Description

In East Asian grocery stores, you can see clear bags with white balls. This is what tapioca looks like. What it is? Starch, flour, flakes, thickener for sauces, cereals, base for pudding and pastry creams. It's all tapioca.

Exotic product

Tapioca... What is this exotic product that is so loved in Asia and Latin America? It is made from the cassava tree. The roots of the plant are cleaned, crushed into a homogeneous mass and dried. From the resulting raw materials, different types of tapioca are made. Cassava powder is flour or starch, depending on the production technology. To make tapioca flour, the peeled roots are dried and ground into powder without heat treatment. At the same time, the beneficial substances contained in cassava are preserved to the fullest extent. The same dishes are prepared from cassava flour as from wheat, that is, pancakes, bread cakes, puddings, sauces for meat and fish dishes. It is also used for fattening animals. Tapioca starch is an excellent alternative to potato and corn starch. It makes excellent jelly, mousses, creams and sauces. It is included in many cream soup recipes as a good thickener.

Secrets of proper preparation of tapioca

Starch is a product of long-term purification and evaporation of cassava. It is distinguished by its snow-white color, lack of taste and smell. It contains fewer useful substances than flour, but its original shape in the form of balls of different sizes, similar to pearls, makes it very popular among chefs. It would be incorrect to say about the “pearls” that tapioca represents that they are ordinary starch. Before preparing a dish of cassava balls, they must be soaked or boiled. Soaking in hot boiled water overnight is preferable. Cooking tapioca is not easy. The balls tend to sink to the bottom of the pan and stick. This leads to the fact that they do not reach the desired condition at the same time. When some have already become transparent, others are still white. In order to cope, you need experience. Simply rinse tapioca soaked overnight, bring to a boil and drain. Boil it in a large amount of water, making sure that it does not overcook and turn into a homogeneous mass. Tapioca pearls are ready to eat as soon as they become completely transparent. If you leave them in water, they will absorb it and become too large and runny. Left without water, they will stick together into an inseparable lump. To avoid this, boiled and dried balls are greased with oil, and the stuck ones are separated by hand.

Tapioca soaked in milk tastes better. The required number of balls is poured into a glass of boiling milk and left for several hours to swell. This semi-finished product can be used to prepare desserts. Below is a description of two sweet dishes.

You already know how tapioca is prepared. The recipes offered in the article are not very complicated. Try these dishes. With our recommendations, they will turn out right the first time. These are delicious and original delicacies. Unusual to our eyes, transparent balls should appeal to both you and your guests. Remember that they are not made ahead of time. All ingredients are mixed with tapioca only just before serving, and before that they are stored in the refrigerator.

Usage

Tapioca is used to make porridges, crackers, puddings, flatbreads, cocktails, sauces, broths, soups, entremets. It is a good thickener. To prepare 1 liter of porridge, you need to add 70-75 grams of tapioca to the water.

Dessert made from coconut milk, melon and tapioca

For five servings you will need:

1 small melon;

- ½ cup tapioca;

- ½ cup sugar;

- ½ glass of water;

1 cup canned coconut milk with salt (to taste).

Prepare tapioca as directed in the first part of the article. Make syrup from sugar and water and cool. Using a scoop, cut balls out of the melon. Place tapioca, melon, simple syrup and coconut milk in a large bowl. Stir all ingredients and cool in the refrigerator. Divide the chilled dessert into glasses and serve.

Calorie content of tapioca starch 358 kcal.

Energy value of the product Tapioca starch (Ratio of proteins, fats, carbohydrates):

Protein: 0.19 g (~1 kcal)
Fat:0.02 g (~0 kcal)
Carbohydrates: 87.79 g (~351 kcal)

Energy ratio (b|w|y): 0%|0%|98%

Tapioca pudding

Ingredients:

- ¼ cup tapioca;

2 glasses of water;

4 tablespoons granulated sugar;

2 glasses of milk;

Vanillin to taste.

Soak the tapioca in water overnight. The next day, pour out the excess liquid and place the tapioca in a saucepan with the milk. Bring to a boil while stirring constantly and turn off.

Separate the egg whites from the yolks. Grind the yolks with sugar, dilute with a small amount (1-2 tablespoons) of boiled milk and mix with tapioca. Bring to a boil and turn off. Add vanilla, stir and leave to cool. Beat the egg whites until stiff. Carefully fold the egg white mixture into the pudding. Serve the dessert chilled, garnished with whipped cream and canned or fresh berries and fruits.

