In this article
- Does corn have fiber in every form? Ears, cups and tortillas
- Why corn sometimes comes out looking whole
- What kind of fiber is in corn?
- Vegetable or grain? Corn counts as both
- Fiber in small, medium and large ears
- A taco night, counted up
- How corn compares with other vegetables
- What else corn brings to the plate
- Getting the most fiber from corn
- Where the research on corn fiber is heading
- Corn fiber: common questions
- Sources
An average ear of corn carries about 800 kernels, according to Cleveland Clinic. Each one is wrapped in a tough, clear skin made largely of cellulose, a kind of fiber your body can’t break down.
So does corn have fiber? Yes. A medium ear of cooked sweet corn has about 2.5 grams, and a cup of cooked kernels has about 4 grams, roughly 14% of the 28 gram Daily Value.
That puts corn in the middle of the vegetable pack. Below you’ll see how fresh, canned and ground corn compare, why the kernels sometimes show up whole in the toilet, and how corn stacks up against other starchy sides.
Does corn have fiber in every form? Ears, cups and tortillas
These numbers come from USDA FoodData Central, the FDA’s raw vegetable labels and the Dietary Guidelines list of fiber sources.
| Corn serving | Weight | Fiber | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 medium ear, raw | 102 g | 2.0 g | 88 |
| Kernels from 1 medium ear (FDA label) | 90 g | 2 g | 90 |
| 1 medium ear, boiled | 103 g | 2.5 g | 99 |
| 1 cup raw kernels | 145 g | 2.9 g | 125 |
| 1 cup canned, drained and rinsed | 150 g | 2.5 g | 96 |
| 1 cup cooked kernels (Dietary Guidelines) | about 1 cup | 4.0 g | 134 |
| 1 corn tortilla | 24 g | 1.5 g | 52 |
| 1 cup canned hominy | about 1 cup | 4.0 g | 115 |
USDA lists raw sweet corn at 2.0 grams of fiber per 100 grams and boiled corn at 2.4 grams. So a boiled ear edges out a raw ear of the same size.
Canned corn comes in a bit lower at 1.7 grams per 100 grams after draining and rinsing. Canned hominy, listed in the Dietary Guidelines data, matches cooked corn at 4.0 grams per cup with fewer calories.
Why corn sometimes comes out looking whole
Myth vs fact: if you can see it, you didn’t get anything from it
Myth: Corn passes straight through you, so you don’t absorb any of its nutrition.
Fact: Only the outer hull survives. Cleveland Clinic explains that the kernel’s skin is coated in cellulose, which has very strong bonds, but the inside of the kernel does break down so your body can absorb its nutrients.
That hull is pure insoluble fiber doing its job. It adds bulk and moves through your digestive tract largely unchanged, which is exactly what insoluble fiber is supposed to do.
Want to see less of it? Cleveland Clinic suggests chewing corn more thoroughly, which breaks open more of those tough casings before you swallow.
What kind of fiber is in corn?
Corn is high in insoluble fiber, the type that doesn’t dissolve in water, according to Cleveland Clinic. It bulks up stool and helps prevent constipation.
Cleveland Clinic also notes that corn fiber can act as a prebiotic, meaning it feeds the helpful bacteria in your gut. What that fermentation may mean for long term health is still being studied, and we come back to it at the end.
If you’re adding more fiber for regularity, give your body time. Our gut health guides walk you through building up your intake without the bloating.
Vegetable or grain? Corn counts as both
Cleveland Clinic puts it simply: fresh corn on or off the cob counts as a vegetable, while dried corn ground into cornmeal, grits or tortillas counts as a grain.
That split matters for fiber. Dried, whole grain cornmeal is far more concentrated than fresh kernels because the water has been removed.
| Corn product | Fiber per 100 g | Calories per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Whole grain cornmeal | 7.3 g | 362 |
| Corn tortillas | 6.3 g | 218 |
| Degermed cornmeal | 3.9 g | 370 |
| Boiled sweet corn | 2.4 g | 96 |
| Raw sweet corn | 2.0 g | 86 |
| Canned corn, rinsed | 1.7 g | 64 |
Notice the gap between whole grain and degermed cornmeal. Degermed cornmeal has had the germ taken out, as the name says, and it ends up with about half the fiber.
When you buy cornmeal, grits or polenta, look for the words whole grain on the label. A cup of whole grain cornmeal has about 8.9 grams of fiber, compared with about 6.1 grams in a heavier cup of the degermed kind.
Fiber in small, medium and large ears
Ears at the farm stand range a lot in size, and the fiber scales with them. USDA weighs a small raw ear at 73 grams of kernels, a medium at 102 grams and a large at 143 grams.
| Raw ear size | Edible kernels | Fiber | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small | 73 g | 1.5 g | 63 |
| Medium | 102 g | 2.0 g | 88 |
| Large | 143 g | 2.9 g | 123 |
A large ear gives you nearly double the fiber of a small one. If you’re eating two small ears at a cookout, you’re getting about the same as one large.
Cutting the kernels off the cob doesn’t change the fiber. A cup of raw kernels, about 145 grams, carries 2.9 grams whether you strip the ears yourself or buy them loose.
Boiling nudges each of these up slightly, since USDA lists boiled kernels at 2.4 grams per 100 grams. A medium boiled ear lands at about 2.5 grams.
A taco night, counted up
Here’s a scenario that shows how corn adds up across a meal. Say you make tacos with three corn tortillas and top them with half a cup of cooked corn kernels.
- Three corn tortillas: about 4.5 grams of fiber and 156 calories.
