA showed that frozen corn is just as nutritious as fresh.

Cooled corn. Heat rapidly converts the sugar in corn to starch, so buy corn that is refrigerated or at least in the shade.

Cook it right away. When corn sits around, its natural sugar turns into starch, giving up the natural sweet taste. Cook corn as soon after it was picked as possible.

Hold the salt. When cooking corn in boiling water, do not add salt. This will draw moisture from the kernels, making them tough and difficult to chew.

Strip the kernels. When you have a craving for fresh corn but don't want to wrestle with the cob, just strip the kernels off. Hold the cob upright in a bowl. Using a sharp knife, slice downward, cutting away a few rows at a time. when all the kernels are removed, scrape the dull side of the blade down the sides of the cob to extract the sweet, milky juice.

Recipe: Baked Barbecued Corn

6 ears corn with husks
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash of black pepper
2 tablespoons water

Pull husks carefully from corn so that husk remains attached to the bottom of corn ear. Remove silk from corn.
Melt butter in small saucepan, add seasonings, and stir. Brush butter mixture on ear of corn. Pull cornhusk up to cover corn and tie with string.
Place in 13 x 9-inch glass baking dish, sprinkle with water, cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Serves 6.
Grilled Barbecued Corn: Prepare corn as above to the point of placing corn in the baking dish. Instead place corn directly on the grill over a medium hot charcoal fire. Cook for 30 to 40 minutes, turning every few minutes. Remove husk which will be brown and dry before serving.
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See also:
Mini Corn Muffins
Corn, Tomato and Basil Salad
Cheesy Mini Corn Muffins
Low Fat Broccoli, Corn and Cheese Casserole
Corn Salad with Cilantro Vinaigrette
Corn and Pepper Chowder Vegetarian Recipe

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