Healthy Family
By Christy, Contributing Writer
I was in shock. The list of a dozen foods the allergist said to eliminate from my daughter’s diet was in complete opposition to my simple “everything in moderation” philosophy.
Nevertheless,we were willing to do anything for our girl, so goodbye moderation, hello elimination!
Because we were eating some processed foods, the hardest aspect was going corn free. Eliminating or reducing corn in the diet involves more than avoiding corn as a vegetable on your dinner plate. Corn is in everything, and I’m only slightly exaggerating. Still, it does not always have to be as difficult as this shell-shocked mama initially thought.
Let’s see what you can eat when corn is a dietary concern.
For the allergic:
If you suffer from a corn allergy, you do not necessarily have to eliminate all corn. Most corn allergies are to the corn protein. Therefore, according to our nutritionists, clean corn oil, cornstarch, and similar corn byproducts will probably not affect you.
Image by vancouver-bites
If the allergy is to the entire corn kernel, you will need to avoid all corn-related products, including packaging and personal care products. (Discuss this with a knowledgeable specialist or try a temporary elimination to see how your body reacts.)
For those with digestive concerns:
The outer casing of the corn is not easily digested, so those with inflammatory bowel issues often need to eliminate abrasive corn products temporarily. Staying away from corn, popcorn, and cornmeal products may be about as far as you need to go during an intestinal flare-up. (Check with your gastroenterologist regarding your personal issues.)
If you are on GAPS or a similar healing diet, you will need to eliminate all corn byproducts. Yup, all of ’em. We did, and, trust me, you will survive this!
For those concerned with genetically modified food:
Over 80% of the corn products in America are genetically modified. There are currently no laws requiring producers to label their products as GMO, so seek out labels that say GMO-free or non-GMO if you are concerned. Organic products, while still at risk for cross-contamination, are generally safe, so eat hearty!
Image by waytru
If you feel it is necessary to completely eradicate corn from your diet, become a vigilant label reader. Obviously, anything with corn syrup, corn oil, corn starch, cornmeal, grits, maize, and similar corn products should be avoided. Less conspicuous are products such as maltodextrin, citric acid, MSG, baking powder, and natural flavors, which may or may not contain or be derived from corn. Because there is no way of knowing what the additives are made of, you will have to eliminate them entirely.
So…what’s left to eat?
If you cook as much of your food from scratch as possible, you will naturally avoid most corn byproducts. Seriously, who stocks maltodextrin and “natural flavors” in the pantry?
Replace corn products with similar items. Use arrowroot powder or potato starch instead of cornstarch. Opt for honey or maple syrup instead of corn syrup.
While lending a slightly different flavor, freshly ground wheat often gives the same homey texture that cornmeal provides. Coconut and olive oils are healthier alternatives to corn oil. Buy or make a cornstarch-free baking powder.
Image by wolframburner
How does a person begin the corn-free journey?
Unless you are facing a crisis situation, adopt the tortoise’s sensible life philosophy rather than the hare’s bust-a-lung approach. Slow and steady wins the race.
Applying that to going corn-free, replace one corn-based product, such as corn syrup, with homemade or corn-free alternatives. Once that is second nature–and don’t worry, it will be–move on to another, such as corn starch.
Because corn is in most processed foods in America, eliminating corn will result in a highly whole foods, natural diet. That’s a silver, corn-free lining if ever there was one!
Are you on a corn-free diet? What is your biggest struggle?
(I am in no way a medical expert. I am merely the parent of a child with allergies and digestive issues. My desire in this article is to share a simpler approach to an often overwhelming situation.)
Christy writes about simplifying life at The Simple Homemaker. Once weighed down by unrealistic expectations and life’s overwhelming demands, Christy has learned to throw off the complications of life and find joy in the little things. Christy and her contemporary Christian musician husband, Stephen Bautista, homeschool their 7 children, ages brand new to 15. The family tours the country for the music mission and works together on a home business.
Nicole
Great info. Have a corn allergy to while kernel, and I also havery to avoid meat that is fed grains, as the corn feed somehow makes it into the meat if the animal. Grass fed has made a huge difference. I also didn’t realize until recently that a lot of coffee is either roasted with Corn or has corn oil coating the beans. This has caused extreme distress to mybody. Finally cut this out and am feeling better. Corneal lyrics is in or on just as but anything processed or packaged.
