Grain | Allergy

Grain

by Allergy Guy

Grain is the edible seed portion of a wide range of plants, including anything from  wheat and rice, to peas and beans. Most are gluten free but some are not.

There are two main types of grain: cereals, and legumes. Cereals include gluten containing foods such as wheat, rye, oats and barley. Other cereals suitable for those on a gluten free diet include rice, corn and millet.Grains, especially cereals, are a major source of carbohydrates. They are easier to process and store than alternative carbohydrate sources such as potatoes and cassava, and are generally more nutritious, especially if whole grains are used.

Grain Types

Here is a list of various types of grain:

Warm-Season Cereals

  • Finger millet
  • Fonio
  • Foxtail millet
  • Japanese millet
  • Job’s tears
  • Kodo millet
  • Maize
  • Millet
  • Pearl millet
  • Proso millet
  • Sorghum

Cool-Season Cereals

  • Barley *
  • Oats *
  • Rice
  • Rye *
  • Spelt *
  • Teff
  • Triticale *
  • Wheat *
  • Wild rice

* Gluten-containing grains – avoid if you have a gluten allergy or celiac disease.

Pseudocereal Grains

These grain-like foods come from broad-leaf plants rather than grasses.

Pulses

Pulse is another word for legume, which inlcudes members of the pea family. Legumes have much more protein in them than most other plant foods, including cereals. Many have about 20% protein, which is similar to mean, and soybeans can have up to 35% protein. Pulses are considered “incomplete proteins” because unlike mean, they do not have all the essential amino acids that a human must consume to remain healthy, especially children who require lots of protein because they are growing. A combination of pules and cereals does provide a complete protein. This is important for vegetarians.

  • Chickpeas
  • Common beans
  • Common peas (garden peas)
  • Fava beans
  • Lentils
  • Lima beans
  • Lupins
  • Mung beans
  • Peanuts
  • Pigeon peas
  • Runner beans
  • Soybeans

Oilseeds

Most oilseed grains are grown primarily for the extraction of their edible oil, although many such as sunflower and poppy seeds are also eaten in recognizably whole form (minus the hull of course). Vegetable oils provide dietary energy and some essential fatty acids.

Mustard Family

  • Black mustard
  • India mustard
  • Rapeseed (including canola)

Aster Family

  • Safflower
  • Sunflower seed

Other Families

  • Flax seed
  • Hemp seed
  • Poppy seed

 

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