How are corn sticks prepared? The harm and benefits of this delicacy. Corn sticks: benefits and harms for health and figure

Corn sticks are a popular sweet that can be found on the shelf of every Russian store. Children especially love to feast on it.

However, there are a huge number of their varieties - sweet, salty, cheese, bacon flavored and many others. It's hard to resist such abundance. But before you include this product in your diet, you should find out whether corn sticks bring health benefits or cause irreparable harm?

How and what are corn sticks made from?

To understand whether eating corn sticks is beneficial or harmful, you need to understand the production technology.

Many people believe that they are made directly from the grains of the cereal. However, this is not at all true. They are made from foam, which is obtained from corn flour. The raw material contains useful elements. But during the production of corn sticks, it is subjected to heat treatment, which destroys almost all valuable components. Only the most persistent vitamins B2 and PP are preserved in small quantities.

The delicacy is prepared in several stages:

The grains are ground into flour, from which all excess particles are removed by sifting;
Pure flour is mixed with food additives - flavorings and leavening agents;
Using special equipment, the raw materials are dried and turned into a homogeneous culinary mass;
The mixture passes through an extruder, foams, is exposed to high temperature, and at the exit is cut into equal parts.

As a result of processing, familiar delicacies are obtained, to which flavorings or sweeteners are additionally added.

Is there any benefit

Eating corn sticks brings little benefit, since they contain practically no valuable substances. In addition, they are very high in calories. During the cooking process, powdered sugar, butter and chemical flavorings are added to them, which cause additional harm to the body.

However, this product still has some beneficial properties. Carbohydrates contained in them in large quantities provide the body with the necessary energy. Therefore, you can treat yourself to this delicacy for breakfast. There are many recipes for making desserts from corn sticks; they are also eaten with fruit or milk. If you eat such food in the morning, it will help the body wake up and give you energy.

Fans of sweet corn sticks claim that they have the ability to remove toxins. But if you thoroughly understand the process of their production, it will become clear that they do not have such an effect. Cleansing the body of toxic substances occurs thanks to dietary fiber and antioxidants, which are destroyed during the production process. Corn grains, ground into flour and heat-treated, no longer contain any valuable components. Therefore, it will not be possible to remove toxins by consuming them.

Plant protein, which is stored in a sweet treat, can negatively affect the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and prevent the production of necessary enzymes. As a result, people experience flatulence, and food is less processed. In addition, the calorie content of sticks is even higher than popcorn, and the content of vitamins and minerals tends to zero.

But there is another opinion, according to which this product is still produced from corn grains. They are boiled, peeled from the thick skin, mixed with a sweet or salty solution, food additives, flavorings and leavening agents. Then the raw material is extruded, and as a result, delicious sticks are obtained.

Supporters of this point of view believe that such a product has extremely valuable properties. It is completely absorbed by the body, saturates it with glucose, and helps restore strength. And if you use it together with natural juice, the beneficial effect will be impossible to overestimate.

But it's hard to believe. The negative effects of chemicals have not been canceled. And the production process itself is not very similar to the real one. Perhaps this is an advertising ploy by manufacturers who are trying to further increase sales.

Features of use

To prevent corn sticks from causing harm, their amount in the diet should be limited.

How much can you eat during the day?

There are no clear recommendations on the daily intake of corn sticks. The permissible amount depends on the condition of the human body, the presence of certain diseases and physical activity. They can sometimes be eaten instead of a snack if you need to quickly satisfy your hunger, or as a dessert. But you shouldn’t get carried away with sweets, otherwise they will harm your figure.

Those who are on a diet should completely avoid their use. In 100 gr. The product contains about 325 kcal and a large amount of carbohydrates (75 g).

Are they useful during pregnancy and breastfeeding?

During pregnancy, it is better to avoid corn sticks. They have a high calorie content, so their frequent use can cause excess weight gain, especially in the last stages. But if there are no health problems and extra pounds, then they are sometimes allowed to be eaten both during pregnancy and lactation.