Properly prepared tapioca pearls are transparent. There should be no turbidity or hard white inclusions in them.

Tapioca cocktail

Both children and adults love sweet milk drinks. As a rule, these are cocktails that can also be beneficial if one of the ingredients is tapioca (what kind of balls are floating on top, kids will never guess, and they don’t need this knowledge).

So, for 100 ml of chilled milk, take 30 g of vanilla or cream ice cream, fruit or chocolate for decoration. You will also need tapioca (special for desserts, sold in the form of large balls). It is boiled for half an hour in a large amount of water, and then poured with caramel or hot chocolate.

Ice cream is mixed with milk using a blender, then poured into glasses, tapioca is added and decorated with chocolate or fruit.

Tapioca and sago

There is an opinion that sago is the same as tapioca, that these are similar dietary products, but this is a very controversial statement. The reason for its occurrence is explained as follows. Sago balls and tapioca balls are made using similar techniques, but they are made from different plants. In past times, the food industry offered consumers two types of sago - natural and artificial. Natural sago is made from the inner pulp of the trunks of the sago palm, and artificial sago is made from the roots of cassava. Sago is higher in nutritional and taste value. Both products are recommended for a gluten-free diet, but they do not contribute to weight loss at all. Calorie content of 100 g of tapioca is 367 kcal. Sago and the grain that is tapioca have similar uses in cooking. Recipes containing sago are usually used for dishes with tapioca, but tapioca should be half as much as sago.

Use in cooking

For culinary experts, tapioca starch occupies a special place, as it is considered the purest and highest quality. It is used as a thickener for first courses, sauces, various gravies, creams, etc. It is especially popular in confectionery products.

On an industrial scale, starch is used to make noodles and instant soups, as well as in meat products.

Harm of tapioca starch and contraindications

Tapioca starch can be harmful if you have an individual intolerance to the product.

Today, in many culinary recipes, the term “tapioca,” which is new for most Russian housewives, appears. Stumbling over this word, they abandon the recipe, assuming that it is a complex ingredient that cannot be found in Russia. Indeed, in our country this product is not on the shelves of regular supermarkets, but it is not difficult to find in specialized Asian and Indian stores. Tapioca is worth discovering for people seeking to lead a healthy lifestyle: it is highly valued by nutritionists all over the world.

Where is tapioca produced?

The main countries producing tapioca are Latin America and Asia. In China it is used to make desserts for breakfast, in Taiwan - for tea with milk and tapioca (“pearl tea”), in Africa it is wrapped in banana leaves, fermented or used as flour, in Argentina, Brazil, Peru, Paraguay , Bolivia, Uruguay, it is an important ingredient in many dishes, such as jellies, pancakes, cakes, puddings, stews and others.

How is tapioca produced?

Tapioca is produced from the tubers of cassava, a fast-growing shrub, about 2-3 m high. Cassava itself in its pure form is toxic, therefore, in order to remove all the poison from it, it is thoroughly washed and cleaned, after which it is dipped in cold water, after a few days it is pulled out, grind and remove the separated starch. Then the procedure is repeated several more times. The resulting product is fried in a frying pan, as a result of which it turns into balls (pearls).

In what form is tapioca produced?

Tapioca is mostly sold in the form of small balls called pearls. They can be large (about 3 mm in diameter) or smaller (1 mm). It can also be found in the form of flour, flakes or transparent bars. Tapioca is soaked before use.

What (in what dishes) is tapioca used?

Essentially, tapioca is a type of starch. Cassava tubers contain about 20-40% starch, which is used to thicken various dishes. Due to the fact that tapioca does not contain gluten, it is now considered by many healthy eating enthusiasts as a substitute for regular flour in various types of baked goods. Also her
used in cocktails and in the now famous bubble tea.

What is the nutritional

value of tapioca?

Tapioca is nutritious, but, as they like to say, “harmlessly nutritious.” It contains virtually no fat. A large number of tapioca desserts have a very low calorie content: about 110-160 kilocalories per 100 g. Because of these qualities (and also, see above, the absence of gluten), it is believed that tapioca can be eaten and added to dishes without any feeling of guilt and worries about poor lifestyle.

Tapioca is high in calcium, phosphorus and vitamin C.

What is another name for tapioca?

Cassava roots are also called "maniot" and "cassava".

Tapioca itself is often called “sago”, “mangnokka”, “kappa”, “yuca”.

