Cornbread: Neither a Health Food nor a Vegetable

During a recent visit to Nashville, my husband Jon and I visited a "Meat and Three" – a typical country diner offering traditional fare of the Deep South.

Our lunch consisted of the healthiest options on the menu (fresh roasted turkey, garden-fresh collard greens, pole beans, and mashed sweet potatoes). But most of the locals opted for fried chicken smothered in gravy, and endless glasses of "sweet tea." And every one of them had a heaping pile of cornbread on their plate.

That very same day, the "Recipe of the Day" on Dr. Weil’s website was for cornbread. I was shocked that this "expert" – has who championed the importance of staying away from foods with a high glycemic load – would dispense such sage-less information.

Not only is cornbread extremely high on the glycemic index (105!!), but a single serving contains more than 56 grams of carbs and 22 grams of sugar. What’s more, it’s loaded with omega-6 fatty acids, which promote inflammation.

Cornbread is far from health food – and despite being classified as a "vegetable" in country diners, it’s not. So double down on those fresh, steamed collard greens and keep the cornbread basket at bay if you don’t want your health to go, well… South.

[Ed. Note: Kelley Herring is the founder and CEO of Healing Gourmet (www.healinggourmet.com), and is editor-in-chief of the Healing Gourmet book series. Learn more about how simple lifestyle choices can improve your health by reading ETR's free natural health e-letter.]

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