Whether it’s skillet-baked Southern cornbread, sweet cake-like Northern cornbread, or chile spiced, smoky Southwestern cornbread, this classic preparation has everything going for it with its great texture and satisfying taste. But it doesn’t exactly score high when it comes to nutrition. With all that unnecessary white flour filler, and the temptation to add butter before eating, cornbread has got the dubious distinction of being super unhealthy.
If you’re craving it, and don’t want to upset your diet, use these simple tips to transform your cornbread into a healthy snack:
- Use coarse, stone-ground cornmeal instead of the finer version, because it is a significant source of dietary fiber, which is important to healthy bowel function. Diets high in fiber have also been shown to help in weight loss and healthy weight maintenance. Cornmeal contains 9.4 grams of fiber in each 3.5-ounce serving. That’s 38 percent of the 25 grams of fiber women need each day and 25 percent of the 38 grams men should include in their daily diets.
- Substitute the regular cornmeal and white flour filler with whole-grain cornmeal and white whole wheat flour. Corn doesn’t contain gluten, so it’s safe for those suffering from celiac disease or gluten intolerance.
- Use one percent milk instead of whole milk, and sunflower oil instead of butter or bacon fat. This is a great suggestion for vegans, who are strongly against using animal fat in their food.
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