Good luck to those with this allergy/intolerance
Nicole
(Sorry for typos in last comment)
Great info. I have a corn allergy to the whole kernel, and I also have to avoid meat that is fed grains, as the corn feed somehow makes it into the meat of the animal. Grass fed has made a huge difference. I also didn’t realize until recently, that a lot of coffee is either roasted with Corn, or has corn oil coating the beans. This has caused extreme distress to my system. Upon reading and realizing this I Finally cut this out and am feeling so much better. Corn really is in, or on, just as but anything processed or packaged.
Good luck to those with this allergy/intolerance
– See more at: https://thehumbledhomemaker.com/2012/02/adopting-corn-free-diet-what-are-you#comment-1327790
Stephanie Hoyt
Hi i just recently found out that my son has a corn allergy. He breaks out with extremely bad hives.. we’re not not sure if he’s got a whole kernel allergy or not. If you don’t mind me asking whats your symptoms?
Mihelle
Thank you! We just found out that our son is allergic to corn. Your above post is a great start to what I need to know. Especially the turtle approach. One question, if you know the answer. Is dextrose considered a by product?
Heidi Frisch
I have been doing research on corn. I find that if it is in my diet, I don’t feel as well. I try to avoid it. I also have to avoid gluten and soy. Luckily the last two are labeled (now days). However, I just found that honey is an issue for corn allergies. If the bees were fed corn syrup instead of sugar or honey, it will show up in the honey. Okay, so I love honey, so now I can only buy honey from apiaries I know. ( I just wanted you to know, because you suggested honey as a substitute above) . It’s unbelievable.
Erin
WOW! That is SO interesting, and I had never heard that! Thanks for sharing!
Lisa
Hi there – instead of honey I use agave. I use agave in my tea & have mixed it with cocoa to make my own chocolate.
For other “sweeteners” I have also used dates. For example, I make a blueberry (only fruit that doesn’t have citric acid) & date jam.
Hope this helps.
Lyd
My research shows that agave can have corn in it, so be careful.
Rose
Thanks for tip on honey.. my Aunt and Uncle were beekeepers when they were alive years ago and always fed sugar when needed… I never thought someone would feed them corn syrup…
I just want people to know who have corn allergy’s… always check your medicines out too… most fillers in them are from corn/ corn based derivatives
K. Kattelus
My husband finally had to admit his slight corn intolerance was becoming a corn sensitivity almost as bad as his new peanut allergy. He gave up all the sweet corn-syrup filled drinks he loved but weren’t loving him back, and started feeling better. Then the ketchup problem, which I found an organic model before he tried more new recipes (whew!) We are still finding things, like the tomato sauce on our favorite pizza might have some corn syrup. (need to ask the pizza place, I guess). I didn’t know about the corn-fed meats, although it makes sense. We have a farm, so we can feed our own beef if needed. We have used beet pulp in the past, and it feeds a beef up really well (it might work on other animals, to round out the grass feeding), so we may try it. Just grass fed around here has a chance of being onion-y.
Karen
my son is allergic to corn and can not ingest it in any form. we have eliminated most obvious corn products and now am working on harder to see corn (i.e calcium citrate and all those fun, long name items). i have a list of ingredients that are most commonly made from corn and it is almost 3 full pages long! We are also working on eliminating food that come in plastic containers, as these are coated with a product that is made from corn, to make the food not stick. He has to have grass fed milk, cheese and meat and all organic. We think it is just an ingestion issue and not contact too. if it’s contact, that will add a whole new level of crazy. I already make 95% of what he eats at home and have found very few store bought products that is safe. and he is still having issues
Christa
Hi Karen,
Would you be willing to share your list?
Anna
I am just starting this journey and it is so frustrating! Keep trying but keep reacting. Have you found a milk that is all corn free that works. The almond one I was using I have started reacting to. How bout cheese, cream cheese, powdered sugar. I live in a small town and I am struggling to find things!
