Quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) has been grown and used as food for centuries by inhabitants of the Andes region of South America. Botanically quinoa is not a cereal but the fruit of the plant Chenopodium quinoa which resembles lamb’s quarters and pigweed. It is a member of the goose-foot family Chenopodiaceae, so called because of the shape of the leaf. There are no data to indicate that gluten occurs in plants of this family. There is therefore, no basis for concern about the use of quinoa by persons with celiac disease. An undocumented report indicates that quinoa has been given over a period of several months to a number of persons with Celiac disease with no “untoward” effects.
Quinoa is a very nutritious grain and therefore a very useful alternative to wheat, rye, barley and commercial oats in the diet of celiacs. It is markedly higher in protein, fat, fibre, calcium and iron than most cereals. Its relatively high content of lysine and sulphuramino acids makes it a good supplement to rice and corn as well as to soybeans. Quinoa is reported as having a nutty flavour somewhat like wild rice.
well… worth a try.
