Lifestyle
Is Quinoa Gluten-Free?
1min read
Though quinoa is an ancient grain that has been appreciated in South America across civilisations, it has received global attention in recent years. So is the proclaimed ‘superfood’ gluten-free? Find out here.
What is quinoa?
Quinoa is generally thought of as a grain, but it is actually a seed from the amaranth family that has been a staple of South American cooking for over 4000 years. In fact, the UN declared 2013 as the ‘International Year of Quinoa’ recognising Andean people and their practices in maintaining and preserving quinoa, and in turn providing food security for the future. It has become a popular ‘health’ food around the world since it has a rich nutritional profile — it contains all nine amino acids (twice the amount of rice) which makes it a fantastic source of protein. It is also a great source of fibre, and it contains high levels of vitamin B, vitamin E and minerals calcium, magnesium and manganese.
Is quinoa gluten-free?
Yes, quinoa is gluten-free as it is a seed rather than a grain, so it contains no gluten as found in wheat or barley, for instance. If buying quinoa, make sure that there is no cross-contamination or that it isn’t a mix of quinoa and pearl barley as the latter is not gluten-free.
Want to know more about the versatile grain? This article about the power of quinoa should be your next read.
By Toni Olukiran
Toni is one of our lovely Content Marketing Assistants, and when she’s not writing posts about everything from Jamaican cooking to vegan champagne, she’s making a Spotify playlist (she was at 200, at her last count) or playing tennis in the park.
MORE GREAT READS
Let us take care of dinner
We help to make eating more plants easy and delicious. Fancy letting us take care of dinner? Check out our delicious meals here.