Amanda
My daughter is corn intolerant which we just discovered! We have emulated it in all forms. One of the worse is dextrose/glucose/fructose…which gives her really bad heartburn, nausea, irritability and belly pain. We make are own ketchup. Eating out is a nightmare. We are currently trying to work out school lunches and getting them on board (she got corned 2 out 3 days last week and ended up with pain and canker sores ????)
Felicia
I found out recently that my 1 1/2 year old daughter has several allergies yeast and corn being the biggest two. They are in just about everything! This article really helps as far as wear to start so thanks for sharing. My daughter is Also lactose intolerant and has acid reflux. So we are struggling right now to change our whole diet
Erin
I’m so sorry you are struggling, but I am glad you found encouragement there. <3
R
Just went thru this. Hope this helps. Babo makes a sensitive baby wash, corn free. We used baby’s only toddler formula. Big difference in reflux. Use einkorn wheat for baking. Keeps bowels moving great. Teething can cause flares. Actually anything that stresses the body can. Coconut oil for teething. Works wonders. Also takes the edge off of reflux.
Natalie
“Organic products, while still at risk for cross-contamination, are generally safe, so eat hearty! … If you cook as much of your food from scratch as possible, you will naturally avoid most corn byproducts. Seriously, who stocks maltodextrin and “natural flavors” in the pantry?”
Unfortunately, being “corn-free” in the US is not this simple. Really. For example, spaghetti sauce will almost always have some kind of corn derivative in it. So maker it from scratch by using canned tomatoes and adding spices, right? Wrong. There are only 2 brands of canned tomatoes that are (mostly) corn-free, and they are not easy to find and not cheap. But spices are ok, right? Wrong. Any spice blends will have corn starch. The most common brands will all contain some type of corn derivative (which are not listed in the ingredients due to loopholes in labeling laws). Only a couple companies are somewhat safe, and again, hard to find and expensive.
Just a reality check from someone who had been “corn-free” for 6 years and is still learning the hard way…
Sara Bues
Hey Natalie,
My name is Sara and I have had a serious intolerance to corn for about 6 years and seems to be getting worse all the time. Since getting information about corn allergies is near impossible, I would love to chat about your experience so far? What brands you can eat? Where youve found hidden corn and so forth? Please let me know and I can try to give you my email address.
Lyd
Sara, it’s being in the kitchen that has solved my allergy issues. Real unsalted butter . . . because table salt has corn in it. Found that most can goods have corn by its other names in it. Shredding my own cheese and staying away from American cheese. Why . . . most brands coat their shredded cheese with corn starch to keep it from caking. Welcome to all the great learning about our food. Lots of fruits and veggies for snacks.
Rosie
I also have a sensitivity to corn. When I continued to have problems after I eliminated what I thought was all corn from my diet, I started down the research rabbit hole. I found many ingredients that are derived from corn, such as erythritrol (a food additive that is also found in stevia sweetener products) and sorbitol (sometimes found in beauty products and toothpastes) hide behind three-syllable words that sound nothing like corn. Even some vanilla flavorings have corn, listed as a “natural ingredient.” Once I knew better – I got better.
I agree with the poster who mentioned having corn syrup in honey – honeybees do not naturally feed from corn (it is wind-pollinated), but larger apiaries use corn syrup to feed their bees. Talk to your local beekeepers and ask what, if anything, they use to supplement. But some honeybees searching for protein sources will carry fine dust from livestock feed (which includes corn) back to the hive. Corn-fed meats cause a reaction for me as well.
Best wishes in your journey!
Marianne
Today I found out I’m allergic to corn. I eat out a lot for my job. What can I do? Honestly I am a little upset :(.
Lana
My name is Lana and i am 35 years old. I am a software engineer but unfortunate i am suffering from back pain for the last 8 years. I consult with many doctors and use many medicines but I got not any benefit. I will try to follow your treatment. I hope it will best for me.
rehab
Nikki Sims
If anyone knows of corn-free tomato sauce options, please let me know of the brands. I recently developed a corn allergy and have been looking for options. I can be emailed at [email protected]
Thank you!
Erin
I think the sauce at ALDI may be corn free.
