A gluten-free diet does not have to be boring and monotonous; on the contrary, it can be very varied. We have a wide range of products to use as a substitute for the popular gluten-containing cereals. These are cereals and pseudo-grains that are particularly rich in nutrients.
A gluten-free diet does not have to be boring and monotonous; on the contrary, it can be very varied. We have a wide range of products to use as a substitute for the popular gluten-containing cereals. These are cereals and pseudo-grains that are particularly rich in nutrients. Here are some of them:
BUCKWHEAT
This grain contains 3.3% fat, of which almost 70% is monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids: linoleic, linoleic and oleic. Buckwheat fats are rich in vitamin E and lecithin (up to 4.5%). It also contains about 12.8% protein with high content of globules and albumin. The high value of this protein is confirmed by the composition of its amino acids (leucine, isoleucine, valine, threonine).
Buckwheat groats contain as much as 70% carbohydrates, the vast majority of which, because more than 50% is starch, about 11% is dietary fibre and only 2% is sucrose. It is also exceptionally rich in potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, copper and vitamins (B1, B2, B6, PP), choline and pantothenic acid. Its grains can be stored for up to 20 months without loss of quality, as its fats are highly resistant to rancidity. Moreover, it requires little time (10-15 minutes) to cook, increasing its volume from 4.5 to 5.7 times in relation to the dry form.
CORN GROATS
These are cleaned and crushed maize grains. This groats are a rich source of vitamins, especially B vitamins, as well as unsaturated fatty acids, magnesium and iron. It can be used in the diets of most allergy sufferers because it very rarely causes allergic reactions; unfortunately, the protein in it contains a small amount of tryptophan in maize grains and therefore it does not have as high nutritional value as other cereals.
Millet
It is obtained from millet grains and is also recommended for allergy sufferers. It contains a lot of protein – as much as 10.5% additionally 71.6% of carbohydrates, of which 55% is starch and 2.9% fat (including polyunsaturated fatty acids, in which linoleic leads). It also contains more iron than buckwheat groats and is rich in magnesium, phosphorus and zinc. There are also more vitamins, especially thiamine, riboflavin, niacin and vitamin B6. What is rare in this group is that the lamb groats are characterized by an alkaline reaction.
BROWN RICE
As it has a much lower glycemic index than white rice, it is highly recommended in a gluten-free diet. It also contains less calories, but more vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber. It also exceeds it in calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus and manganese. It also has more protein and fat than white rice. It only takes longer to cook – about 50 minutes.
AMARANTUS
It outweighs traditional cereal products in terms of quantity and quality of fats, protein, minerals and vitamins. The grains of this plant are one of the few to contain the full composition of exogenous amino acids. Its lipid composition is also very beneficial (over 50% is linoleic acid and over 20% oleic acid). It also contains a large amount of antioxidants (about 15 mg/100 g of beta-carotene) which have a proven effect in preventing heart attacks. Thanks to the content of squalene, amaranth grains delay ageing processes and increase the body’s resistance.
RICE QUINOA
The grains of the rice comos have a perfectly balanced content of all nutrients. They contain up to 22% of protein and, in addition, it has a very high nutritional value, because it contains all exogenous amino acids and is characterised by a high content of lysine and sulphuric amino acids: methionine and cysteine. In addition, they contain unsaturated fats, mainly linolenic, oleic and linoleic acid. In the composition of rice comos, the content of vitamin C and B vitamins is equal to that found in other cereals, while it is twice as high as wheat and rye in terms of the amount of vitamin E. It is also rich in calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, copper, manganese, iron, zinc and folic acid. As if that were not enough, it is also rich in flavodnoids, mainly quercetin and campferol (58 mg/100g of dry matter on average), which traditional cereals do not contain at all.
Apart from the above mentioned, various other gluten-free flours are available, such as: almond, chestnut, coconut, chickpea, soy, sorghum, Abyssinian gingko or manioc.
