Is Corn a Vegetable

Corn, also known as maize has been cultivated by humans for over 10,000 years. Corn is also a great competitor in the commercial agriculture. In America, New Zealand and Australia, corn is referred to as maize. Corn also refers to cereal grains like fodder and sweet corn. If we go by the traditional viewpoint, corn is referred to all the cereal crops and the grain producing crops like wheat, oat, rye, barley etc. So what is corn, exactly? Is corn a vegetable?

Is Corn a Vegetable?
The actual point of debate starts from the origin of corn. Where does corn come from? Does corn come from the vegetative part of the plant or the reproductive part of the plant, are the two things that need to be considered before raising the question - is corn a vegetable. As we know, products that we get from the reproductive part of a plant are known as fruits and the products that we get from the vegetative part of the plant are known as vegetables.

Deciding why is corn considered a vegetable is not much of a tough call. If we see through the botanical angle, corn is a grain and not a vegetable. Basically, corn is the caryopsis of the corn plant. Caryopsis simply means dried fruit. Caryopsis is also called as 'grain'. This means that corn is just the normal grain like the wheat and oats. The only difference between the other grains and corn is that they are not eaten raw, like the corns. Corns can be consumed raw by us, like say tomatoes or any such vegetables. For common people, corn is a vegetable as we consume corn in the diet by preparing variety of dishes, the same way we do with all the other vegetables. People also ask questions like - is corn a fruit then?

Well, it is a fact that an ear of corn consist of 800 to 1000 tiny fruits, which are attached to a hard, woody cob that is inedible. The actual answer to the question- is corn a vegetable or a fruit can be- no corn is neither a vegetable nor a fruit but corn is actually a grain.

Is Corn a Healthy Vegetable?
Is corn a starchy vegetable which is also healthy? Corn is said to be a healthy vegetable. Corn is actually a compound of carbohydrates which is all rich with vitamin C and dietary fibers, called as pericarps. The kernel of the corn is a huge storehouse of a large amount of proteins and starch. We can describe one corn kernel as a 'planted' egg! The pericarps can be said to be the hard eggshell, that protects the inner substance, while the endosperm of the corn which are starchy can be considered as the egg white. You may think, I am out of my mind, comparing egg with the corn ear. But really, an ear of corn consists all the qualities of an egg.

As we settled the debate on the point that corn is a grain but for normal people who regularly consume corn, it is a vegetable. Well, is corn a starchy vegetable? Does it fit into the list of starchy vegetables? Corn is definitely a starchy vegetable. Following are the nutritious values of the corn.

Starch: As we know, starch enhances the nutritious value of many plants and grains. The energy that is collected through green leaves is converted into sugar and this sugar is then converted into starch. This whole process occurs with the help of certain enzymes that are present in the corn. Hence, corn is a starchy vegetable. But then as we also know that corn is 'not' a vegetable, it is considered as only a starch like that of the potatoes.

Fiber: Corn can be said as the ultimate source of fibers. A cup full of corns or any food recipe rich with corn can make up to all the daily fiber requirements of a person. Fibers in corns help in lowering the blood cholesterol levels and also reducing the risk of colon cancer. Corn fibers are also very healthy for people who are suffering from diabetes and high blood sugar levels. Hence, corn must be included if the person is switching on a high fiber diet.

Vitamins: Corn is a rich source of vitamins, that are important for maintaining human health. Corn is rich in several important vitamins like vitamin C, vitamin B5, vitamin B9 (folic acid), and vitamin B1 (thiamin). Corn must be an important part of the daily diet for people suffering from various vitamin deficiencies. Especially, pregnant women must consume corn as it provides starch and folic acid which is the most important vitamin for them.

You can add corn in the daily diet by preparing many of its variety dishes, various styles of popcorns, corn as a side dish and you can even have it raw! Corn can even be consumed when it is not the season of the corns. They are available in frozen form, that can be bought to the normal room temperature and then made up into different corn dishes. Forget the debate about is corn a vegetable, is corn a healthy vegetable, is corn a good vegetable and all such other questions; as you know the answer now- corn is a grain! Let's just concentrate upon the health benefits of corn and keep adding it into the meal to stay healthy! What say!