3 ms·
High in protein compared to what? Is wheat better than millet, sorghum, quinoa, teff, oats, corn, and rice, or is it just a European tradition to base cuisine o
by code_duck 8y ago
High in protein compared to what? Is wheat better than millet, sorghum, quinoa, teff, oats, corn, and rice, or is it just a European tradition to base cuisine on wheat?
I’m not an agricultural or genetic expert and I have no idea what relation genome complexity has to proteins or how that makes it useful to humans. Overall wheat is not very high in protein... it’s a crop grown for carbohydrates. If you were trying to fulfill your daily protein needs from wheat, you’d fall quite short. I suppose it complements more adequate sources. The protein it does have - gluten - isn’t especially digestible compared to alternatives like corn or rice, though it does have a texture that people find pleasant or useful in baking. Crops like lentils and soy are what you grow if you want to grow protein.
- 3x 8y agoWheat has a decent protein-to-carbohydrate ratio and you can make seitan from it, which is a great alternative to tofu / tempeh and other legume-based protein sources.
- code_duck 8y agoSure, seitan (aka wheat gluten) is a protein source. How many other grains have a decent protein to carbohydrate ratio though, and are more easily digestible, and don’t cause crippling autoimmune disease or digestive dysfunction in 1-5% of people? You can get concentrated protein from any grain with similar nutritional benefits. Personally, my sensitivity to gluten has just about ruined my life - right now, my life is on hold and I am staying in a hotel in Rochester while obtaining treatment from the Mayo Clinic’s celiac specialists. Not sure that anyone can say that about quinoa or millet.