When you find out you need to be gluten-free, your heart might break a little. You will have to say good-bye to your beloved wheat. But not only the king grain Mr. Wheat, but also barley, rye, farro, freekeh, spelt, durum, bulgur, couscous, kamut, panko, semolina, triticale, and every other derivative comes from these. O, woh is me, right? Well, no actually, there is no need for a pity party. When I found out gluten made my body sick, I got excited about researching all the naturally gluten-free grains out there. Most people without food allergies have no idea about the immense and beautiful variety of food there really is. They stick to the classics and the boring. Having to choose gluten-free grains is so far from boring and does not require sadness or pity. Believe me, you will be so much happier eating the large variety of gluten-free grains and pseudo-grains out there. Not only will you get crazy nutrition but you will also be introduced to awesome flavor and creative recipes that wow. So with you gluten-freeness comes a special perk of wowing everyone with your grain knowledge and delicious recipes. Say good-bye to the boring and bring on the fun!
Amaranth: It's Loaded with B vitamins, Vitamin C, calcium, and iron. Not to mention in just one serving you get a whooping 8g of protein! It is great in salads or a morning hot cereal!
Buckwheat: Contrary to its name, it is completely gluten-free and has nothing to do with wheat. It's rich in flavonoids like rutin and a good source of magnesium helping to regulate blood sugar. Buckwheat is great as a hot cereal, in salads, as a flour, or even as the main star of the show!
Kasha: This grain is actually just buckwheat, but toasted! I love kasha and use it in my dinner bowl creations often. It is a rich nutty taste and cooks in about 10 minutes!
Rice: This is probably going to be you first go-to grain when you start your journey. But please, look past any processed rice products or plain old white rice. Expand you palate with baby steps if you will. From brown rice, to black rice, to wild. There are just so many varieties I can't list them all! One of my favorites is red rice too! Rice can be found in every color of the rainbow, each with their own texture and taste but all a wonderful source of healthy whole grain!
Millet: This was one of the first "out-there" grains that I tried. Millet has a sweet nutty flavor which can be enhanced by lightly toasting it in a pan before cooking it in water. It is a fun hearty grain and also a great breakfast option as well!
Teff: I have never actually tried teff yet, but it definitely is a great grain! It has 123mg of calcium in 1 cup! It is also a pseudo-grain and is the smallest of the grains out there. It is most commonly used in porridge or as a nutrient dense flour.
Sorghum: You will mostly see this grain used as a flour, but you can also cook it as a whole grain or, better yet use it as an alternative to popcorn! It is extremely nutrient dense and full of fiber, iron, and protein. So if you want a "healthier" version of your plain Jane popcorn, pop up some sorghum!
Corn: On the topic of popcorn, let us look at the grain corn. Corn is wonderful, but lets get something straight. Corn is NOT a vegetable, but a grain. Corn is also one of the top 3 GMO crops in the US. But corn has wonderful benefits and nutrients so don't fear it. Just go with organic cornmeal, polenta, popcorn, hominy, grits, etc. Corn is so versatile from tortillas to cheezy polenta (<---polenta is my favorite!). You also have other fun varieties like blue cornmeal! And don't forget how wonderful it is in pancakes!
Quinoa: O, this little pseudo-grain is becoming quite popular now isn't it? It is loaded with potassium, phosphorus and all 9 amino acids making it a quality protein power-house! 8g in a single serving. Quinoa comes in different colors like white, red, and black. Plus this little guy can be used for everything! From flour, as a great "meaty" substitute, perfect for sprouting and using as a salad topping, its whole grain form, to the famous quinoa flake!
Oats: Yes, oats in there uncontaminated form are gluten-free. They just have to be certified gluten-free to be considered safe to eat. Oats are an extremely healthy fuel for breakfast and also great as a flour. Not to mention they are the granola king!
See! No need for a pity party. You have tons of options. Plus, these are only the start of all your options. Don't even get me started on all the beans, legumes, and seeds you can be using! That is for another post, haha. If you are gluten-free and new to it at that, these are the essential gluten-free whole grains to know and use regularly in your diet! Have fun and experiment. You will find the ones you love, the quick recipes and go-to family favorites. Who needs wheat pasta when you can have sprouted quinoa pasta! Of who needs a wheat pizza when you can have a brown rice crust? Don't let gluten-free scare you, expand your palate and try new things!
So tell me:
What is you favorite gluten-free grain? I love Kasha and of course Quinoa for its versatility.
What was the first "new-to-you" grain you tried after going gluten-free?
*Linking up for the week! Allergy Free Wednesdays, Ricki Heller’s Wellness Weekend, Real Food Friday, Gluten-Free Fridays!*
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Kaila511
I started using teff flour more a month or two ago. I’ve never heard of Kasha before, I guess I’ll have to toast some buckwheat to find out more!! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Strength and Sunshine
I still have yet to use teff! But definetly give kashw a try! Its super good 🙂
Kaila511
I love teff because it’s super fine and light! I use it in banana bread most often. 🙂
Strength and Sunshine
That sounds yummy! Good idea 🙂
A Fashion Fiend
I can’t tell you how great this post is. My husband has recently had to go gluten free and I’m still trying to educate myself on all of the products for him. Thank you thank you!
Strength and Sunshine
Stick with these grains, fruits, veggies, nuts, beans (and meat, eggs, dairy if that's you thing) and you should have a healthy happy husband! 😉
A Fashion Fiend
Thank you so much for the suggestions!!
Kristin KH
So interesting! I haven't tried most of these. I'm totally intrigued by the sorghum popcorn... Awesome info! Stopping by from the SITS link up - I'd love for you to link this up at our {Healthy} Tips and tricks Tuesday link up too! Hope to see you there,
Strength and Sunshine
I've never tried it personally either but people who have say it is pretty awesome!
