Corn porridge

Corn porridge is not only an excellent side dish, but also a very tasty, stand-alone dish, popular in Romania, Moldova, Italy and many other places. Its popularity is due not only to ease of preparation, but also an unconditional positive impact on the work of the human body.

How to choose cereal?

If you want to diversify the diet, then corn porridge, the benefits and harm of which will be covered a little lower, will become a simple and at the same time original solution. The main thing is to choose the right cereal, because the quality of the dish depends on its quality.

The criterion for the selection of raw materials should be color. Bright yellow, with pale impregnations suggests that the grits are obtained from juicy varieties of dairy corn. If the color of the cereal is dull, then, most likely, the conditions of storage or processing of raw materials were violated.

Before cooking, it is recommended to pour the grits with cold water so that the porridge cooks faster and is airy and light. If the corn grits are not quite fresh, it is better to boil the porridge with milk - then it will be crumbly and soft.

Useful properties of corn porridge

What is useful corn porridge? Groats contain:

• B vitamins, including riboflavin (B2), pyridoxine (B6);
• folic acid, especially necessary during pregnancy for the development of the fetus;
• iron, silicon, carbohydrates, carotene;
• fatty acids, disaccharides, ash substances.

Thanks to this set of useful properties, regular consumption of corn porridge, according to nutritionists, provides the following benefits:

• easy digestion even with problems with the gastrointestinal tract. Porridge is perfectly digested by the body, and with a small amount of milk or butter, gently envelops the walls of the stomach. There is no gluten in corn grits, so dishes from it can be eaten even by people whose intestines work imperfectly;
• excretion of toxins from the body. For this reason, doctors advise to include products from corn grits in the weekly diet;
• immunity strengthening;
• hypoallergenic, which is especially important for baby food;
• strengthening hair and nails.

Doctors recommend that corn porridge be introduced into the infant diet from eight months, since riboflavin has a strengthening effect on the baby’s immunity, and the presence of iron covers the daily need for this trace element. Corn porridge for children is prepared in water or milk, if the baby is not allergic to dairy products.

Those who care about body shape should value this “sunny” dish only for its taste, but also for its lack of influence on weight. Calorie corn porridge is only 335 calories, and the content of vitamins and trace elements provides all body systems with the necessary substances.

Possible harm

Any product that is used improperly can cause a negative reaction in the body. Corn porridge is no exception. This dish is not recommended to be abused if:

• you have a stomach ulcer, because corn is quite a heavy product;
• are allergic to carotene because, being present in corn grits, it can cause a rash on the face;
• you stick to monodiets. Excess corn porridge has the opposite effect and significantly affects your forms;
• violated the storage conditions of the product. In this case, the croup loses its beneficial properties and may unpredictably affect its health.

To determine if there is a negative effect of the corn product on your body, doctors advise you to start using porridge in its pure form. In the absence of undesirable consequences, you can add dried fruits or milk to it, as well as serve as a side dish.

How to cook corn porridge: technology and tricks

Any housewife knows that cooking porridge is an easy process only at first glance. In fact, the technology of cooking porridge requires constant monitoring. As for the preparation of corn porridge, the main problem is that it needs constant stirring, otherwise it starts to burn. To make your cereal fragrant and crumbly you need:

1. Pour the cereal with cold water for 15-20 minutes.
2. Pour the corn grits into boiling water and cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes.
3. After that, stew for 15 minutes on low heat.
4. Serve porridge can be with fruit, casseroles (sweet or vegetable), meat.

Experienced hostesses also recommend:

• for cooking porridge choose pans with thick walls - so the corn grits will not burn;
• so that the porridge is not thick, it can be diluted with milk or yogurt;
• if the porridge is intended as a side dish for meat dishes, then it is possible to add fried onion with tomatoes to it;
• add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil to the finished porridge - so it will be even more tender to the taste.

If you care about your health, corn porridge, the benefits and harms of which are studied quite well and quite predictable, will be an excellent way to add variety to the diet.