Corny Challenge in Iowa

August 30, 2007 by Mark.

So, we’re taking on a challenge to get into an Iowa frame of mind. Naively, perhaps, we believe that means getting into corn. Here are the rules:

Mark – Can only eat corn. No butter, no salt. Just corn.
Ben – Can only eat products that contain at least one corn-based ingredient. That appears to include nearly everything processed.
Julie – Can eat anything, so long as it includes no corn-based ingredients.

(The challenge started today, Wednesday, and ends on Sunday night when we drive out of Iowa, about four days total.)

Just a couple hours into Iowa, we’ve already learned that corn-based ingredients (I’ll call them “CBI’s” for short) may be found in the most obscure places. Ice cream. Gatorade. Iodized salt. Citric acid. Today we even found a CBI in some guacamole at the supermarket. Awesome. Ben may well be able to eat anything!

Or will he? Julie will be working on the other end of the spectrum. We thought she’d be safe with some fruit this evening, but we found that there may be some corn-based product in the wax that farmers apply to fruit. We’ll definitely be watching for that.

I need to eat about 20 ears of corn each day to get my recommended daily allowance of calories. Some folks say I’ll get stopped up. Others guess I’ll get the runs. What do you think? I think I better chew those little kernels well or I’ll find them going straight through me faster than I can say “Archer Daniels Midland.”

After finding a local corn stand along the way, and then finding it to be closed, we proceeded to load up on some corn at a local supermarket. Ben found some bagels, corn chips, honey roasted peanuts, and corn relish. Julie already dug into her apple and banana. Since we don’t have room for 20 ears of corn in Rachel (the car), I’ve got it sitting between my feet for the next hour. Then time for dinner. I’m already hungry.

One with the Corn,

Mark

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