The Shocking Truth About How Much Corn You Eat

Aw, geez, now I can't even enjoy my Orville Redenbacher? ;-)

but... but... i love corn...

This looks like an interesting documentary... The corn economy is complex and it's not getting simpler. Another good source of information on the dominance of corn in our diet is The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan.

On the other hand, is there anything more beautiful than a freshly-picked ear of corn immediately steamed and served with salt and butter?

Of course, even in a diet that allows for some moderation and diversity, I would never think about suggesting grabbing a McDonald's Big Mac and Coke.

Also, I don't understand how people freak out that regular soda has so much HFCS in it. Don't drink it. Drink diet if you have to drink soda. Also not a super choice, but it has no HFCS in it.

Wow, almost all of the food we eat contains corn. If ever some serious problem happens to corn, lots will be affected including food for the livestock. I guess there are lots of corn-like substitutes to enhance our food.

Just got diagnosed with a MAJOR CORN ALLERGY! I had to cut it completely from my diet! I have lost 3 pounds since last Thursday. It has been the hardest challenge of my life so far though just because of how much it is in everything. Please go to http://www.cornallergens.com/

Which is why the current obsession with corn base Ethanol scares me. As we grind up our corn supply to fuel our cars, we increase the possibility that our food prices will increase (have to feed those cows, right?).

If our food supply is so tied to corn, taking a massive portion of it out of the food supply and creating fuel seems to me is likely to increase the cost of our energy ... not offset it.

Not to be an alarmist...just my thoughts.

Wally said:
Wow, almost all of the food we eat contains corn. If [...]

...all the 'processed', 'convenience' food you eat contains corn.

And the solution is?? Invest in real food. Buy the expensive real maple syrup and not the thinned down with corn syrup rubbish...use less and savour it. Wean yourself off the processed artificial foods (which is what it is in the end), learn to drink water as a quencher, herbal teas...etc etc.

By the way, diabetes in native Americans was unheard of until the US government 'took away' (eventually banned for quite a time) their native, lower carb nutrient dense corn. The hybrid corn developed did not sit well with their genetic makeup and is still today the major contributor to the rampant diabetes/obesity found amongst them...this and eventually being romanced away from their traditional foods...again consuming far more 'white man's corn' hidden in processed food.

In the mid 1900's (or so) this was pointed out the the US government at the time...who was not interested - afterall this was a time when the Native Americans were not allowed to leave their reservations and they were 'only Indians'. Eventually they had the choice of growing their own corn, only if their crop could not jepardize other 'white man's corn' crops (wind carrying pollen).

Fortunately, blue corn and other native corn, as I understand it is available in some US health food shops.

Point is, I would suspect that since many Americans have some (or like to pretend they do ;>D ) Native American blood, this could predispose them to the rampant corn allergies or diabetes in the US. I wonder?

Mousefinger said:
Which is why the current obsession with corn base Ethanol scares me. As we grind up our corn supply to fuel our cars, we increase the possibility that our food prices will increase (have to feed those cows, right?).[...]

If our food supply is so tied to corn, taking a massive portion of it out of the food supply and creating fuel seems to me is likely to increase the cost of our energy ... not offset it.

Not to be an alarmist...just my thoughts.

The reason our food supply is so tied to corn is because of those billions of dollars of subsidies the government still pays corn farmers decades after they should be. That makes corn so plentiful and cheap it's practically given away - which is why McD's uses it so extensively. It allows them to sell cheap food at a high profit margin! Adjust the subsidies and corn won't be the cheapest filler ingredient for processed food anymore. Personally, I don't see a problem with corn-filled food prices going up because it' obvious that that type of food is making us fat (so we don't need to be buying it in the first place).

And can't the cows eat grass? If they did, their milk and meat would be much more nutritious for us.

Beef in the US hasn't been raised traditionally since generations. There is such a HUGE beef consumption increase in the US that there just isn't enough grass. Besides, the grain is an easy way to control all the additives they add to the feed and makes raising them in smaller areas easier to manage.

I'm glad to live in a country where the cattle is grass-fed and the corn is not GM, that is all I have to say.

I had whole-wheat and oat-bran tortillas that I rolled in corn flour yesterday for both lunch and dinner, though. That is the only corn in 2 weeks. The only processed foods I had in the last 2 weeks are diet sodas, so no corn there.

I eat very little corn, and do not miss it.

It helped when I realized that corn is NOT a vegetable, but a grain.

Brian

I don't eat a lot of processed food, but I do love popcorn and corn on the cob. I get my corn on the cob from my father in law, who grows it in his garden. It's not GM for rootworm protection or sprayed for borers, so sometimes you get some funky ears, but it's really good most of the time. I think the main thing you have to do is avoid most processed foods and check ingredient lists carefully.

I think that the government should be subsidizing corn for ethanol production for the petroleum industry. E85 fuel could become a lot more prevalent and I'd rather have my car run on corn than me.

I despise how difficult it is to shop for something as basic as bread to find one without high fructose corn syrup. And sure, making my own would resolve that problem. I'd love to. Except that I'm a college student, on a budget, and with only a microwave in my dorm. So if I want bread, it has to be store bought.

Trans fats are made from corn oil. If we can recognize the hazard of trans fat, we have to recognize a hazard from all corn products and corn additives. It is very difficult, but the best way to protest is to not buy it. What if it all boils down to being corn. Not old fashioned butter and cane sugar, but corn. How come the government is paying people to produce the stuff and publishing a pyramid telling us to eat it? Follow the money.