Pseudocereals Ideal for a Gluten Free Diet
Pseudocereals, or pseudograins, are ideal for the gluten free diet. Pseudograins look like grain, and in many ways you can cook with them as you would with grains.
The difference is that they are not members of the grass family. They are also completely gluten-free. This makes them an excellent choice if you have a gluten allergy or are celiac.
Pseudocereals are broad-leaved plants that often grow in environments where grains do not. For example, quinoa grows well at high altitudes, and is a staple in the Andes in South America.
Pseudograins are generally less subject to the extreme breading found in other grains, at least they have been up until now. With luck they will not undergo the extreme genetic manipulation grains have been subjected too, and which may partially explain why so many people are allergic to certain grains.
Some types of gluten free beer are made from the pseudocereal buckwheat. Despite the name, this plant is completely unrelated to wheat.
Here is a list of pseudograins to look out for at your local grocery or health food store:
- Amaranth
- Breadnut
- Buckwheat
- Cattail
- Chia
- Cockscomb
- Kañiwa
- Pitseed Goosefoot
- Quinoa
- Wattleseed (also called acacia seed)
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