Tapioca is a starch product that is extracted from the cassava root. It consists almost entirely of pure carbohydrates and contains small amounts of fiber, protein and other nutrients. Recently, it has begun to gain popularity as a gluten-free alternative to wheat and other grains. There is a lot of controversy about this product.. Some believe that it is very good for health, while others believe that it is harmful. Let's try to figure out what kind of product this is, and a photo of it will be presented in the article.

Tapioca - what is it and how is it produced?

It is a starch product obtained from the root of the cassava plant. The plant itself is quite easy to grow and is widespread in some countries in South America, Asia and Africa. Tapioca is very nutritious and is easily digestible. It comes in the form of flour, flakes or balls. These balls are called tapioca pearls and are often dyed in different colors. Other species are usually white.

Making tapioca is a labor-intensive process. This is explained by the fact that cassava roots contain toxins. To get rid of them, the roots should be soaked in a container of water for 4 to 5 days. After this, the tubers need to be peeled and ground to obtain pulp, which is then combined with water and left for a day. A sediment should form at the bottom of the container. It is left, and the water and unnecessary part of the roots are removed.

The resulting starch is needed again mix with water and let sit. This procedure is repeated 2–3 more times. Thanks to this amount of soaking of starch, the purest form of starch is obtained. Then it must be dried, placed in a metal container and gradually heated. As a result, starch collects into lumps, from which they are then made:

• flour;
• balloons;
• cereal

Tapioca tastes like no other product. You can buy it in our country in almost any large supermarket or stores that sell products for Chinese or Indian cuisine.

As for the calorie content of this product, 100 g contains 358 kcal. In addition, it includes:

• organic substances in the form of starch – 80%;
• water – 10 – 15%;
• protein – 3%;
• fat – 2 – 2.5%;
• ash – 4%;
• fiber – 3 – 4%.

Benefits and harms

The starch contained in this exotic product is rich in choline, which normalizes blood sugar levels, and B vitamins are necessary for the functioning of the nervous system. It also contains minerals such as calcium and phosphorus, which are important for bone tissue. Contains starch potassium helps remove excess fluid from the body, normalize blood pressure and improve the functioning of the cardiovascular system.

The benefit of tapioca also lies in the fact that it contains practically no fat and is absent, therefore it is suitable for people with gluten intolerance and for baby food. Since this product has a high calorie content, adding a small amount of starch to the porridge can quickly fill you up for a long time.

As for the harm, there have been no recorded cases of people being harmed by such a product. It is completely safe. The only downside is its high calorie content. There are also no contraindications for use, other than personal intolerance. But in general, tapioca is considered a hypoallergenic product and can be consumed by everyone.

Where is it used?

Tapioca starch can be used to prepare a wide variety of dishes. Flour is often added to baked goods, and is also used as a thickener for gravies, sauces, soups, etc. Tapioca jellies are also available. This product is used to prepare nutritious porridges. But most often it is used for desserts, and also added to the dough and filling of pies. Various cocktails with multi-colored “pearls” are becoming very popular. Granules can be added to coffee and teas.

Tapioca is used to make a variety of puddings. Of course, you can't make tapioca pudding without it. But, for example, when using gluten-free rice flour, a thickener will be required. In recipes, tapioca is often indicated as it. This is where you can replace it with agar-agar or cornstarch.

Tapioca dishes

There are quite a lot of recipes from such an exotic product. Basically these are various puddings, which is where you need to start.

Classic pudding

To prepare such a dish, required:

Combine water and tapioca in a metal container and leave to settle for half an hour. After this, milk and salt are added to the mixture, the container is placed on medium heat and brought to a boil. Then reduce the heat and cook for 30 minutes until the mass becomes thick.

In another container, beat the eggs with sugar and gradually pour the resulting hot mixture into them. Place the pan on the fire and cook for 4 minutes, stirring. When the mixture is thicker t, turn off the fire, add vanilla, and transfer the mixture to another metal container and place on ice. The dish should be stirred for 15 minutes until it cools down. Then cover the pan with film and put it in the refrigerator to cool further. Before use, the pudding is placed in bowls and sprinkled with nutmeg.

Tapioca with mango

How to cook tapioca with mango? To do this you will need:

Pour tapioca into a pan of boiling water and cook it for five minutes, then strain and rinse under cold water. Then milk is poured into a metal bowl and tapioca is placed there. The mixture must be cooked over high heat. stirring for 5 minutes, after which it is removed from the heat, transferred to a cup and left to cool. After some time, cover the bowl with cling film, which is lightly pierced in the center and placed in the freezer for 20 - 25 minutes.

