Digestibility of uncooked grains

[Troy]

Wondering how the body reacts to uncooked grains... for example...

 

If I wanted to put washed quinoa in my smoothie to be blended up, would my body digest it?

 

What about brown rice?

 

Does it need to be soaked or sprouted to be digested?

 

Wouldn't it just be brown rice flour or quinoa flour if its blended?

 

Are those flours digestible without cooking?

 

Thanks

[Guest]

I'm sure you can digest all those things dry to some extent but I'm sure sprouting would be better....some things dry will just pass through you though.

[DV]

I'm not sure that I would eat any flours raw. I would be worried about abdominal bloating and discomfort (as well as lack of digestibility).

 

The only rice that I know you can sprout is wild rice. But that's actually a grass, not a rice.

 

As a general guideline, grains should be soaked for 6-8 hours in lukewarm water (2 hours for quinoa and 9 hours for wild rice) before draining. Most grains will sprout in 2 days (1 day for quinoa and 3-5 days for wild rice).

 

I use a colander over a bowl and cover it with a large towel. Then I put it in my pantry to stay dark. Rinse 3 to 4 times a day (or less if you're at work). If you do this with buckwheat, there will be a slimy, gelatinous coating on it that you would rinse off if using it for most recipes but you might not mind it in a smoothie.

[beforewisdom]

Just cook the grains.

 

The things that have shortened the life spans of large groups of people ( aside from war, cigarettes and natural disasters ) have been starvation, food spoilage, poor sanitation, and the increase of animal products at the beginning of the 20th century.

 

When these things have been absent large populations have enjoyed excellent health using cooked grains as a dietary staple.

[Troy]

I have consumed flours in smoothies before and I was looking for a cheaper alternative for a complex carbohydrate filler for my smoothies instead of the Ezekiel 4:9 cereal. Thank you for the answers, it looks like the 4:9 stays.

[Zack]

I have consumed flours in smoothies before and I was looking for a cheaper alternative for a complex carbohydrate filler for my smoothies instead of the Ezekiel 4:9 cereal. Thank you for the answers, it looks like the 4:9 stays.

 

Rolled oats.

[cubby2112]

I have consumed flours in smoothies before and I was looking for a cheaper alternative for a complex carbohydrate filler for my smoothies instead of the Ezekiel 4:9 cereal. Thank you for the answers, it looks like the 4:9 stays.

 

Rolled oats.

 

Yeah, I second the rolled oats, since they are steamed or toasted before retail.

[Mike]

There's a seven-grain cereal I buy from the health food store in bulk that looks like a big bag of oats. I put that in a shake every morning. Is there a chance I might not actually be digesting the grains, or are you guys talking about something else?

 

Mike

[chrisjs]

Yeah, I second the rolled oats, since they are steamed or toasted before retail.

Steaming or toasting would make them... cooked.

I'm not entirely sure, but I think oat groats are actually raw. Probably won't be cheap due to scarcity.

Edited February 25, 2008 by chrisjs

[hsorlando]

oat groats is what I buy, I don''t know if they're raw or not, but I end up cooking mine.

[Troy]

Experimented with cooking times (steamed) of brown rice and have concluded that 30 minutes is too short to cook brown rice. Digestibility increases significantly if the time is increased to 40 minutes.