Sweet corn

18.7% carbohydrate · 2% fibre

Per 100 g

86 kcal Energy

3.27 g Protein

18.7 g Carbs

1.35 g Fat

2 g Fibre

Gluten-free August–September GI 53

Let’s cook with it → Invent something with it

What it is for

They build structure. Starch granules swell in hot water, burst, and weave a net that traps the liquid — most of what you call body comes from here. Wheat does one extra job on top: gluten.

Where it catches you out

Starch does nothing before 62 °C, and acid cuts the chains during a long boil. Think about your thickener after the heat and before the acid.

The knack

For nutrition calculations, weigh kernels rather than the cob and count added butter separately.

Storage and health

How to keep it, and who it suits.

Keeping it

Refrigerate corn in its husk in a bag for 5 days; once kernels are removed, keep sealed for 2-3 days.

Gluten-free

Plain maize is a naturally gluten-free grain.

Glycaemic index

53 — glucose is taken as 100. Below 55 is low, 56–69 medium, 70 and above high. The number says nothing about portion: at the same index, twice the amount is twice the load.

Row in the table: Sweet corn, mean of two foods

Atkinson et al., Am J Clin Nutr 2021