Corn sticks: calorie content, nutritional value, benefit and harm

Nutritional information | Vitamins | Minerals

How much does Corn sticks cost (average price per 1 kg)?

What do you think almost all children of the Soviet Union loved most? Of course, corn sticks, and always covered in powdered sugar. Although, on the other hand, there was nothing cheaper and more accessible in those days. It is gratifying that even today this airy delicacy has not lost its popularity.

A food product called corn sticks, which is a foam based on corn grits prepared in a special way, which is fully formed and subsequently dried. The calorie content of corn sticks is 518 kcal per 100 grams of puffed product.

The main advantage of this sweet, in addition to its excellent taste, is the fact that it is easy, quick and simple to prepare a huge number of a wide variety of dishes from sticks. To do this, you need to purchase corn sticks and some other quite affordable and inexpensive products. Anthill cake, Raffaello cake, corn sticks in melted toffee, sweet sausage, golden balls with coconut flakes, waffles, hedgehogs... And these are just a few examples of desserts and sweet dishes based on corn sticks.

Health benefits of corn sticks

Corn sticks, their benefits and harms, have long been studied by nutrition experts. They came to the conclusion that the product is still valuable for the human body, even though the presence of vitamins and minerals in it is too low.

Experts highlight the following beneficial properties of corn sticks:

1. Saturation of the body with the daily norm of vitamin B2.
2. Improved mood and increased vigor.
3. Eliminate signs of hunger.

Corn sticks are an ideal quick snack if you don’t have time to have a full lunch.

Is it possible to eat corn sticks on a diet?

Corn sticks can still be beneficial for your health. But if you’re on a diet, you definitely shouldn’t include them in your diet. This is because they are high in calories, which means that it is unlikely that you will be able to lose weight with such a diet.

Still, it is recommended to overcome your desire to eat a portion of corn sticks while on a diet. It is best to replace them with a lower calorie product.

Beneficial features

Despite the fact that the delicacies contain healthy corn grits, they can hardly be called healthy food. As mentioned above, a large number of food additives are added to dessert.

The most useful are considered to be those sticks that quickly dissolve with saliva in the mouth. If the product is crunchy and chews slowly, this means that the manufacturing process was disrupted.

However, there are also advantages to eating sweet treats: fast carbohydrates are instantly broken down into glucose, restoring energy in the body. At the same time, they quickly fill you up , so they are ideal as a snack for both an adult and a child. However, you cannot eat sweets in large quantities, since carbohydrates are transformed into subcutaneous fat. You should eat corn sticks as a breakfast, combining them with sour berries or fruits - then the benefits of consumption will be much greater.

It is worth noting that some manufacturers of corn delicacies add vitamin compounds to their products. Moreover, even during heat treatment, B vitamins are retained in the mass. During cooking, the amount of vitamin E and A is greatly reduced.

Harm of corn sticks

Corn sticks, the benefits of which depend on the manufacturer, can cause significant harm to the body. If you purchase airy sweets from unknown manufacturers, there is a high probability of dangerous fillers entering your body. High quality corn products are considered harmless. The only serious danger to a healthy person is possible weight gain.

Those with diabetes should limit their consumption of treats. Popsicles are known for their high glycemic index. They are not recommended for high blood sugar levels.

In case of gastrointestinal disorders, consumption of corn delicacy can cause active gas formation, accumulation of gases in the stomach and intestines. If you have an individual intolerance to corn raw materials, it is also undesirable to use air sticks. Sometimes natural and chemical fillers cause negative reactions in the body, so it is important to carefully check the composition of the product.

If the sticks are consumed regularly, over time it can lead to tooth decay. The reason for the development of the disease is not only in sweet additives. The corn mass layers and is difficult to remove from the gums and teeth. Even using a toothbrush, floss and other cleaning devices does not always help get rid of treat residue.

For ulcers and gastritis, consumption of corn sweets is undesirable. This is a prohibited product during therapeutic diets. But in the remission phase, a small amount of sticks will not harm. In this case, it is advisable to familiarize yourself with the doctor’s recommendations.

