Corn is making headlines these days, and not always in a positive light. From bioengineered corn to biofuels to high fructose corn syrup, corn has come under heavy scrutiny. But to be fair, corn has played a major role in American history. Corn was first domesticated by Mesoamerican natives from a wild grass called teosinte. It was considered one of the “three sisters” crops along with beans and squash and played a crucial role in the survival of the first European settlers.

Today many varieties of edible corn exist including sweet corn, popcorn, and flour corn. According to My Pyramid corn and popcorn can contribute to both daily vegetable and whole grain intake. Three cups of popcorn is considered 1 ounce of whole grains, while ½ cup of corn is considered a ½ cup serving of starchy vegetable.

Even though some corn products may be receiving a bad rap from the media, it is still important to promote corn in its lesser processed forms as a valuable, starchy vegetable.