One Friday night dinner my daughter-in-law told me that she had terrible stomach pains when she last ate quinoa. I asked her whether she had soaked it before cooking, as I too had suffered when I ate unsoaked quinoa. As she had not, she was willing to give it another try. The happy face that greeted me the next morning meant that she did not suffer stabbing pains this time round.

There are many in the Paleo community who recommend eliminating all grains (and seeds like quinoa) from the diet. For those with gluten intolerance and other sensitivities, that is indeed the solution.

As for myself, I have decided to eliminate wheat and other gluten containing grains, but enjoy white rice and pseudo grains like quinoa, which seem to work for me

You may have heard of the ancient tradition of soaking and wondered what it is all about. I discovered it when I read Sally Fallon’s book Nourishing Traditions [1]and got great guidelines from Tess Masters [2]as well. Many cultures understood that grains, legumes, nuts and seeds contained anti-nutrients that made them very hard to digest. They developed the solution of soaking them for a number of hours before rinsing and cooking.

The Benefits of Soaking

Neutralise anti-nutrients

Grains contain a variety of what are called anti-nutrients as part of their self-preservation mechanism. These anti-nutrients such as phytic acid, enzyme inhibitors and hard to digest proteins such as gluten can all wreak havoc on our digestive systems and cause serious mineral deficiencies.

Increase bioavailability

Soaking not only reduces the anti-nutrients but also activates the nutrient potential of food. Proteins and vitamins become more available and enzymes are activated.

Produce better texture and flavour

grains that have been soaked are much fluffier, softer and more delicious.

Reduce cooking time

Soaked grains cook more quickly and need less water than unsoaked grains. My Basmati rice cooks in about 5-7 minutes after a few hours of soaking.

How to Soak (or activate)

People may think this is complicated or time consuming, but it is neither. Simply put your grains in a glass or ceramic bowl and cover with at least twice the amount of warm filtered water. Add a tablespoon of acidic medium such as apple cider vinegar, lemon juice or whey - soak overnight, rinse and dry or soak in the morning for the evening meal.

Happy Soaking and happy eating!