Quinoa is a healthy food that most people assume is a grain. It is, in fact, something called a pseudocereal – meaning that it’s a plant based food that is a seed from a non-grass and non-grain plant. Yet, it is often consumed very much like a grain. After that little lesson you might just need to still know – can I eat quinoa if I’m on a gluten free diet?
Yes!! Quinoa is absolutely gluten free. You can get plain white quinoa, or varieties that include darker shades of quinoa in the mix as well. Quinoa pasta should also be gluten free – but always check the ingredients listing to make sure there aren’t other, gluten-containing products in the recipe.
Can Celiacs eat quinoa?
Yes, quinoa is a purely gluten free food. Always check the labelling of the package of quinoa you are purchasing to ensure that it is certified gluten free. For the reasons of cross contamination, it is better to purchase only those types of quinoa and definitely not quinoa from a bulk bin.
Is quinoa vegan?
Yes, quinoa is a plant based food. It is vegan and vegetarian. As mentioned above, it is a whole food that is grain-like, but is actually a seed from a plant.
How do you even pronounce QUINOA?
It’s a tricky one. Pronounce it Keen-wah. Different to how its spelling looks. 🙂