Nutritional values of cereals: discovering white corn
Cereals are the basis of the food pyramid, because they are rich in nutritional properties. Wheat and rice are the most common ones, but one of the oldest and less popular one is white corn. Imported in Italy after the discovery of America, after some centuries it was substituted by its more common yellow variety. Today white corn is a cereal, whose nutritional values have been re-evaluated also by those who follow hypocaloric diets and have food intolerance.
The properties of white corn
White corn is rich in nutritional properties: first of all, it is naturally gluten free, unlike many deglutenized products. Its fiber content is very high: just think that it contains 3 times more fibers than its yellow variety or 00 flour. The content of iron and phosphorus is significant, too: with 100 grams we assimilate about ⅓ of our recommended daily intake. Last but not least, it has a poor content of nickel, that makes it a perfect cereal if you are intolerant to this metal and gluten.
An ally for a hypocaloric diet
In addition to diets for food intolerance, white corn is excellent if you are willing to follow a hypocaloric diet. It has a high filling power and a lower glycemic index in comparison with traditional wheat pasta.
It contains B-complex vitamins that help increase metabolism and burn fats and carbohydrates, whereas due to its nutritional properties it is perfect if you have digestion problems, because it doesn’t make you swell and help regularize your intestine. The absence of cholesterol, instead, helps improve heart functions.
Recipes with white corn
From this important cereal, white corn flour is made. It is mainly used in Veneto to make white polenta, that is perfect for main dishes or as a side dish with meat or fish, instead of bread. White flour can also be used to make a very porous pasta with delicate taste. Le Celizie, for example, offers many types of this pasta, like “White corn penne” or “White corn tagliolini”, suitable for a lot of gluten and nickel free recipes.
