Is quinoa gluten-free? Yes, and here’s what to watch

Yes. Quinoa is naturally gluten-free, in every colour: white, red and black. Coeliac UK lists it among the grains people with coeliac (celiac) disease can eat.

Why quinoa has no gluten

Quinoa isn’t a cereal at all. It’s the seed of a plant related to spinach and beetroot, cooked like a grain, which is why it’s called a pseudocereal. It doesn’t contain the wheat, barley and rye proteins that trigger coeliac disease.

You may have read about a small laboratory study that found a reaction to a few quinoa varieties in a few people. A later study that fed quinoa to people with coeliac disease found it was well tolerated. The national coeliac societies treat quinoa as gluten-free.

What to check

• Mixed grain packs. “Quinoa and bulgur”, “ancient grains” or “super grain” mixes often add bulgur, spelt, freekeh or couscous, all of which are wheat.
• Flavoured pouches and salads. Microwave pouches, deli salads and stuffing mixes can bring in stock, soy sauce or wheat. Read the ingredient list.
• Cross-contact in processing. Quinoa can share fields, lorries and packing lines with wheat. Plain quinoa with no gluten-containing ingredient is fine; if you’re very sensitive, a pack labelled gluten-free (20 mg/kg or less) takes the guesswork out.
• Rinse it. Not for gluten: quinoa has a natural bitter coating (saponins). Most is pre-washed, but a quick rinse makes it taste better.

Eating out

Quinoa bowls and salads are easy wins on a menu. The questions are the usual ones: is the dressing thickened with flour, does it contain soy sauce, and is it mixed in a bowl that just held couscous or bulgur?

Quinoa is a genuinely useful staple: high in protein, quick to cook, and gluten-free by nature. Check the mixes and the dressings, not the seed.

Keep reading

• The Hidden-Gluten Watchlist: the 15 forbidden names and the ones to check
• Quinoa flour in the Flour Library
• Quinoa in the Coeliac Alphabet
• Label Lab: check an ingredient list

Sources: Codex Alimentarius (gluten-free = 20 mg/kg or less), EU Regulation 828/2014, Coeliac UK, NHS. We inform, we don’t diagnose: for medical questions, your doctor or dietitian has the last word.