Category
Grains & flours
Grains, flours and starches beyond the everyday staples: quinoa, millet, sorghum, buckwheat, wheat bran and germ, and the soy and rice proteins.
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BuckwheatBuckwheat is not wheat at all, and it is safe for celiac disease because it contains no gluten. It is high in rutin and magnesium, it is used for soba noodles and kasha, and in Europe it has to be labeled as such so it is not mistaken for a wheat product.Generally safeCouscousCouscous is rolled durum wheat semolina, so it is wheat in another shape and it contains gluten. It cooks in minutes and it is high in fructans, which puts it near the top of the low-FODMAP cut list.Generally safeDurum wheatDurum wheat is the hard wheat behind pasta, semolina and couscous, and it is safe as a whole grain. It contains gluten, so it is out for celiac disease, and it is a wheat grain like any other.Generally safeMilletMillet is a small-seeded grass, eaten as a porridge or as a rice substitute. It is naturally gluten-free, cheap, quick to cook and low FODMAP in a normal serving, and it holds onto its texture better than most grains when reheated.Generally safePea starchPea starch is the fine white powder milled from yellow peas, and it is a pure starch with a neutral taste. It is gluten-free and low FODMAP, but it is essentially pure carbohydrate and it thickens a sauce more smoothly than wheat starch.Generally safePolentaPolenta is cornmeal milled into a coarse grain, and it is safe, vegan and cheap. The one thing to check is whether it is made in a mill that also handles wheat, because corn itself is gluten-free but cross-contact is common.Generally safeQuinoaQuinoa is a seed with more protein than most grains and a complete amino acid profile. It is naturally gluten-free, low FODMAP in a normal serving, and one of the easier grains to cook, though it needs rinsing to remove the bitter saponin coating.Generally safeRice proteinRice protein is protein extracted from broken rice, and it is a complete protein with a mild taste that blends well into drinks. It is low FODMAP and gluten-free, but it is low in lysine and it does not dissolve as cleanly in water as pea or whey protein.Use in moderationRice starchRice starch is the fine powder milled from rice, and it is the clearest of the common starches. It is gluten-free, low FODMAP and neutral in flavor, but like every starch it is essentially pure carbohydrate.Generally safeSorghumSorghum is a drought-tolerant grass used as a grain, a flour and a syrup crop. It is naturally gluten-free, it does not contain the prolamines that trigger celiac disease, and the colored varieties are the source of a natural food color.Generally safeSoy flourSoy flour is ground soybeans, and the defatted version is a high-protein, gluten-free flour that behaves more like wheat flour than most gluten-free alternatives. It is a declared allergen, it has a beany flavor that needs hiding, and it goes rancid faster than wheat flour.Use in moderationSoy protein concentrateSoy protein concentrate is soybean protein with most of the oil and some of the carbohydrate removed. It is about 65% protein, it is cheap and complete, and it is not a isolate: it still carries fiber and a beany flavor, and it is high in FODMAP.Use in moderationWheat branWheat bran is the outer coat of the wheat kernel, and it is the fraction that carries most of the grain's fiber. It contains gluten, it is high in fructans, and adding it to a diet has a real effect on bowel movements and on blood sugar.Use in moderationWheat germWheat germ is the embryo of the wheat grain, and it is the fraction that carries most of the vitamin E in the kernel. It contains gluten, it goes rancid quickly because of its oils, and it is high in fructans.Use in moderation