If you are concerned about skin imperfections, especially those caused by digestive disorders, it is not advisable to consume corn products. The sticks contain a lot of corn starch, sugar, and fat, which can cause rashes, dullness and other skin imperfections.

Those who suffer from chronic dermatological diseases should be especially careful. Sometimes the body’s negative reaction does not appear immediately, but only over time. What negative consequences include: spasms, pain, nausea.

Corn sticks: harmful or healthy, how many calories are in them, is it possible for breastfeeding?

Corn sticks are a favorite treat for many children.
They are soft and melt in the mouth, so even a toothless baby will eat them with pleasure. Parents are worried whether it is worth buying sweets for their child, because such an amount of sugar can be harmful.

If you give it, how much - a few pieces or allow you to eat the whole pack? Having figured out what chopsticks are made of and how they are useful, you can decide whether to feed your baby with them or not.

How and from what is a sweet delicacy made?

What the sweet is made from is clear from the name. Of course, the basis of the product is corn. The process that turns grain into an air stick is quite labor-intensive.

The production technology consists of several stages:

1. Selected corn kernels are peeled and ground into flour. Corn flour is thoroughly sifted, removing solid grains. What remains is a clean, homogeneous mass.
2. The resulting flour is mixed with salt or powdered sugar. The additive depends on what the taste should be - sweet or salty.
3. The next stage is extrusion. The flour is poured into an extruder, which heats up to a certain temperature and then sharply reduces the pressure. Thanks to this effect, the homogeneous corn mass foams and acquires a characteristic porous structure. At the exit from the extruder, the mass is cut into pieces of 3 cm.
4. The final stage. The finished sticks are treated with vegetable oil or powder and sprinkled with flavoring - strawberry, vanilla, cheese, bacon, etc.

Are there any benefits from corn sticks?

What are the health benefits of everyone's favorite product? There are undoubtedly benefits from corn delicacy. However, like any product, it is important to consume it in moderation.

Sticks contain a lot of carbohydrates, so they quickly satisfy your hunger. Sweetness helps cope with fatigue and depressed mood.

If a child has had a difficult day, for example, a test at school, then sweets will help restore strength.

The table provides information about the vitamins and minerals contained in the sticks:

Calorie content is 300-350 kcal.
Due to their high calorie content, corn sticks will be an excellent breakfast for a child, especially if given with milk or fruit puree. It is not prohibited for pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers to eat chopsticks. It is not recommended to eat in the second half of the day, it is harmful to the figure - it is easy to gain weight from high-calorie sticks.

How are they harmful and to whom are they contraindicated?

The most useful product, if consumed in excess, causes harm. This statement is also true for sticks.

The delicacy can be a nutritious breakfast due to its high calorie content, but for this very reason they are not recommended for overweight people.

If a person is prescribed a diet for weight loss or a diet for gastritis and pancreatitis, then it is better to abstain from the product.

The sweetness has a high glycemic index. Like other foods high in glucose, the treat is contraindicated for people with diabetes mellitus and pancreatitis. Healthy people should not abuse it either. The maximum amount of product that can be eaten per day without harm to the body is 2 packs, and for children - 1 pack.

It is not recommended to eat the product for those who suffer from ailments of the digestive system. The treat causes increased gas formation and bloating. For gastritis, ulcers, pancreatitis, it is better to abstain from it. Can be consumed in small quantities during periods of remission.

Unscrupulous manufacturers may add artificial colors and preservatives to the product. In children, these components cause an allergic reaction, so you should not feed chopsticks to children under 3 years of age.

An absolute contraindication is individual intolerance to the components. If you are allergic to corn or other ingredients, eating chopsticks is strictly prohibited.

At what age can children eat and can nursing mothers eat?

Many mothers begin to give sticks to their babies before they are one year old, arguing that the delicacy is soft, contains many nutrients, and is easy to absorb.

Is it possible to give sticks so early? To answer this question, you need to carefully read the composition.

If the product does not contain artificial colors and flavors, and is sweetened only with powdered sugar, then 1-2 sticks will not do any harm.