At what age can you give it to a child?

Many parents are concerned about the question: is it possible to give corn sticks to children with milk? Will such a breakfast be beneficial or harmful?

It is better not to offer these sweets to children under 3 years of age. They can disrupt your metabolism, which can subsequently lead to weight problems. You should carefully study the composition. If a delicacy contains a lot of flavorings and flavor enhancers, then consuming it will not be beneficial.

It is better to choose a product with the most natural composition - powdered sugar instead of sweeteners.

Harm to the product and contraindications for use

Corn sticks do not cause severe harm to the body. This product can rather be called “empty” because it has no special beneficial properties and does not cause serious harm.

However, if artificial flavors, flavor enhancers and dyes are added to it, then the situation changes radically. Children, and sometimes adults, have allergic reactions to these substances. The product provokes increased gas formation, so people with intestinal problems should refrain from consuming it.

In addition, they should not be eaten by people with the following diseases:

diabetes;
pancreatitis, gastritis and stomach ulcers during exacerbation;
obesity;
skin diseases that have become chronic.

This is not to say that corn sticks are harmful. People who are not prone to food allergies and obesity can eat them periodically. But first you should study the composition. The fewer chemicals it contains, the better.

How to cook at home

Making homemade corn sticks is not an easy process. This will require special equipment that will allow you to repeat the factory production technology.

The main unit is the extruder. With its help, the process of extrusion is carried out - softening and giving a special shape to the culinary mass at a certain temperature and pressure. You will definitely need another device - a screw conditioner, which will prepare the raw materials for subsequent processing.

If you have them in your home arsenal of household appliances, you can use the following cooking method:

Buy corn grits or grind the grains in a coffee grinder until smooth;
Place it in a screw conditioner, where it is mixed with salted water for 4-5 minutes. After this, the process of breaking up the resulting mass begins, which lasts about 3 hours. It is important to maintain the required humidity level - about 25%;
Now the raw material is placed in an extruder, where it is foamed and heated to 200°C. Then the unit pushes it into the drying chamber, cutting it into equal parts;
To make the product crispy, it is necessary to bring the humidity level to 5%;
After this, the final stage of preparation begins - glazing. Filtered vegetable oil is sprayed onto the sticks. Next, they are placed in a mixing drum, where they are coated with powdered sugar, salt or other seasonings.

The product turns out just as tasty as in factory production.

If it is not technically possible to prepare the delicacy in this way, then you can use a simplified recipe. It will not turn out the same as in the store, but the taste will be no worse.

To do this you need:

100 gr. corn flour;
50 gr. butter;
70 ml. milk;
2 chicken eggs.

Milk is mixed with butter and brought to a boil in a saucepan over low heat. Then you should carefully add the flour and stir thoroughly. It is necessary to ensure that there are no lumps in the resulting mass. Next, remove it from the heat, cool, add the eggs and beat vigorously.

Using a cooking bag, the resulting mixture is squeezed onto a baking sheet in small pieces - the same as factory sticks. After which they must be baked in the oven until completely dry. Before serving, they can be sprinkled with powdered sugar.

Corn sticks do not have any distinct positive or negative properties. When consumed in moderation, they will not affect your health in any way, but can help out in emergency situations when you urgently need to satisfy your hunger. But their abuse causes some problems - obesity or disruption of the gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, it is better to enjoy them on rare occasions, when you especially want to treat yourself to a delicious dessert.

If you find an error, please highlight a piece of text and click Ctrl+Enter.

Almost all adults and children love corn sticks. This sweet delicacy has been known since the days of the USSR. For most of us, the taste of this melt-in-the-mouth treat reminds us of a carefree and happy childhood. Many modern parents still buy corn sticks for their kids. The harm and benefits of this product will be discussed in today's article.

What is the sweet treat made from?

Already from the name itself it becomes clear that the basis for making this treat is corn. Generally high quality. Most modern enterprises use glassy hard grades for such purposes. For those who do not know how corn sticks are made, it will be interesting that this is a rather complex technological process. It includes several important steps.