- Half a cup of cooked corn: about 2.0 grams of fiber and 67 calories.
- Total from corn alone: about 6.5 grams, or roughly 23% of the 28 gram Daily Value.
Swap the tortillas for a bowl of polenta and the choice of meal matters. A quarter cup of dry whole grain cornmeal, about 30 grams, carries about 2.2 grams of fiber.
The same quarter cup of degermed cornmeal weighs about 39 grams and carries only about 1.5 grams. Over a week of breakfasts, that gap adds up to nearly 5 grams.
How corn compares with other vegetables
Here’s how a cup of cooked corn compares with other common cooked vegetables in the Dietary Guidelines data:
| Cooked vegetable (1 cup unless noted) | Fiber | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| Green peas | 8.8 g | 134 |
| Sweet potato | 6.3 g | 190 |
| Broccoli | 5.2 g | 54 |
| Carrots | 4.8 g | 54 |
| Corn | 4.0 g | 134 |
| Hominy, canned | 4.0 g | 115 |
| Green beans | 4.0 g | 44 |
| Potato, baked with skin (1 medium) | 3.9 g | 161 |
Green beans tell a similar story from the other side. They match corn’s 4.0 grams per cooked cup for about a third of the calories, so they pair well when you want the fiber without the extra energy.
Green peas are the most striking comparison. They have exactly the same calories per cup as corn but more than twice the fiber.
Corn holds up well against a baked potato, though, with slightly more fiber for fewer calories.
What else corn brings to the plate
A cup of raw sweet corn kernels has a few nutrients worth knowing about:
- Lutein and zeaxanthin: about 934 micrograms. These are yellow plant pigments that collect in the eye, and Cleveland Clinic points to research suggesting they support healthy vision.
- Folate: about 61 micrograms, around 15% of the Daily Value.
- Potassium: about 392 milligrams.
- Protein: about 4.7 grams, more than most vegetables.
Corn is also naturally gluten free, as Cleveland Clinic notes, though some packaged corn products may have gluten added. Check the label if that matters to you.
Fresh sweet corn does carry some natural sugar, about 6 grams per 100 grams raw. Cleveland Clinic still describes corn as a low glycemic index food, meaning it’s digested slowly enough that it doesn’t cause a sudden spike in blood sugar.
Getting the most fiber from corn
Use this checklist to get more fiber out of the corn you already eat:
- Choose whole grain cornmeal, grits or polenta over degermed versions.
- Pick corn tortillas over flour ones for tacos and enchiladas.
- Drain and rinse canned corn. A rinsed cup has about 245 milligrams of sodium.
- Mix corn with black beans or green peas in salsas and salads.
- Add hominy to soups and stews for 4 grams of fiber per cup.
- Chew well, so more of each kernel breaks open.
Looking for more ways to turn corn into a fiber rich meal? Our recipe eBooks have plenty of easy ideas, from bean and corn bowls to hearty soups.
Unsure how much fiber you need overall? Our fiber calculator figures out a personal daily target in seconds.
Where the research on corn fiber is heading
The most interesting questions about corn now focus on what its fiber does after you eat it. Cleveland Clinic notes that when gut bacteria ferment corn fiber into short chain fatty acids, those compounds may help lower the risk of colorectal cancer.
That word may matters. The link comes from research on fiber and the gut as a whole, and it doesn’t mean corn alone protects you. For now, the clear takeaway is that corn’s mostly insoluble fiber adds to your daily total, and whole grain corn products add the most.
Corn fiber: common questions
Is corn high in fiber?
Corn is a moderate source. A cup of cooked kernels has about 4 grams of fiber, around 14% of the Daily Value, while a medium boiled ear has about 2.5 grams.
How much fiber is in an ear of corn?
A medium ear of boiled sweet corn has about 2.5 grams of fiber and 99 calories. The FDA label for the kernels from one medium ear lists 2 grams.
Is corn a high fiber food compared with other vegetables?
It’s in the middle. Corn beats a baked potato, but green peas have more than twice the fiber for the same calories, and broccoli has more fiber with far fewer calories.
Why do I see corn in my stool?
The outer skin of each kernel is made of tough cellulose that your body can’t break down. The inside of the kernel is still digested, and chewing more thoroughly helps.
Does canned corn have fiber?
Yes. A cup of canned corn, drained and rinsed, has about 2.5 grams of fiber and 96 calories. That cup has about 245 milligrams of sodium.
Do corn tortillas have fiber?
Yes. One corn tortilla has about 1.5 grams of fiber, so three tortillas give you around 4.5 grams. Corn tortillas have 6.3 grams of fiber per 100 grams.
Which vegetables have the most fiber compared with corn?
Green peas lead with 8.8 grams per cooked cup, followed by sweet potato at 6.3 and broccoli at 5.2. Corn has about 4.0 grams per cooked cup.
Sources
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. “Corn, sweet, yellow, raw (169998); boiled (169999); canned, drained, rinsed (168397); Tortillas, corn (175036); Cornmeal, whole-grain, white (169750); Cornmeal, degermed, enriched, yellow (168867).” FoodData Central, SR Legacy. 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. “Nutrition Information for Raw Vegetables.” 2017. www.fda.gov
- U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “Food Sources of Dietary Fiber.” Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020 to 2025. dietaryguidelines.gov
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. “Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels.” 2026. www.fda.gov
- Cleveland Clinic. “Why Can You See Corn in Poop?” 2021. health.clevelandclinic.org
- Cleveland Clinic. “6 Health Benefits of Corn.” 2023. health.clevelandclinic.org
