No, you can’t have quinoa on Whole30.
Quinoa is a pretty popular item these days – it’s celebrated by many as a superfood that serves as a healthier alternative to rice and pasta.
Quinoa is not a grain, and it is gluten-free. So you may be wondering – why can’t I have it?
Quinoa isn’t a grain per se, but it is a psuedo-grain. Despite not technically being a grain, it still contains elements that could cause problems for your body. It’s similar enough to a grain that it could cause your body to react in the same way as it does to grains.
For Whole30, any food that’s even remotely suspected to disturb your digestion is out – and that includes quinoa!
The same rule applies to buckwheat and other gluten-free grain substitutes.
In fact, some folks with auto immune conditions have reported that their bodies react worse to gluten-free grains than actual grains! Different bodies respond differently to various elements. The goal of Whole30 is to discover which ingredients affect your own digestion. The only way to do this is to go cold turkey for 30 days
It may be frustrating, but the knowledge and understanding you gain about your own body is well worth the effort.
Can I have cous cous?
Nope