Pour sugar syrup over the nuts and cook until it becomes dark in color. Remove it from the heat and place it on paper. Mango is cut into cubes. Melt the butter over the fire and add mango and syrup to it. Cook for 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Tapioca is taken out of the freezer and pistachios and mango are placed on top. The dish is ready!

Thus, if any recipe contains an ingredient such as tapioca, you should not refuse to prepare such a dish. This product can be purchased in specialized stores. People prefer it leading a healthy lifestyle and supporters of proper nutrition.

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Tapioca (cassava sago) is a starch-like extract obtained from the roots of cassava. Cassava (Manihot esculenta L.) is a perennial root-tuberous shrub from the Euphorbiacea family. Thickened secondary roots contain 30-38% starch. The importance of cassava in the diet of inhabitants of tropical zones can be compared with the importance of potatoes for the population of temperate latitudes. Cassava root tubers are used for food in boiled, fried and dried form. They eat flour from the roots, the yield of which is about 30% of their wet weight. From 1 ton of root tubers, up to 20 kg of high-quality ethyl alcohol is obtained.

The regions of modern Brazil are considered the homeland of cassava; the culture is widespread in all tropical regions of the globe. Countries that most widely cultivate cassava: Zaire, Tanzania, Uganda, Nigeria in West Africa; Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam in Southeast Asia; Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia in South America.

Tapioca, cultivated from cassava, is a translucent grain of spherical, irregular shape. Tapioca is easy to cook. This nutritious, tender dish in the form of a gruel is used in nutrition as a dietary product for children and the sick. In Western European cuisine it is used for adding to soups, broths, and when preparing entremet (a dish served between the main meal or before dessert). Tapioca is supplied to the world market mainly by Brazil, Guyana and countries located in the Antilles.

Tapioca contains virtually no fat or protein and is gluten-free. It is easily digestible and quite high in calories, but harmlessly high in calories. Tapioca can be used to cook porridge, make crackers, prepare puddings, bake flatbreads, and add to cocktails.

Tapioca flour (ground tapioca) is used as a thickener for sauces, clear glazes and fruit fillings in desserts: the main advantage of tapioca flour is that it does not spoil when subjected to extreme refrigeration or freezing. Tapioca flour is diluted in the proportion of 1 tablespoon per 250 ml of liquid and heated over low heat, not allowing it to thicken and turn into a viscous syrup.
Cassava root is processed into dry flakes or hard small pearls that are soaked before use. Both flakes and semolina can be used in the same recipes.

Bubble Tea

Bubble Tea is a tapioca drink that is growing in popularity around the world. The appearance of this dessert is attributed to the teahouse worker @Chun Shui Tan@ in China - Liu Han Chi, who in the early 80s of the last century experimented with tea, adding milk, fruit and tapioca balls to it. By the mid-1990s, Bubble Tea was already well known throughout Southeast Asia. Currently, in addition to Asian countries, America, Canada and Australia are delighted with Bubble Tea. What makes this drink unique is the tapioca balls, which have the consistency of chewing marmalade. They are located at the bottom of the cocktail and are consumed through a straw along with the drink.
Tapioca tea or cocktail can be prepared at home.

You should take 7-8 parts of water to 1 part of ready-made tapioca balls. Boil water, then add tapioca, stirring constantly until the balls float to the surface. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, cover and let stand for 15 minutes. If you want to get sweet tapioca balls, then pour the finished balls with thick syrup. The finished sweetened product is stored for 10-12 hours at room temperature (not in the refrigerator). Pour the balls into any cocktail: milk or alcohol, serve in glasses with wide straws.

Tapioca pudding

Ingredients:

• water 3/4 cup
• tapioca 0.3 cups
• milk 2.25 cups
• salt 1/4 teaspoon
• sugar 0.3 cups
• 2 eggs
• vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon
• ground nutmeg to taste

Cooking method: In a small saucepan, combine water and tapioca and leave for 30 minutes. Pour in milk and salt, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring until mixture thickens. Beat eggs with sugar. Gradually add 0.5 cups of hot tapioca. Transfer to the pan and cook for another 4 minutes until the mixture thickens, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Transfer the pudding to a metal bowl and set over ice for 15 minutes, stirring until cool. Cover with film and place in the refrigerator to cool. Divide into serving bowls and sprinkle with nutmeg.

Tapioca is a starch extracted from the cassava root. It consists almost entirely of pure carbohydrates and contains very little protein, fiber or other nutrients. Tapioca has recently become popular as a gluten-free alternative to wheat and other grains.