First, the grain, cleared of germs and shells, is ground into cereal and sifted. The resulting raw material is combined with salt, moistened and left for some time. Then it is sent to the extruder, at the exit of which there is a sharp decrease in pressure. As a result, raw materials increase significantly in volume.

The mass obtained in this way is cut using a special industrial knife so that the length of each piece does not exceed three centimeters. Then the semi-finished product is dried in a special receiver and transferred to an installation in which it is mixed with vegetable oil, powdered sugar or various flavorings. Ready-made corn sticks, the harm and benefits of which will be discussed below, are packaged and sent for further storage.

Composition and calorie content

All sticks, regardless of the method of their production, contain refined vegetable oil, table salt and powdered sugar. Various glazes or flavorings are often used as additional ingredients.

Some unscrupulous manufacturers add artificial colors, flavor enhancers, stabilizers or preservatives to their products. Having figured it out, it’s impossible not to mention that they are quite high in calories. One hundred grams of this airy, melt-in-your-mouth dessert contains 518 kcal.

Is there any benefit?

In this case, much depends on the method of production of this delicacy. Proper preparation of dessert allows you to increase the content of valuable substances. Thus, during the heat treatment process to which corn sticks are subjected (the harm and benefits of the product will be discussed right now), the starch contained in the grains is transformed into easily digestible components.

This delicacy, unlike unprocessed raw materials, helps quickly saturate the blood with glucose. If during the production process the delicacy was enriched with useful ingredients such as vegetable or fruit juices, then its benefits for the human body increase sharply.

Contraindications and harm

The negative properties of this product appear only if a person constantly consumes large quantities of sweet corn sticks. In addition, this is a rather high-calorie product, so it is advisable to limit it to those who are afraid of gaining excess weight.

Due to the high glycemic index, this delicacy is contraindicated for people with diabetes. Also, do not forget that systematic abuse of airy dessert often causes increased gas formation and bloating. Therefore, those who have any problems with the gastrointestinal tract are not recommended to introduce corn sticks into their diet, the harms and benefits of which are discussed in detail in today’s publication.

Homemade treat recipe

It should be noted that preparing this dessert yourself involves some difficulties. The main problem is the need to maintain a certain temperature and humidity. To make homemade corn sticks, you should make sure in advance that you have not only products, but also equipment in your kitchen. You should have at your disposal:

Powdered sugar.
Corn grits.
Cocoa powder.
Vegetable oil.

As for the glaze, it can be made with bacon, cheese, garlic, crab meat or chocolate. Additionally, you will need a mixing drum, storage container, extruder, conditioner and coffee grinder.

The sorted and crushed corn grits are loaded into a screw conditioner filled with a small amount of salted water. After five minutes, the device is set to a constant speed and left for three hours. After this time, the moistened cereal is transferred to an extruder and heated to two hundred degrees. Under the influence of steam and water, the plastic mass will be gradually squeezed out of the device and cut into equal pieces using a special fixed knife. After this, the resulting sticks are moved to a receiver in which they will be dried to 5% humidity. Then the delicacy is sprinkled with powdered sugar or glaze and served.

Corn sticks - for children

Many parents are interested in the age at which they can give this fluffy dessert to their kids. Some of them begin to introduce sticks into children's diets from an early age. In fact, it is better not to abuse this product, since during its production most of the beneficial substances are destroyed. In addition, it completely lacks dietary fiber, which is necessary for normal intestinal function.

Dried foam made from cornmeal, which is essentially corn sticks, is loved by children of all ages. Recently, their range on grocery store shelves has expanded significantly. You can find not only a sweet product, but also salty sticks with different flavors, as well as in chocolate or various glazes.

Corn sticks - how and from what are they made?

There is a special machine for the production of corn sticks - an extruder, a unit similar to a large meat grinder. Corn grits with other components are loaded into its working chamber, where under the influence high temperatures and pressure, the mixture begins to melt, changing its structure.

