Rinse Your Quinoa

The goal of all seeds is not to be digested. Seeds would much rather your digestive system did not succeed in breaking them down. 

If you are a wild animal or a backpacker, seeds get pooped out onto the ground, surrounded by fertilizer and possibly go on to create a new plant. That’s the seed’s plan. 

To this end, all seeds contain phytic acid, enzyme inhibitors and other natural defenses in their coatings to aid in this goal. No doubt you’ve noticed sunflower or other seeds still whole in your poop at some point!

Unfortunately, these inhibitors can irritate your digestive tract. Which is why most traditional cooking practices include rinsing or soaking grains before cooking.

Quinoa is a versatile and delicious seed/grain that is gluten-free and higher in protein than grains. But, quinoa’s anti-digestion component - saponin -  is particularly irritating. So much so that I have had patients tell me “I can’t eat quinoa.” But after they learn to rinse their quinoa, they are able to enjoy this delicious grain without any negative side effects. 

It’s easy to avoid digestive upset from quinoa. Either rinse or soak it before cooking, or buy “prerinsed” quinoa (it’ll be obvious on the label if this has been done).

Quinoa is tiny, so you need a fine-meshed strainer. Put your quinoa in the strainer and run cool water over it until the water runs clear, stirring the grain as you do. 

Or, my preference is to put the quinoa in a bowl of water and stir, then let it sit for several hours. I then strain it and cook it with fresh water. 

Go forth with this knowledge and get the full benefit and enjoyment of your quinoa. 

Rinse, enjoy, repeat!

PS Our 21 Days to Better Health is a much-loved deep-dive reset into the healing power of foods.