Is Quinoa Paleo? A Deep Dive

Is quinoa paleo?

One of the most common questions I get asked by people about the paleo diet is "is quinoa is paleo?" The answer is no. If that's all you needed to know then you can just stop reading now, but if you want to learn why, then keep reading to learn more.

What is quinoa?

Quinoa is a pseudo-cereal or pseudo-grain that belongs to the Chenopodiaceae or amaranth family, which is the same family that spinach and beets are from. It is native to South America and has been grown and eaten by humans for thousands of years.

Health benefits of quinoa:

Quinoa has many properties that make it potentially beneficial to health. Quinoa is high in many different vitamins and minerals and is also gluten free so it is safe for those with celiac disease or who are gluten intolerant, which is why some people falsely assume that it is allowed on the paleo diet.

Some of the unique properties of quinoa include:

• It is rich in lysine, making it a more complete protein source when compared with most other vegetables, grains or seeds.
• It is gliadin and gluten free
• It is high in fibre
• It is high in various vitamins and minerals including: vitamins E and C, B complex, calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, phosphorus, manganese, zinc, copper, and sodium
•  It contains higher levels of total protein, methionine, and lysine when compared with many other grains
• It is one of the few plant foods that provides all essential amino acids (this is what makes it a complete protein)
• It is rich in essential fatty acids including linoleic and alpha-linolenic acid
• It contains antioxidants including alpha-tocopherol and gamma-tocopherol

Why quinoa is not paleo:

To put it simply, quinoa is not paleo because it is a pseudo-grain, and no grains or pseudo-grains are allowed on the paleo diet. However, there is more to it than that. One of the principles of the paleo diet is to eat foods that support digestive health, and for many people quinoa can lead to significant digestive disturbances including gas, bloating, stomach pains, constipation and diarrhea.

Quinoa also contains a number of what are called anti-nutrients including saponins, phytic acid, oxalates, tannins, and trypsin inhibitors. These substances are present in higher concentrations in the outer layers of the grain, where the saponin content is particularly high.

Anti-nutrients are found in many types of plant foods and eating them decreases the nutritional value of the food because they interfere with the digestion, absorption, and/or utilization of nutrients.

Anti-nutrients can be a problem because they prevent your body from absorbing the vitamins and minerals contained in the food you are eating, in this case the quinoa. So even though quinoa is high in a number of vitamins and minerals, these anti-nutrients prevent your body from fully utilizing them.

You can decrease the anti-nutrient content of quinoa in a few different ways including: washing or rinsing it with cold water before cooking it and browning it when you do cook it.

As well, the protein digestibility and the bioavailability of the amino acids in quinoa increase considerably when you cook it. Thus, if you are going to eat quinoa, it is important that you prepare it properly.

However, while cooking quinoa does decrease its anti-nutrient content and increase its protein availability, it also leads to the loss of many different nutrients including various vitamins, minerals, and amino acids, so there are both risks and benefits to cooking quinoa.

Take home point: is quinoa paleo?

The simple answer is no, quinoa is not paleo since it is a pseudo-grain, can be hard on the GI tract and contains a number of anti-nutrients.

Should you eat quinoa?

My number one rule when it comes to nutrition is to do what works best for you. Because what works well for one person can be disastrous for someone else. If you do well with quinoa there are a number of potential health benefits associated with eating it so I encourage you to continue consuming it.

However if you find that quinoa leads to stomach upset or any other unwanted symptoms, that is a good sign that it is not right for you. I personally can't tolerate quinoa, so even though it is considered a "healthy food" I know it's not right for me. Again, I am not here to tell you what is best for you. You will have to make that decision for yourself.

Depending on what diet you are following you should be aware that besides not being allowed on the paleo diet, quinoa is also not allowed on a number of other diets including keto, Whole30, SCD, AIP or GAPS. Quinoa can also make the symptoms of SIBO worse, so if you are dealing with SIBO I also recommend avoiding quinoa.