The fluid-viscous mass is pressed by a screw through the dies (outlet holes). This is where the fun begins: the temperature and pressure of the feedstock drop sharply, the water evaporates almost instantly, and porous and airy sticks appear.

Calorie content and composition

The composition of many children's favorite delicacy does not contain many components. To make corn sticks, you only need corn grits (in industrial production, grits are used, not flour), refined and deodorized vegetable oil, finely ground table salt and powdered sugar for coating (sometimes it is mixed with milk powder or cocoa).

Of course, modern manufacturers often additionally use dyes, flavor enhancers, preservatives and stabilizers. Such ingredients make the taste more intense, but the benefits of consuming such a product are significantly reduced.

The average calorie content of sweet puffed corn sticks is 518 kcal/100 g. The ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, respectively, is 6/28/58.

Benefits and harm to the body

The benefits and harms of corn sticks are simultaneously due to their high carbohydrate content. If corn porridge is rich in “slow” carbohydrates, which are more difficult to digest by the body, then under the influence of heat and mechanical processing the carbohydrates in corn sticks become “fast”. Therefore, after consuming this product, the level of glucose in the blood quickly increases, and the body is charged with energy.

The taste of corn sticks evokes nostalgic childhood memories in adults, while children are just beginning to get acquainted with the unusual crunchy delicacy that melts in the mouth. Universal sympathy is expressed in one word - “delicious”, which sometimes does not coincide at all with the concept of “healthy”. So is it possible (and at what age) to give corn sticks to a child?

The production of the popular delicacy is limited to a modest composition of products: corn grits (99%) and salt (1%). In fact, these are the ingredients for making corn porridge, which is a dietary product: harmless, contains vitamins and minerals, and rich in dietary fiber.

But exposure to pressure changes (mechanical and thermal treatment) deprives the product of most of its beneficial composition and natural structure, denatures plant proteins and leads to gelatinization of starch.
At the exit from the extruder (a device for pressing raw materials), an almost refined product without taste is obtained.
To improve their taste, porous sticks are soaked in vegetable oil and treated with food additives that give them a characteristic taste and aroma (bacon, garlic, cheese, condensed milk, chocolate, lemon, etc.).

The most popular sweet option (glazed sticks), after treatment with warm vegetable oil, is sprinkled with powdered sugar, which melts on their surface and turns into glaze.

By the way, the addition of sucrose increases the calorie content of the product to 518 kcal per 100 g.

As a result, healthy corn grits produce a tasty, but dangerous delicacy for the child’s body, the frequent use of which threatens:

constipation, bloating due to the lack of dietary fiber in the product;
the appearance of allergies to flavoring additives;
gaining excess weight and obesity due to high energy value.

Is there any benefit in childhood?

Finding benefits in a product that lacks any beneficial ingredients is not easy. “Defenders” of corn sticks argue that the high calorie content of the product is needed to quickly restore physical strength and eliminate the feeling of hunger in a child.

But it is difficult to imagine a situation where a small child will need emergency recuperation or quick satiation if the children's regimen is scheduled hourly with alternating active games, sleep and 4-5 meals a day.

Unlike corn grits with slow carbohydrates, sticks supply the body with fast carbohydrates that instantly increase blood sugar levels, which requires serious efforts from the baby’s digestive system.

Also, information about the ability of sweet sticks to remove toxic substances from the body does not stand up to criticism, since they do not contain dietary fiber and
antioxidants.

Harm and contraindications

The harm from corn sticks significantly outweighs the dubious beneficial qualities:

the lack of dietary fiber slows down the movement of food through the intestines, causing constipation and flatulence; reduces the removal of waste and toxins; disrupts the ratio of beneficial and harmful microflora;
the content of fast carbohydrates requires the child’s pancreas to perform significant work to reduce blood glucose levels, leading to “sugar spikes” and disruption of carbohydrate metabolism;
high energy value contributes to rapid satiety and, if the product is used as a regular snack, worsens appetite;
glucose not spent on energy needs is “stored” in fat cells, which leads to excess weight and the risk of diabetes;
food additives and cheap raw materials used in products from dubious manufacturers often cause allergic reactions.

