Know2eat

Hominy

Zea mays

What hominy has been studied for

1 association assessed — none with dependable human evidence behind them yet. Strongest first.

  • 1 Insufficient
3 things to know first — allergies, interactions and intake limits

About hominy

Maize kernels cooked and steeped in an alkaline solution of lime or wood ash, then hulled — the nixtamalisation process developed in Mesoamerica and the basis of masa, tortillas and pozole. The USDA reference entry is for canned white hominy, which is already cooked and drained.

Also known as Nixtamal, Pozole corn, Mote

Energy & Metabolism

The evidence in depth

Best supported: Insufficient

What each association actually rests on, and the papers behind it. A rating describes the state of the research, not how impressive the food is. How we rate evidence.

Energy metabolism

Energy & Metabolism
Insufficient evidence

Has been studied historically rather than in trials. Nixtamalisation makes maize niacin absorbable, and the disappearance of pellagra where the technique is used is strong circumstantial evidence, but this is a statement about avoiding a deficiency rather than about any benefit above adequacy.

Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.

No source is attached to this association yet, so it is rated insufficient by default. It is listed because people commonly ask about it — not because there is evidence for it.

Ask about Hominy

Ask about Hominy

Answers are written only from the entries on this page — the same nutrients, compounds, claims and citations you can read above. Nothing is added from outside the database, and every answer lists what it was built from.

AI explanations are not switched on for this site, so there is nothing to ask here. Everything above is read straight from the database and does not need them.

Key nutrients

Nutrient content per 100 grams
NutrientAmount% DV
Macronutrients
Calories72 kcal4%
Protein1.48 g3%
Total fat0.88 g1%
Carbohydrate14.3 g5%
Fibre2.5 g9%
Total sugars1.51 g—
Water82.5 g—
Fats
Saturated fat0.123 g1%
Monounsaturated fat0.231 g—
Polyunsaturated fat0.399 g—
Cholesterol0 mg0%
EPA (omega-3)0 g—
DHA (omega-3)0 g—
DPA (omega-3)0 g—
Linoleic acid (omega-6)0.387 g—
Vitamins
Vitamin A0 µg0%
Vitamin C0.3 mg0%
Vitamin D0 µg0%
Vitamin E0.05 mg0%
Vitamin K0.2 µg0%
Thiamin (B1)0.0030 mg0%
Riboflavin (B2)0.0060 mg0%
Niacin (B3)0.033 mg0%
Pantothenic acid (B5)0.154 mg3%
Vitamin B60.0050 mg0%
Folate1 µg0%
Vitamin B120 µg0%
Choline3.1 mg1%
Minerals
Calcium10 mg1%
Iron0.62 mg3%
Magnesium16 mg4%
Phosphorus35 mg3%
Potassium9 mg0%
Sodium267 mg12%
Zinc1.05 mg10%
Copper0.03 mg3%
Manganese0.07 mg3%
Selenium3 µg5%
Other measured compounds
Beta-carotene0 µg—
Alpha-carotene0 µg—
Lycopene0 µg—
Lutein + zeaxanthin30 µg—
Caffeine0 mg—
Ash0.86 g—

Nutrient values are per 100 g of the USDA reference entry named on this page and vary with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

Source record: Hominy, canned, white (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 169701).

% DV uses the FDA Daily Values for adults and children aged 4 and over. A dash means no Daily Value has been established for that nutrient.

Bioactive compounds

Compounds present in meaningful amounts. Presence is banded rather than quantified, because whole-food levels vary enormously with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

How preparation changes things

Only effects with real support are listed. If a preparation method is missing, it is because nothing dependable is documented — not because it makes no difference.

  • cookedIncreases niacin availability and calcium

    Alkaline cooking with lime releases bound niacin into a form the body can absorb and adds calcium from the lime itself. This is the documented reason maize-based diets built on nixtamalised corn did not produce the pellagra epidemics seen where plain cornmeal was adopted.

Things to know

Allergies, interactions and intake concerns. Every food gets this section — a reference where everything is uniformly good is not a reference.

  • Worth knowing

    Canned hominy is usually salted

    Most canned hominy is packed in brine and can carry a substantial amount of sodium per serving. Draining and rinsing removes a useful share of it.

  • Worth knowing

    Hulling removes the fibre

    Nixtamalisation loosens the pericarp so it can be washed away, which is what makes the niacin available but also strips most of the grain's insoluble fibre. Hominy is not a whole grain in the usual sense.

  • Worth knowing

    Mycotoxins in maize

    Alkaline cooking reduces but does not eliminate fumonisins in contaminated maize. Sourcing still matters.