Tummy Ache After Quinoa - Other Non-Grain Subs?

[archaeo in FL]

After a little searching online, I'm finding that I'm not alone in loving quinoa but not how it makes me feel. I know it is a safe grain, and my reactions aren't like my Celiac reactions (Celiac involves alternating d and c, severe fatigue, brain fog; after quinoa, it's stomach and upper GI pain, pretty acid feeling, and I almost never get an acid stomach).

 

It appears that some folks simply don't do well with this item, whether it is cleaned or not. (Quinoa has to be cleaned to remove saponin, a natural compound produced by the plant apparently for protection - it is supposed to be washed away via a thorough rinsing of the quinoa before cooking.)

 

Anyone else have bad reactions to quinoa?

 

What other non-grains or safe grains do you use as you would quinoa, couscous, barley, etc.?

 

(For those who don't have any reactions, it's great! Do be aware that it has become a little controversial, though, not for its healthiness but for the impact it rapidly growing popularity has had on the places and communities that grow it.)

[JNBunnie1]

Buckwheat groats?

[SensitiveMe]

Organic roasted buckwheat groats (also known as Kasha). My box here is by a company called Pocono. There are instructions on the back of the box with basic directions and a recipe for Kasha Pilaf. And it also says Kasha can be added to soups, casseroles, stuffings, and other recipes.

 

I also love quinoa but mostly for now I just eat the quinoa flakes as a hot cereal. They are supposed to be easily digestible and don't need to be rinsed. I add maple syrup to it and usually have it once a day. And I will just be heartbroken if I ever react to it as it is one of the few things I can tolerate not being able to have wheat, oats, corn, soy and lactose. My daughter tried to tell me a few times about some people having reactions to it because I mentioned to her that it is my superfood. Then she said there is no such thing as a superfood and I said I pity the fool who tries to take my quinoa away. So she doesn't mention anything to me about quinoa anymore.

 

I did try quinoa flour making the recipe on the box for banana quinoa muffins but I didn't care for them as they seemed to have a dry and almost burnt quality to them. And then I did try adding quinoa flour to my glutenfree bread recipe and I found the same almost burnt quality about it. So as far as that goes I am not that impressed by using the flour.

[archaeo in FL]

SensitiveMe and JNBunnie1, thanks for the response! I have a taste issue with buckwheat - it tastes like plastic to me. I've heard other people say some people think it tastes soapy, but I think maybe my palate is funny (I also don't like cilantro, which some people think tastes like soap, but just triggers my gag reflex - yuck!). I've hard the untoasted buckwheat groats have a less strong taste, but I've only tried them once and that recipe wasn't a winner.

 

I'm so glad you can continue to eat quinoa - it certainly seems well known as a "superfood" and I don't think there's any harm in using the term, especially when it describes a food that is delicious, easy, and nutritious!

 

Apparently I may do ok if I cut it out of my diet and slowly reintroduce it again (but I'll be sure to rinse it, in case that's what got me before), and I do periodically have some gluten-free cereal with quinoa and lots of other grain alternatives in it.

 

Also, I don't have the recipe, but a friend mentioned that she'd made gluten-free cupcakes with cooked quinoa that turned out really really well - might be worth a search!