Posted on 08/24/2020 9:33:52 AM PDT by Red Badger
Grits are a popular dish widely consumed across the Southern United States.
They’re made from dried, ground corn (Maize) cooked in various liquids — including water, milk, or broth — until the mix reaches a thick, creamy, porridge-like consistency.
While grits are incredibly popular, many people wonder whether they’re good for you.
This article reviews grits, including their nutrition, benefits, and whether they’re healthy.
What are grits?
Grits are a popular Southern American dish made from crushed or ground corn.
They’re most commonly served as a breakfast or side dish and usually made from a variety of corn called dent corn, which has a softer, starchy kernel (1).
The crushed corn granules are typically cooked in either hot water, milk, or broth until they reach a thick yet creamy consistency that is similar to porridge.
Grits are often paired with flavorful ingredients, such as butter, sugar, syrups, cheeses, and meats like bacon, shrimp, and catfish.
You can purchase several varieties of grits, including:
Stone-ground. These are made from whole, dried corn kernels that are coarsely ground in a mill. This type is harder to find in grocery stores because it has a short shelf life and takes 30–60 minutes to cook on the stove (2). Hominy. These are made from corn kernels soaked in an alkali solution to soften the tough pericarp (outer shell or hull). The pericarp is rinsed, then removed, and the corn kernels undergo further processing to make hominy (3Trusted Source). Quick and regular. These types undergo processing, which involves removing the pericarp and germ (nutrient-rich embryo), so they have a longer shelf life. Regular versions are medium ground while quick are finely ground (2). Instant. This precooked, dehydrated version has had both the pericarp and germ removed. They’re widely available in grocery stores.
Summary:
Grits are a popular Southern American dish made from ground, dried corn. They are typically cooked in milk, water, or broth until they reach a thick, creamy consistency.
Grits nutrition facts
Grits contain a variety of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
One cup (257 grams) of cooked, regular grits provides the following nutrients (4):
Calories: 182
Protein: 4 grams
Fat: 1 gram
Carbs: 38 grams
Fiber: 2 grams
Folate: 25% of the Reference Daily Intake (RDI)
Thiamine: 18% of the RDI
Niacin: 13% of the RDI
Riboflavin: 12% of the RDI
Iron: 8% of the RDI
Vitamin B6: 7% of the RDI
Magnesium: 5% of the RDI
Zinc: 4% of the RDI
Phosphorus: 4% of the RDI
What’s most impressive about grits is that they’re high in iron, which is essential for red blood cell production. They also include many B vitamins, such as folate and thiamine, as well as trace amounts of potassium, pantothenic acid, calcium, and vitamin E (5Trusted Source).
However, regular versions contain fewer vitamins and minerals — like calcium and vitamins A and C — than the stone-ground varieties made from whole corn kernels (4).
That’s because they undergo several stages of processing, which removes nutritious parts of the corn like the pericarp and germ (2).
Summary:
Grits provide a variety of nutrients and are especially high in iron and B vitamins. Stone-ground varieties are more nutritious, as they don’t have the pericarp and germ removed.
Takes all kinds of wonderful people to make a Free Republic site. Including you and me on opposing sides about grits.
I absolutely love grits and I always have loved them. Eat them alternating days with oatmeal. Born and raised and still in Michigan so I’m not a Southern guy.
But I love grits.
Someone hasn’t made either grits or oatmeal correctly for you. You oughta come to my house. I make some of the best cheese grits you’ll ever eat, and some of the best oatmeal too. I’ve made several converts.
1. I have eaten grits since I was a child. My dad was Air Force and he had to move his family around a lot. More than once he was stationed in a southern state. Maybe it was there my mom started making grits. She had two versions. The first was the more or less basic version cooked n water in a sauce pan until thickened. My dad would eat it plain with milk. Some of us would put butter on it and sprinkle sugar on it before pouring milk over it.
2 The second version my mom made was when she would take the pan of cooked grits, let it cool a bit and then put it in a loaf pan. She’s put the loaf pan in the refrigerator. The next morning she’d turn the grits out of the loaf pan, slice it and then flour and egg batter each slice before frying them slightly - fried grits. We’d put butter and maple syrup on them.
3. Over the years I had run across the name of the dish “shrimp and grits”. I actually never thought much of the idea. Then finally just this past March I was at a Cajun restaurant and seeing Shrimp and Grits on the menu I decided to try it. Yes it was spicy and even after I was full I wanted more, it was soooo good.
Mozzarella is good, too, but can be messy...........Do not serve to under 5 year olds. Will wind up in their hair...............
I’d never heard of grits until I was in the Marine Corps and stationed at Camp Lejeune. I went on a trip to Disneyland and my one and only encounter with grits was at a restaurant down there. I didn’t like them one bit and have never tried them again. I don’t know anyone who eats the stuff and I never see them on anyone’s breakfast table.
add some butter and sugar
John Wayne photo “But are the True Grits(s)?-—————
You bet your azz, pilgrim.
LOL - OK
Leftover grits? Put them in a tall glass and refrigerate overnight. Then slip out of glass, slice about a half inch thick, coat each side with beaten egg French toast style, and fry in butter. They'll make you slap yo mama. :)
They should not be lumpy. Being from the south, I ate a lot of grits in my day with fried eggs. I stay away from them now because of the carbs. They are actually a lot like polenta. You can serve them thin or thick, and like polenta, they require almost constant stirring. My wife has made a tasty grits recipe in which she added a lot of cheese to them (cheese grits) and poured them into a casserole dish and let them set up in the fridge. You can then cut them in squares (again, like polenta) and fry them in a pan.
I’m sure I tried that combo, but thanks for the suggestion.
I just go without. #;^)
The sharper the cheddar, the better, too!
There is a restaurant here, that is fancy ‘upper class’ pricey and we eat there maybe once a year on our anniversary.
They have ‘Shrimp and Grits’ that are to die for!.........
Yesssss! on Scrapple (grits with attitude).
I’m originally from VA. It’s hard to find non-instant grits up here.
My favorite is with butter, pepper, and cheddar.
“The best thing about southern foods is that we don’t analyze it, we just eat it because ti [sic] tastes good.”
I will have to kind of disagree, we ate “cuz mama said so” or else the strap showed up. Our household version was effectively wielded by both parents
I still don’t care for mustard greens, and turnip greens. But kale and collards are fine. And as much of that creamy frozen squash I had to choke down... good grief THAT was disgusting... I find fresh squash to be delicious.
Bacon makes me thirsty for the rest of the day, honey glazed spiral ham truly makes me a hero to the dogs around here. And btw whenever I get a takehome plate it’s destined for the dog bowl, and it doesn’t contain Turkey or turkey fat, which can kill a K9.
A lot of those holiday meals taste great on the day they’re pulled out of the oven. But the next day? I never thought that leftovers tasted all that good. But again, the dogs think quite differently about that.
Sweet grits, kind of like sweet cornbread, not the real thing. If you want sweet grits, get some cream of wheat and some sugar. If you want sweet cornbread, buy some pound cake. I’ll also add the Irish lady I used to work with would launch into a rant every time someone mentioned soda bread with sugar, raisins or other fruit. Some things aren’t meant to be sweet.
You just haven’t had them prepared properly!
Even I don’t eat them plain!................
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