However, feeding babies under 1 year of age with such products should be done with caution. Breasts react differently to food - too sweet food can cause allergies, rashes on the skin and mucous membranes. You should not feed more than 2-3 sticks at a time.

After 3 years, you can safely buy a package of corn sticks for your children. At this age, the body is able to process the amount of glucose, carbohydrates and fats that comes with the product, and benefit from it. However, you should not abuse it and buy more than 1 pack.

Eating corn sticks during pregnancy and breastfeeding is not prohibited. However, the expectant mother should remember that the treat contains a lot of glucose, so you shouldn’t get carried away with it.

The same goes for breastfeeding.

The components that enter the body of a nursing mother with food are then passed on to the baby with milk, so you can occasionally treat yourself to sweets, but not every day.

Is it possible to prepare a treat at home?

If a mother does not want to buy her child a treat from the store, fearing artificial colors and flavors, then she can prepare corn sticks at home.
Of course, homemade sticks are not an identical product, because the manufacturing technology requires the presence of special equipment, for example, an extruder, but homemade sweets will be no less tasty.

For preparation you will need:

• 130 g corn flour;
• 4 egg whites;
• 220 g of powdered sugar.

The flour should be thoroughly sifted so that it resembles dust in consistency and mixed with 100 g of powdered sugar. Beat the protein together with the remaining powder until airy and mix with flour. The resulting dough must be carefully stirred again with a spatula until it becomes thick and stretchy.

Let's start baking! Place the dough in a pastry bag and squeeze short shapes onto a baking sheet (approximate length - 2-3 cm). It is better to first cover the baking sheet with parchment or silicone baking mat. When the sticks are formed, place the baking sheet in the oven preheated to 150°C for 15 minutes.

In 15 minutes, children will have a tasty, aromatic treat waiting for them. Even if homemade sticks differ in taste and appearance from industrial ones, parents will be sure that they contain only natural ingredients.

What are the benefits of corn sticks?

The benefits of corn sticks are small, but they still exist. The nutritional value of the product is as follows:

1. 100 grams of corn sticks contain half the daily requirement of vitamin B2, which is necessary for normalizing the functioning of the nervous system, thyroid gland, vision, good skin and hair condition.
2. The high calorie content of the product allows you to quickly suppress the feeling of hunger in an emergency.
3. A large amount of carbohydrates not only gives you a feeling of fullness, but also improves your mood. If you eat a small amount of sticks for breakfast, you can energize yourself for the whole day.

There are no recommendations for daily dosage of the product. The permissible dosage of treats depends on the person’s health status, age and individual characteristics of the body.

How are corn sticks made?

The product is based on corn flour. During manufacturing, corn sticks undergo additional processing at high temperatures, so they are deprived of most of their valuable nutritional properties. When produced on an industrial scale, corn sticks are made with the addition of powdered sugar, various preservatives and food coloring. In order to make the product a little healthier, various vitamin complexes are added to it.

Manufacturing technology goes through several important stages, each of which plays a significant role. The main component of the product is whole corn grains, which are dried and ground into flour during processing. The resulting flour is carefully sifted so that large parts of the raw material do not get into the finished product. The next step is to mix corn flour with sweeteners, flavorings and flavorings. At this stage of production, excess moisture appears in the flour, which must be removed. After processing on special equipment, not only does excess moisture evaporate, but also a plastic mass is obtained from mixed components.

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The formed corn sticks are placed in an extruder, where at a certain temperature the mixture passes through the equipment, foams and increases in volume. At the final stage, special knives cut the finished sticks, giving them the desired shape and size. After the product is ready, it goes through the final stage - vegetable oil, flavorings are added to it, and rolled in powdered sugar.

At what age can you give corn sticks to children?

Children have a special love for corn sticks, as for any delicacy. But are there any age restrictions here?

Doctors and nutritionists do not recommend adding corn sticks to a child’s diet until he is 1.5 to 2 years old. Since the composition contains only flour, there will be no benefit from them, but an upset stomach may occur in the baby.

