Flour, corn, yellow, fine meal, enriched
Whole food · Cereal Grains and Pasta
Photo: Wikipedia
Enriched fine yellow cornmeal is a vibrant, golden flour milled from dried corn kernels, with a texture ranging from powdery to slightly gritty depending on the grind. It has a sweet, earthy, and distinctly corny flavor that forms the backbone of many comforting staples. Nutritionally, it's a high-energy carbohydrate source, enriched with B vitamins like thiamin and niacin.
💚 Why it's loved
People love it for its sweet, comforting corn flavor and its incredible versatility—it can be creamy, crispy, or chewy. It's the soul of iconic dishes from Southern US cornbread to Italian polenta, representing a deep cultural connection to simple, hearty food.
⚠️ Watch-outs & how to enjoy it better
As a refined, high-carb flour, it can cause rapid blood sugar spikes, especially when consumed alone. To counteract this, always pair it with protein (like eggs or beans) and healthy fats (like cheese or oil) to slow digestion. Its low protein content also means it shouldn't be a sole grain source.
Key benefits
- Excellent source of energy-dense complex carbohydrates.
- Enriched with B vitamins (thiamin, niacin, folic acid) to replace nutrients lost in milling.
- Provides dietary fiber for digestive health.
- Naturally gluten-free, making it a safe base for many diets.
- A versatile, shelf-stable pantry staple.
🍽️ Popular dishes
🌍 Where it's eaten
💡 Did you know?
Enrichment is a modern public health practice; the fine meal itself is an ancient staple, but the added vitamins like folic acid became standard in the U.S. in the 1940s to combat widespread nutritional deficiencies.
Full nutrition (scales with serving)
| Water | 10.8 g |
| Energy (Atwater General Factors) | 364 kcal |
| Energy (Atwater Specific Factors) | 372 kcal |
| Energy | 364 kcal |
| Energy | 1520 kj |
| Nitrogen | 0.99 g |
| Protein | 6.2 g |
| Total lipid (fat) | 1.7 g |
| Ash | 0.46 g |
| Carbohydrate, by difference | 80.8 g |
| Fiber, total dietary | 4.3 g |
| Sugars, Total | 1.0 g |
| Sucrose | 0.67 g |
| Glucose | 0.24 g |
| Fructose | 0.13 g |
| Lactose | 0.00 g |
| Maltose | 0.00 g |
| Calcium, Ca | 0.00 mg |
| Iron, Fe | 4.4 mg |
| Magnesium, Mg | 30.1 mg |
| Phosphorus, P | 92.0 mg |
| Potassium, K | 144 mg |
| Sodium, Na | 0.00 mg |
| Zinc, Zn | 0.62 mg |
| Copper, Cu | 0.08 mg |
| Manganese, Mn | 0.17 mg |
| Selenium, Se | 8.3 ug |
| Molybdenum, Mo | 16.4 ug |
| Thiamin | 0.66 mg |
| Riboflavin | 0.35 mg |
| Niacin | 5.8 mg |
| Vitamin B-6 | 0.13 mg |
| Folate, total | 155 ug |
FAQ
What's the difference between cornmeal and corn flour?
Cornmeal is ground from dried corn kernels and has a coarser, grittier texture. Corn flour is milled much finer, similar to wheat flour, and is often used for dusting or in lighter batters.
Why is it called 'enriched'?
Enriched means that during processing, certain nutrients lost (like B vitamins and iron) are added back in, often at higher levels than were originally present, to improve its nutritional value.
Can I use this for gluten-free baking?
Yes, it's a common gluten-free ingredient, but it lacks the binding properties of gluten. It's often blended with other gluten-free flours (like tapioca or rice flour) and a binder like xanthan gum for baked goods.