Corn sticks are contraindicated for children suffering from:

skin diseases;
diabetes mellitus;
obesity;
food allergies;
dysfunction of the gastrointestinal tract.

Age norms and dosage

Like all delicacies, sweets bring joy and pleasure to children. It is difficult to explain to a small child that crispy sticks are of no value to his body. And a ban, as we know, causes an even greater desire to try a taboo product.

From the age of 3, you can occasionally satisfy the child’s requests by offering a few corn sticks after the main meal or as a dessert with kefir, milk, compote, but not later than an afternoon snack.

There is no age standard for a product that is not beneficial in baby food. It is unlikely that a pediatrician will recommend the common folk option “how much will fit in a pen.” Therefore, it is worth listening to the advice of experts and following the rule “the less, the better.”

It is important to remember that sticks contain a large amount of carbohydrates and are not suitable for daily snacking. The presence of honey, condensed milk, cocoa or chocolate glaze increases the likelihood of allergies. And food additives, sugar substitutes, trans fats are completely prohibited in baby food.

As a healthier option, you can offer your child fruit salads with a small amount of corn sticks and the addition of kefir or yogurt as a dressing.

The production of corn sticks is not difficult. Having an extruder, it can be set up almost in a “garage” environment. Irresponsible entrepreneurs take advantage of this, neglecting food technologies and sanitary standards. Trying to squeeze maximum profit out of their business, they use cheap and low-quality raw materials, synthetic additives, dyes and flavor enhancers.

When choosing a treat for a child, preference should be given to well-known brands, large product manufacturers with a good reputation among consumers.
The label, which indicates the composition, date and batch of production, contact numbers and address of the manufacturer, will help to dispel doubts about the correct choice.
It is important to ensure the integrity of the packaging and its contents. The presence of a large number of crumbs and husks from grains indicates a violation of technological processes or improper storage of products.
You should refuse to purchase if the product is colored in a rich yellow color (tartrazine dye is used for this), and even more so in bright shades of all the colors of the rainbow.

Do not be tempted by the toys “for girls” and “for boys” inside the package, since the safety of contact of rubber or plastic with food is seriously questionable.

Choosing the best brand from a huge selection of corn sticks is difficult. In every region or city, products from both local enterprises and those imported from other regions are popular.

Fact: the winner of the social survey and the examination carried out by Channel 1 were the corn sticks “Kuzya Lakomkin” (TM “Russkart”) and “Vygodno” (LLC Trading House “Star Company”).

Homemade recipe

It is impossible to prepare “real” corn sticks at home even if you have an extensive arsenal of household appliances. In addition to special equipment, it is necessary to comply with the technological standards of the process: humidity of the foam mass itself and the surrounding air, temperature conditions.

The recipe offered here does not promise “Kuzyu Lakomkin” as a result, but a dessert made with love from quality ingredients will certainly bring joy to your child:

Pour 70 ml of milk into a saucepan, heat it, add 50 g of butter and keep on low heat until completely dissolved.
With constant stirring, add 100 g of corn flour in small portions.
Remove from heat, cool slightly, add 2 eggs, mix.
Beat the mixture until fluffy foam.
Carefully fill a pastry bag with the mixture and carefully squeeze the contents onto a preheated baking sheet in stick-shaped portions.
Bake in a preheated oven.
Place the finished sticks on a dish and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Parental experience

Based on parental experience, we can conclude that the choice of mothers and fathers is most often determined by the composition of the product:

Svetlana: I am not an ardent opponent of sweets. But I think it’s better to give marshmallows, marmalade or marshmallows than sticks. I am afraid of additives: artificial sweeteners, flavors, dyes.

