Buying Organic Quinoa and Kaniwa Online
Quinoa and kaniwa, which are naturally gluten-free, are great alternatives to wheat and other gluten-containing grains for people with celiac disease or gluten intolerance. These little seeds native to South America (and yes, they are seeds even though they look like grains) are also extremely nutritious, which is why practically anyone can benefit from using quinoa and kaniwa.
Today, you can find whole quinoa seeds in many grocery stores in the USA and UK. By contrast, kaniwa – which is closely related to quinoa – is still relatively unknown outside of South America, and you may have trouble finding it in the shops. The same goes for some less common quinoa products, such as quinoa flour and flakes.
Furthermore, regular grocery stores often sell only one type of quinoa (usually the white or yellow variety), and those who want to buy black or red quinoa may have to look beyond regular stores.
So, what do you do if you can't find the quinoa or kaniwa products you'd like buy in your local supermarket? You turn to the World Wide Web! Many online retailers and health food stores sell all sorts of quinoa products, from flour to spaghetti, and as knowledge about the health benefits of kaniwa spreads, also kaniwa becomes more available in the USA and UK. Here are a few interesting quinoa and kaniwa products you might be interested in:
Red, Black and Tri-Color Quinoa
Alter Eco's line of pre-washed, whole quinoa seeds – which includes black, red, white pearl, and tri-color (rainbow) quinoa – is definitely worth a look if you want to buy your quinoa from an environmentally responsible and socially just supplier. According to its website, the company sources 100% of its products from small-scale farmer-owned cooperatives. Its quinoa seeds, grown in the Bolivian Altiplano, are USDA Certified Organic, fair trade (FT) certified, and non-GMO. The contents of the 1 lb quinoa pouches are also certified gluten-free.
View Alter Eco's products on Amazon.com
View Alter Eco's products on Amazon.co.uk
Sprouted Quinoa
If you've read HealWithFood.org's in-depth article on the health benefits of quinoa seeds, you already know that sprouting (soaking) these little nutritional goodies before cooking them can boost their nutritional value. If you don't have the time to sprout your quinoa seeds at home, you can also buy pre-sprouted quinoa. TruRoots' sprouted whole 'grain' quinoa, produced in partnership with organic family farmers on the high plains of the Andes, is certified organic, non-GMO, and naturally gluten-free.
View TruRoots' sprouted quinoa on Amazon.com
Kaniwa (Canihua) Seeds
When you're looking for kaniwa in the shops in the USA, UK or Canada, bear in mind that the name of this tiny, grain-looking seed may also be spelled 'canihua'. If you have no luck in finding kaniwa 'grains' in the health food stores in your area, head to Amazon where you can order OliveNation's kaniwa conveniently online.
View OliveNation's kaniwa on Amazon.com
Quinoa Flour
Naturally rich in protein and minerals, Bob's Red Mill quinoa flour can be used to substitute half of the all-purpose flour in many recipes or to replace all wheat flour in cake, pancake and cookie recipes. This flour, finely stone ground from whole 'grain' quinoa grown in the Andes, is certified organic and gluten-free (batch tested in Bob's Red Mill quality control laboratory).
View Bob's Red Mill flour on Amazon.com View Bob's Red Mill flour on Amazon.co.uk
