Buckwheat, Oats, Spelt … Oh My!

These are probably the three most common grains people are unsure about when it comes to eating gluten free.  So here are the answers, once and for all:

1.  Buckwheat – yes, this grain is gluten free in its pure form.  We recently found a bag of roasted buckwheat in a Russian food market.  You just cook it up in boiling water much like rice, and add a little olive oil for flavor.  It’s full of fiber and protein and kind of has a nutty taste.  Buckwheat flour is a great product to bake with too.  But be careful when you see buckwheat pancakes or buckwheat noodles – often times these are made with both buckwheat and regular flours mixed together, so you must check all the ingredients to know for sure if it’s truly gluten free.

2.  Oats – this one has always been questionable for gluten free dieters.  We used to say it was unsafe because the protein in oats (called avenin) acted like gluten in some people.  But we now know that those people who don’t tolerate oats are in the minority.  Pure oats do not contain gluten/gliadin, yet oats are typically processed along with regular gluten containing flours and therefore can pick up traces of gluten as a result.  So your best bet is to get the certified gluten free oats if you are extremely sensitive to gluten.

3.  Spelt – no, this is not a gluten free grain, no matter what someone may tell you about it being easier to digest.  Simple as that.  Please correct people if they tell you otherwise so we can dispel this myth!

*Information for this blog was obtained from the book “Celiac Disease: A Hidden Epidemic” by Dr. Peter H.R. Green & Rory Jones, which has been an excellent resource as I continue to learn about the gluten free diet.