Deborah Smikle-Davis
Hi Rebecca,
I have been adding new gluten free grains to my diet lately. I love quinoa especially, but I find that millet, corn, amaranth and buckwheat are interesting grains as well.Thank you so much for sharing this fabulous post on the Healthy, Happy, Green & Natural Blog Hop! I appreciate it!
Strength and Sunshine
Quinoa is so great!
Moi
I’m definitely sharing your post with my co-worker. She just found out that she has to switch to gluten-free and I’ve been helping her with it. I found your blog through SITS, and I’m so glad I did. Thanks for the post!
Strength and Sunshine
That's great! Tell your friend to stop by or shoot me an email! I can help her out with any advice or tips she needs 🙂 strengthandsunshine@gmail.com
Marla
Great info on gluten free grains. Some many people are going gluten-free these days. Thanks for linking up and sharing with Real Food Fridays. Have a wonderful healthy day
Strength and Sunshine
Thanks Marla! You too 🙂
saraxashley
As someone with a gluten intolerance I am always looking for more info. about gluten free foods and grains. Thanks for sharing!! Super informative!
Stopping by for some #SITSblogging love <3
Strength and Sunshine
I am happy I could help! Gluten-Free sister 😉
lydiaf1963
I'm so glad you posted this to Real Food Fridays! It is a great resource 🙂
Strength and Sunshine
Thanks you Lydia!
Nicole K
This is a great resource! I may need to go gluten free soon and felt overwhelmed and sad. Thanks for sharing all of these options!
Strength and Sunshine
No need to be sad! Stay in touch and let me know how your gluten-free journey goes if you need to start. I am always here to give tips and advice and would love to help!
B.Brittain-Marshall (@ritewhileucan)
Your photos of all these grains are absolutely beautiful. Who would have thought grains were so photogenic?! Visiting you on your SITS day. Hope it was grand.
Strength and Sunshine
Grains are beautiful when you take a close look at them, but these images are all from google! Haha!
Joey Resciniti
I've been doing a low FODMAP diet, so I've been trying to get more familiar with the gluten free grains. So far, I'm really impressed by gluten free pasta. Sadly, bread and other baked goods have been a real disappointment. Plus, I don't think I'm doing Quinoa right because it's one of my least favorite things. But it's a process to figure this all out for sure!
Strength and Sunshine
A lot of people cook their quinoa wrong. You need 1 cup of water for every half cup of quinoa. You need to rinse it very well before cooking and it should cook for about 13 minutes. You should not see a white dot in the center if it is cooked correctly.
What types of bread have you been trying?
shashi @ http://runninsrilankan.com
Yum - this Vegan Chickpea Flour Omelet has me so hungry - think I might have to have breakfast #2! 🙂
Strength and Sunshine
Haha, well you should enjoy it 😉
madisonwetherill
I had no idea there were so many gluten free options! Thanks for sharing.
Strength and Sunshine
This is only the start!
Jenna Brussee (@aSavoryFeast)
I love quinoa! I don’t have any food allergies but I substitute it for rice or pasta in a lot of dishes to make them healthier. It’s so good for you and tastes great! I liked learning about all these other grains as well. Happy SITS Day!
Strength and Sunshine
Quinoa really is something special haha! It really can be called a super food!
Health, Love, and Chocolate
This is exactly what I try to explain to people when they come to me for advice about going gluten-free...there is literally a whole world of delicious grains out there that don't contain gluten! Quinoa and buckwheat are my favorites, but amaranth and millet come in a close third and fourth.
Strength and Sunshine
Life would be so boring without these grains! If you don't eat them. then you have a limited and boring diet!! not the other way around, haha!
All the grains are so good but Kasha and Quinoa and the bomb!
GiGi Eats Celebrities
I cannot eat any grains, however.... If I could, I'd like to eat quinoa. Which actually is a seed by the way!
Strength and Sunshine
I know that's what I said haha! And buckwheat is from a flower and is not a grain but a fruit!
GiGi Eats Celebrities
Bah ha ha! I did notice you mentioned it was a SEED - AFTER I PRESSED SUBMIT to my comment, AWESOME SAUCE on my part 😉 - And the whole buckwheat thing being a fruit, SO WEIRD! ha! And then of course, eggplants are fruit too!
Strength and Sunshine
Yes they are! So are cucumbers 😉
txa1265
Loads of cool info - I have been slowly diving into this this past year (no gluten issue, just love trying all of this, oats and quinoa are faves). But corn? I am interested in what possible value there is - especially compared to these other great products!?!?
Strength and Sunshine
Check out this link! http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=90 Corn is a great grain as long as you eat it in its non-processed (non-GMO) form it is wonderful! Cornmeal, Polenta/grits/ actually on the cob haha. Plus all the different colors -> red, blue, yellow, purple,white, they each have unique benefits 🙂
Heather @ The Soulful Spoon
Great info Rebecca!:) NO matter what "super" grain I try, I always just prefer good old gluten-free oats. I'm a traditionalist I suppose- but not even the almighty quinoa stands up to a good bowl of oatmeal in my opinion:) I have to say though- wild rice at Thanksgiving is AMAZING, especially over a huge kale salad. Anywho! Great tips!:)<3
Strength and Sunshine
Ah, quinoa flakes beat oats anyday 😉 Battle of the grains I say!
eatgreatbegreat
Thanks for all this info Rebecca! My favorite gluten free grains are definitely quinoa and oats. Some of these are definitely new to me, so I look forward to checking them out.
Strength and Sunshine
Thanks Holly 🙂 Quinoa rocks and I always love how surprised people are to learn that it isn't an actual grain but a seed!
jillconyers
Great info!
Strength and Sunshine
Thanks Jill! 🙂