Irina: I buy sticks from the Clever brand for my child. They are not so sweet and fatty (they contain corn, vegetable oil and sugar).

But the experience of parents regarding the timing of introducing corn sticks into the child’s menu confirms the fears of nutritionists. “Experiments” sometimes begin in the most sensitive childhood period - up to one year:

Tata: Mine tried corn sticks when I was 9 months old or even earlier. Nothing. Now we give constantly.

Leka: At 10 months I was given a treat, I ate 5-6 pieces per day.

Mana: They should not be given to children under 3 years of age at all. The eldest daughter is 7 years old. I won't give it! He doesn't ask! What's the use of them?

Are cereals a healthier alternative?

Advertising about the benefits of corn flakes convinces parents of the right choice. Without wasting time preparing breakfast, you can offer your child a high-calorie product enriched with the daily requirement of vitamins and minerals (B1, B2, C, calcium, iron). But research results indicate an exaggerated degree of “usefulness” of corn flakes and even possible harm to the child’s body.

The fact is that the technology for producing flakes, like corn sticks, deprives the cereal of useful components. While their artificial analogues are added to the product during the production process.

Domestic nutritionists claim that regular breakfast cereals lead to weight gain, citing as evidence the results of experiments among children of primary school age. It is not for nothing that in the same Britain, cereals fell into the category of snacks not recommended in baby food, and were called “food waste”.

A survey on social networks yielded alarming results. Corn sticks are considered harmless and offered to their children under 3 years of age by 75% of respondents. And only 25% are sure that they are of no benefit and postpone the introduction to the treat until an older age.

Be careful: the desire to please your child and treat him to “hello” from your own childhood can turn into a sad surprise for your health in the future.

Corn sticks are a delicacy familiar to everyone since childhood. They have a delicate taste and instantly melt in your mouth.

However, it is worth understanding how healthy such food is. It turns out that children's sweets have a lot of contraindications and can cause harm to the body.

How are sticks made?

They represent dried foam made from corn grits. A special salt-sugar solution, vegetable fat, flavoring additives, flavors, dyes, emulsifiers, stabilizers and leavening agents are added to the cereal. The mass is thoroughly mixed and then squeezed out through specialized holes, which give the product its usual oblong shape. This procedure requires a lot of pressure and high temperature to make the product the right way. Dried sticks are rolled in powdered sugar and packed into bags.

To prepare the usual delicacy, special equipment is used. However, there are many recipes that allow you to prepare sweets at home. The advantages of such a homemade dish include the absence of harmful additives used in factory production. The mass must be made from fresh milk, eggs and butter, and bake in the oven. You can use natural flavors based on your taste preferences.

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.

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.

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 saturate, so they are ideal as a snack for both adults and children. 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 from consumption will be much greater.

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

Harm and contraindications

The negative consequences of consuming this sweetness are much greater than the positive ones. Corn sticks, the benefits and harms of which are discussed by many nutritionists, can provoke obesity. In addition to the fact that the corn mixture is almost completely devoid of beneficial properties, a huge amount of powdered sugar is added to the sticks, which increases the calorie content. Vegetable oil is also added to the composition. And some manufacturers save on sweeteners by using more harmful food additives rather than powder.

In addition, the sweet treat has a number of other properties that can harm the body:

Even if no pathologies or intolerances are observed at the moment, it cannot be transmitted with sugar sticks. They can cause discomfort and provoke the onset of problems that did not exist. For example, stomach pain, nausea, cramps caused by overeating.

Many people wonder, is it possible to consume corn sweets while on a diet? The sticks contain a lot of calories, and fast carbohydrates will be deposited in subcutaneous fat. With diets aimed at losing weight, there is no need to eat this sweetness at all, even in small quantities.

Eat chopsticks for breakfast every day is hardly rational. The product does more harm than good. However, you can snack on them sometimes. The main thing is not to eat chopsticks too often. For greater benefit, you should make them yourself, monitoring the entire cooking process - from start to finish.