Older children and teenagers are allowed corn sticks, but little by little, so as not to spoil a healthy appetite.

Use during pregnancy and breastfeeding

Women have to give up many delicious foods during pregnancy and later while breastfeeding. Corn sticks are banned for the following reasons:

• Simple carbohydrates, which the product is rich in, cause bloating, belching and constipation.
• Sticks are high in calories and contribute to weight gain. During pregnancy, extra pounds may not be noticeable, but after childbirth their presence will become obvious.
• Corn flour can cause allergies. Even if the delicacy is perfectly absorbed by the mother’s body, its intolerance cannot be ruled out in the fetus, and then in the newborn baby.

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Ideally, you should remove the product from your diet at the very beginning of pregnancy - right up to the end of the feeding period.

Technology for preparing corn sticks

This technology is not considered complex, but for its successful implementation certain conditions must be met.

The product manufacturing process consists of phases:

1. Preparatory . The raw material in the form of corn grits is dried and sifted. During this process, grains that are smaller than 0.67 mm and larger than 1.2 mm are eliminated. The fractions must be almost the same size in order to be evenly saturated and foamed. If fine flour gets into the prepared mass, during processing it sticks together into dense lumps and burns.
2. Air conditioning . The sifted dry mass is sent to a special conditioner, in which the cereal is kept for 3 hours, constantly stirring. The moisture level of the raw materials does not exceed 25% - this is carefully controlled.
3. Extrusion . The aged, moist, salted mass enters a long extruder. Passing through it, the cereal warms up to high temperatures (from 200 degrees). Gradually, the effect of water vapor increases, which is why the corn mass becomes plastic and homogeneous. Hot raw materials are pushed through the opening of the apparatus, exposed to hot air. Heated water vapor passed through the raw material explodes the particles of the mass and expands it. This is how the structure of the corn stick is formed. The volume of the finished mass is significantly greater than the volume of the original cereal. A mechanical knife cuts off the ejected “dough”. The sticks are sent by air flow to the receiver, where they are dried. The humidity of the final product is up to 6%.
4. At this stage the products are ready for consumption., but before sale they are impregnated with flavoring and vitamin additives. These fillers easily penetrate into the porous product. Usually, puffed sticks are filled with glaze, which increases the nutritional value of the product and improves its taste. The delicacy is also soaked in food essences, vitamins, and chocolate. Glazing takes place in a pan: the apparatus is filled with sticks and vegetable oil. These products are mixed for about 5 minutes. Next, additives are introduced. Fat-soluble flavor enhancers are distributed efficiently across all sticks.

5. Packing . The technology is carried out using standard filling machines.

Corn sticks, the benefits of which also depend on the equipment of the enterprise, can be created using non-standard new technologies. The described algorithm is considered general.

During production, the quality of the sticks is assessed according to a number of parameters:

• the size of the foam bubbles (if the bubbles are too small, the density of the sticks exceeds the norm; if the foam consists of very large bubbles, the products may turn out to be of irregular shape);
• humidity of the sticks at the exit : a product that is too wet will not have an appetizing crunch, will quickly settle and turn into a wet lump. An overdried product can easily lose its shape and crumble;
• quality of distribution of flavoring additives : fortifiers easily fall off to the bottom of the package; conscientious manufacturers try to minimize this defect;
• thickness of the top layer of products : bubbles on the surface are smaller than inside the foam product; this is necessary so that the sticks remain intact and maintain the correct shape; the enveloping layer should be very thin so as not to feel like a crust.

If the product turns out crispy, whole, pale yellow, it was made from natural raw materials, observing the listed conditions.

How to choose

To select quality products, pay attention to the product characteristics described in the table:

It is better to choose well-known brands with a positive reputation. But even their products should be carefully checked.

Composition of corn sticks

The main benefit of corn sticks is that they do not contain harmful components of artificial origin (but not always). The sweet product is made from the following set of ingredients:

• Corn grits.
• Powdered sugar.
• Oil.
• Salt.

