Sweet corn vs desi bhutta: Which is healthier?
Unlike sweet corn which is available around the year, the desi variety is available only during the rains, nutritionist Munmun Ganeriwal said
There are a large number of indigenous corn varieties.
Be it sweet corn or roadside desi bhutta (corn on the cob), both have their own charm. But when it comes to their impact on one’s health, one variety is found to be better than the other. So, what should you eat — sweet corn or bhutta?
Celebrity nutritionist Munmun Ganeriwal shared a long post on social media recently, to talk about the difference between sweet corn and desi roasted corn.
Sweet corn, said Ganeriwal, is grown from imported hybrid seeds that need “a lot of resources to grow”. Its nutrient density is also compromised while being high on sugar. “…it requires a liberal use of pesticides. With larger food miles in procuring these seeds, it’s nutrient density is compromised and environmental load is high. And one cannot overlook the high sugar content that it has along with the most negligible fibre content,” the nutritionist wrote.
Indigenous corn, on the other hand, comes in more than 3000 varieties. They can be grown with minimal resources of water and manure, the nutritionist said. “[Indigenous corn varieties] act as pest repellents when inter-cropped with other crops hence ensuring low use of pesticides. Unlike sweet corn, they are harvested after attaining maturity, hence the sugar has been converted into complex starch which does not spike up the blood sugar levels in the human body.”