CK
We have been corn-free for our daughter for over a year now. She gets hives all over her face (especially chin). We thought it was acne for the longest time. She’s doing pretty good, but we also try to be gluten free and most xanthan gum is sourced from corn, sigh. So, we trudge along and have modified recipes to make them work for us. Here are some tips to help you get started.
*Use guar gum instead of xanthan gum. Bob’s Red Mill has an interesting write-up on their site about xanthan gum, and it includes a blurb on corn sensitive people.
*Watch out for xylitol. It can be sourced from corn or birch. There is a gum that specifically says corn free & that their xylitol is from birch. Sold at Sprouts.
*Tomato sauce/diced tomatoes: We use Pomi or Bionaturae from Natural Grocers (formerly Vitamin Cottage). They also have the Pomi at Sprouts (it’s not canned, it’s in the cardboard boxes). You might be able to find it online. Although more expensive, it seems to be a bigger portion, so we put the leftover in baggies & write what it is in marker & store in freezer. Tomato paste from Costco is still fine.
*My daughter found she can have bowls from Chipotle with pork or beef, not chicken – lettuce, rice, beans, pico.
*We found the one corn free baking powder from Hains at one Natural Grocers here (but not at my normal one I go to). You can buy online, but more expensive.
*Mustard with apple cider vinegar (since white vinegar is sourced from corn) from Whole Foods.
*Natural grocers also has a powdered sugar made with arrowroot instead of cornstarch (can probably find online).
*Hormel natural and Kroger Simple Truth lunch meat isn’t cured in vinegar and chemicals, nor is Hormel’s turkey (polish) sausage. For the occassional hotdog, Simple Truth uncured ones don’t have vinegar or tons of icky stuff. However, I do realize many people would never touch hotdogs. I’m from Chicago though!
*Beeler’s makes really good ham and breakfast sausage that works for us when we want pork.
*We use rice noodles a lot – Jovial now has a gluten free egg noodle that is our favorite.
*If you do a search for catsup-free bbq sauce, you’ll find some recipes out there. It’s worked for us.
*We’ve heard to stay away from canola oil. Almost all salad dressings are not good. Drizzle some rounds of olive oil, about half those rounds of red wine vinegar, some garlic salt, oregano, parsley, and dill onto your salad for a quick delicious dressing.
*Most mayo not okay. We find Follow Your Heart at Natural Grocers/Sprouts/even King Soopers to be a delicious alternative. Thank goodness!
*Don’t use bouillion cubes or Better than Bouillion! I’ve yet to find a sub, but I did see a recipe that uses nutritional yeast to make a homemade powder, but haven’t tried it.
*Cream of chicken soup (add mushrooms w/onions to make cream of mushroom): https://www.foodfanatic.com/recipes/gluten-free-cream-of-chicken-soup-recipe/
*Almost all hash browns have corn! Sprouts organic shredded potatoes are okay and Mr. Dell’s (Kroger/King Soopers). Cascadian Farms too but really expensive. I think Simple Truth organic from King Soopers/Kroger okay too.
*Check your salt! It often has dextrose. I know, you probably want to cry. I did want to, but keep pushing ahead, one item at a time. Natural Grocers has spices very reasonably priced, along with salt, that don’t have added ingredients. We found a recipe for homemade Lowry’s seasoning (and we need to leave out all the good stuff like paprika, black pepper, turmeric, etc. because *I* cannot have those – it’s still tasty).
Hang in there – print off a blank calendar that has boxes for the days. Start putting your favorite modified recipes in there. Before you know it, you’ll have two months’ worth and can then just repeat that same calendar for the next two months.
Lyd
Having a corn allergy sucks! I’m about 8 years in on my corn free journey. I have never been a cook but this allergy forces me to become one. I look for items that I can read the labels . . . corn is in everything. I so wish I could walk into a store and bring home cookies. Or just a chocolate bar. Food made outside of the States usually carry very little corn products. Corn in everything, including some pasta, is a States thing. But staying out of the ER is my top priority.
Savannah
I am really struggling with my new corn allergy, can someone help? I’m 33 and always been the type to pick up a unhealthy snack and keep it moving. Clearly life has another plan for me and I am so lost.