It is worth mentioning the beneficial substances that are in the delicacy:

1. Copper.
2. Vitamin B.
3. Sodium.
4. Manganese.

Unfortunately, the percentage of these substances in the product is very small, so they have minimal effect on the human body.

Calorie content of corn sticks

People who watch their diet may be interested in the calorie content of corn sticks. 100 g of product contains 513 calories.

The high calorie content of the delicacy is explained by the large amount of sugar it contains.

Description

Corn sticks (see photo) are one of children's favorite sweet treats. The finished product is presented in the form of shaped dried foam, which is made from corn grits.

The very first to come up with this product were the American brothers John and Will Keith Kellogg, who founded a medical sanatorium in the USA. They decided to prepare dishes for the patients using maize flour. But since there was a lot of dough left, and it was a pity to throw it away, the rest of the dough was passed through special rollers. Thus, flakes appeared, which were then fried in sunflower oil and presented as a dessert for tea.

The familiar corn sticks in their current form first appeared in 1963 at the Dnepropetrovsk plant for the production of food concentrates, where the production of the product took place according to the specified technology and on the one developed by V.Ya. Krikunov. equipment.

Today there are quite a lot of varieties of such corn products. The product can be not only sweet, but also salty, glazed, creamy, chocolate, with the taste of bacon, cheese, cinnamon, vanillin, lemon. In addition, some manufacturers make the sticks multi-colored and also make the product gluten-free and sugar-free.

What are corn sticks

Corn sticks are made from corn flour . For its production, only glassy hard varieties of corn are used. The grain is ground into cereal or flour. Then the dough is kneaded, adding vegetable oil (often sunflower oil, it is cheaper) and salt.

Additionally, each manufacturer adds its own components to the dough. These can be stabilizers, preservatives, dyes, flavoring additives, flavor enhancers, and flavoring agents. From this mass, formed into a thick crispy foam, after special processing, a favorite delicacy is obtained, which is most often glazed with powdered sugar.

Compound

The main composition of real corn sticks includes the following products:

• deodorized sunflower oil;
• corn grits;
• salt;
• powdered sugar.

The calorie content of this product is quite high, so you should not abuse it so as not to harm your health.

Features of use

There are no strict recommendations for the use of corn sticks. Children over 3 years old can enjoy one pack of sticks per day. An adult can eat several packs of air sticks without harm to health. Products drenched in milk - a nutritious breakfast.

For one serving, take about 0.1 kg of treats and the same amount of milk. The portion will be voluminous, because the sticks are large and light. It’s still not worth eating chopsticks for breakfast every day. Ordinary sticks, not enriched with vitamins, are high-calorie foods and bring almost no benefit.

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Harm and contraindications

The negative consequences of eating corn sticks are wide-ranging. A sweet treat can do more harm to the body than good. Due to the presence of powdered sugar, the calorie content of the product is high, but it has very few beneficial properties. In addition, some manufacturers, in order to save money, use not powder, but a cheaper and harmful sweetener.

Corn sticks can bring negative consequences in the form of caries development. During the chewing process, the corn mass sticks to the teeth in places where it is difficult to get rid of it with a toothbrush. This is especially harmful for children, because they are not inclined to carefully monitor the cleanliness of their mouth. In addition, the product does not have properties that will help remove toxins from the body, and even slows down the process of their elimination.

Contraindications:

1. It is not recommended to consume this treat for people suffering from diabetes. The product contains a large amount of sugar and preservatives. Some additives may cause allergic reactions.
2. Corn sticks are contraindicated for people suffering from diseases of the digestive system, especially in the phase of acute aggravation of the disease. During this period, patients are put on a strict diet. Sometimes, during remission, a small number of sticks can be allowed, but only after the approval of the attending physician.
3. People who suffer from skin diseases should refrain from such treats. Corn sticks can cause an exacerbation of the disease and aggravate skin rashes. This is especially true for chronic inflammatory processes.
4. People who have problems with excess weight are also not recommended to eat corn sticks. This can worsen the condition even more and certainly will not help in reducing the number of kilograms.

