Super source
Carbohydrate
11.4 g · 4% DV target
A starchy, golden-hued cereal grain consumed as a vegetable, sweetcorn offers a crisp texture and natural sweetness alongside a robust profile of complex carbohydrates and dietary fibre.
Sweetcorn is primarily a source of complex carbohydrates, providing roughly 20g per 100g in fresh varieties, which includes a combination of starch, dietary fibre, and natural sugars .18
Consuming sweetcorn as a whole grain—rather than processed into refined flours—preserves the bran and germ, which contain the majority of the plant's minerals, including magnesium, iron, and zinc .2
Fresh sweetcorn is classified as a whole grain and contributes to dietary fibre intake, which is consistently recommended by major health institutions like the USDA and the Chinese Society of Nutrition to support a balanced diet .369
While sweetcorn is often categorised as a vegetable in culinary contexts, its energy density and protein content (approximately 3g to 5g per serving) are more comparable to other cereal grains than to leafy green vegetables .89
Petal shape shows the nine FoodCompass domains, including nutrient density, processing, satiety, fats, and phytochemicals.
11.4 g · 4% DV target
3.77 g · 8% DV target
0.86 g · Top 18% of vegetables
7.10 mg · 8% DV target
37.5 μg · 9% DV target
Seasonality has not been estimated for this ingredient yet.
Keep in husks to maintain moisture and sweetness.
Blanch before freezing for best quality.
Relatively efficient water use compared to other grains, though nitrogen fertilizer use can be high.
Unlike most vegetables, sweetcorn is the result of a naturally occurring genetic mutation in field corn that prevents the conversion of sugar into starch, causing the kernels to remain sweet and tender.