Basics of a Grain-Free Diet for Humans (Anti-Inflammatory)

Grains are a staple food in most countries across the world, providing a cheap and abundant source of protein and carbohydrates.

Grains include wheat, oats, barley, rye, millet, sorghum, corn, and rice.

You will often hear grains described as being “whole” or “refined”. 

Whole grains will have undergone very little processing, so their bran, germ, and endosperm are intact.

Refined grains, on the other hand, have been processed to the extent that they contain no bran or germ at all – just the endosperm. This means they are significantly less nutritious.

While grains like oats and brown rice are generally consumed whole, many others are refined. Refined grains are often milled into flour and used to make foods like bread, pasta, and cookies.

Some refined grains are “enriched” which means the nutrients lost during processing are added back in. But this doesn’t usually include the fiber, meaning that consuming whole grains are almost always the healthier choice.

If you have been advised to follow a grain-free diet, you will need to avoid all grains, whether whole or refined.

These grain-free and gluten-free foods to avoid include:

• Barley
• Bulgur
• Corn (dried)
• Farro
• Millet
• Oats
• Rice
• Rye
• Sorghum
• Spelt
• Triticale
• Wheat

You will also need to avoid grain-derived foods, including:

• Bagels
• Bread
• Cakes
• Cereals
• Cookies
• Crackers
• Oatmeal
• Pasta/noodles
• Pizza
• Popcorn
• Rice cakes
• Some plant milks (including oat and rice milks)

Check the labels on processed foods for grain-based flours or other gluten-containing grains. These include all-purpose flour, corn flour, graham flour, and rice flour.

There are also grain-based ingredients in some foods, drinks, and ingredients you may not have considered. These include:

• Alcoholic beverages like beer, gin, sake, whiskey, and Scotch
• Rice syrup
• High fructose corn syrup

Grains are a significant source of carbohydrates.

To replace carbs on a grain-free diet, be sure to consume plenty of complex carbohydrates like potatoes, sweet potatoes, starchy vegetables, squash, legumes, and fruit.

You may also like my article on the best gluten-free carbohydrate foods.

Cutting out whole grains will also drastically reduce your fiber intake, potentially increasing your risk of constipation and other digestive issues. To ensure you get enough fiber, include grain-free foods like fresh or dried fruits, vegetables, nuts (including nut butters), and seeds.

Other foods to include on a grain-free diet include:

• Meat
• Eggs
• Fish
• Healthy fats
• Dairy

These whole foods will help compensate for any nutrients missing from your diet once grains have been eliminated, including protein and B vitamins.

You can also include plant foods rich in protein, such as edamame, soy yogurt, tofu, tempeh, and natto.

To replace grain-based flour in your diet, try using flour made from:

• Almonds
• Chickpeas
• Coconut
• Chickpeas
• Flaxseeds (linseeds)
• Lentils
• Soy

You can also eat baked goods made with these types of flours. Look for these flours at most grocery stores.

Finally, consider including pseudocereals in your diet. With similar nutritional profiles to whole grains, pseudocereals are a group of gluten-free plants that form starchy seeds but have different physical properties to cereals.

The most common – and easiest to find at your grocery store – include quinoa, amaranth, and buckwheat.

Eliminating all grains from your diet can be very beneficial if you suffer from certain health conditions.  In some cases, however, it may be refined grains that are causing your symptoms, and switching to a diet containing only whole grains could actually have a positive effect.

For this reason, it’s a good idea to discuss the potential benefits of going grain-free with your doctor before making any changes to your diet.