It is also not recommended to use the product for children under three years of age, pregnant and lactating women.

Benefits and harms

Corn sticks are not particularly beneficial because they contain a large amount of carbohydrates. Therefore, many experts recommend eating as many sticks a day as can fit in one hand, and only as a dessert for tea after the main meal, otherwise the product may cause constipation.

Many doctors do not recommend giving corn sticks to children under three years of age, since the young body cannot yet cope with large amounts of carbohydrates, and also in order not to provoke the development of an allergy to the sticks.

In addition, during pregnancy and breastfeeding you should avoid eating chopsticks. Since the product has a high calorie content, it can cause unwanted weight gain in a pregnant woman. A nursing mother should not eat them either, so that the baby does not have bloating, constipation, or an allergy to the new product.

It is not recommended to use corn sticks for stomach ulcers, gastritis and pancreatitis, so as not to aggravate the condition.

Since the corn product contains many calories, it should not be eaten during a diet. Also, people who have had their gallbladder removed should not use chopsticks.

Nutritional value and calorie content

The sticks have high energy value. There are about 513 calories per 100 grams of product. The calorie content of corn sticks is due to the high sugar content. In addition, the cereal contains about 329 calla per 100 grams .

Nutritional value of the product:

• proteins - 6 grams;
• fats - 26 grams;
• carbohydrates - 58 grams.

They contain saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Calorie content and composition

Corn sticks, the benefits of which are determined by the quality of the products, are prepared from basic ingredients and additives. The standard list of ingredients includes corn grits, odorless and tasteless oil, and finely ground salt. Synthetic components are also added: various flavor enhancers, preservatives, stabilizers.

This corn product is considered high in calories - more than 500 kilocalories per 0.1 kg of sweetness. BJU of this volume of sticks: 6 g proteins, 30 g fats, 60 g carbohydrates.

Vitamins in Corn Sticks

Corn sticks contain the following vitamins: SFA - Saturated fatty acids, Ash, Dietary fiber, Sodium, Potassium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Calcium, Copper, Manganese, Fluorine, Selenium, Zinc, Iron.

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Homemade corn sticks recipe

Sweet corn sticks can be made at home. You will need the following ingredients:

• corn flour - half a glass;
• powdered sugar;
• milk - 4.5 tablespoons;
• 2 raw eggs;
• butter - 50 g.

Bring milk and butter to a boil in a saucepan, add flour and stir. When the mass becomes homogeneous, remove the saucepan from the heat, allow the mixture to cool slightly, and then add eggs to it and mix thoroughly again.

The resulting dough is packaged in a pastry bag and squeezed onto a heated baking sheet, forming blanks. After this, the baking sheet is placed in a well-heated oven and the dough is baked until completely cooked. The sticks are sprinkled with powdered sugar last.

Micro- and macroelements in corn sticks

Corn sticks contain the following elements: SFA - Saturated fatty acids, Ash, Dietary fiber, Sodium, Potassium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Calcium, Copper, Manganese, Fluorine, Selenium, Zinc, Iron.

conclusions

To summarize, we can conclude that corn sticks do much more harm to the human body than good . Children, nursing and pregnant women, elderly people, people with diabetes, and people prone to gaining excess weight should refrain from using them.

A person who adheres to a proper, healthy diet will never include this crunchy pleasure in his diet.

If you don’t have the strength to give up this unhealthy treat completely, then at least you need to choose sticks with a minimum amount of additives. The ideal composition is corn flour, salt and powdered sugar.

Contraindications

Sticks are not useful for everyone.

Corn delicacy can be harmful to many:

• breastfed babies (if the nursing woman uses chopsticks);
• pregnant women;
• with a negative individual reaction to the components of the sticks;
• in case of dysfunction of the digestive system (especially at the stage of exacerbation);
• anyone with elevated blood glucose levels;
• if you are concerned about skin imperfections (inflammation, rashes, dullness);
• for diseases of the oral cavity.

Anyone who is not included in the listed groups can periodically enjoy corn sweetness with liquid.