However, there is a lot of controversy surrounding this product. Some believe that it can provide various health benefits, while others say that it is harmful. This article is a detailed analysis of tapioca. Everything you need to know is described here.

What is tapioca?

Tapioca is a starch derived from the cassava root, a tuber native to South America. Cassava root is relatively easy to grow and is a key staple in several countries in Africa, Asia and South America.

Tapioca is almost pure starch and has very limited nutritional value. However, it is naturally gluten-free, so it can act as a wheat substitute in cooking and baking for people following a gluten-free diet. Tapioca is a dried product often sold as white flour, flakes or balls.

Summary: Tapioca is a starch isolated from a tuber called cassava root. It is usually sold as flour, flakes or balls.

How is it made?

Production varies by location, but always involves squeezing a starchy liquid from the earthy cassava root. Once the starchy liquid has been extracted, the water begins to evaporate. When this process is complete, all that is left is soft tapioca powder.

The powder is then processed into the desired form, such as flakes or balls. The last form is the most common. This option is used in bubble tea, puddings, desserts, and also as a thickener in cooking.

Due to the dehydration process, flakes, sticks and balls need to be soaked or boiled before use. They may double in size and become leathery, swollen, and translucent.

Tapioca flour is often mistaken for cassava flour as it is made from its root. However, tapioca is only the starchy liquid from this root.

Result: The starchy liquid is squeezed out of the cassava root. The water evaporates and what remains is tapioca powder. It is processed into flakes or balls.

How is it used?

Tapioca, as a grain-free and gluten-free product, can be used in many ways:

• Grain-free and gluten-free breads: Tapioca flour can be used in bread recipes, although it is often mixed with other flours.
• Flatbread: It is often used to make flatbread in developing countries. Combined with various toppings, it is served for breakfast, lunch or as a dessert.
• Puddings and Desserts: The balls are used in making puddings, desserts, snacks or bubble tea.
• Thickener: It can be used as a thickener for soups, sauces and gravies. It is inexpensive, has a neutral color and great thickening ability.
• Binder: Tapioca is added to burgers, nuggets and dough to improve texture and retain moisture. Moisture is locked in a gel-like form to prevent dampness.

Apart from such uses in cooking, tapioca pearls are also used to starch clothes by boiling them along with it.

Bottom Line: Tapioca can be used instead of flour in baking and cooking. It also allows you to create desserts like puddings and bubble tea.

Nutritional value

Tapioca is almost pure starch, so it consists almost entirely of carbohydrates. Protein, fat and fiber are present only in minimal quantities.

Moreover, tapioca contains only minimal nutrients. Most are present in amounts less than 0.1% of the recommended daily intake. Due to the lack of protein and nutrients, tapioca is much inferior in nutritional value to grains and flour. This product can be perceived as “empty” calories. It provides energy with almost no essential nutrients.

Bottom line: Tapioca is almost pure starch and contains only trace amounts of protein and other nutrients.

Benefits of tapioca

There's not much benefit to this stuff, but it's grain-free and gluten-free.

Suitable for strict diets

Many people have allergies or intolerances to wheat, grains and gluten. To manage the symptoms, they need to follow a specific diet. Since tapioca is naturally gluten-free and grain-free, it is a suitable substitute for wheat or corn products.

For example, it can be used as a flour for baking and cooking, or as a thickener for soups and sauces. However, you'll probably want to combine it with another flour, like almond or coconut flour, to boost the nutritional content.

It may contain resistant starch

Tapioca is a natural source of resistant starch. As the name suggests, this starch is resistant to digestion and works like fiber in the digestive system. Resistant starch has been associated with a number of benefits for overall health.

It feeds beneficial gut bacteria, thereby reducing inflammation and harmful bacteria. It can also lower post-meal blood sugar, improve glucose and insulin metabolism, and increase satiety. All of these factors are associated with improved metabolic health.

However, due to the low nutritional value, it is probably a better idea to get resistant starch from other foods. For example, from baked and cooled potatoes or rice, vegetables and green bananas.

Bottom line: Tapioca can replace wheat or corn products. It also contains resistant starch, which may provide health benefits.

Negative health effects

With normal processing, tapioca cannot cause harm to health. Most of the negative effects are due to insufficient processing of cassava root.

1. Moreover, this product may not be suitable for diabetics, as it is almost pure carbohydrate.
2. Improperly processed cassava products can cause poisoning.
3. Cassava root naturally contains a toxic compound called linamarin. In our body, it turns into hydrogen cyanide and therefore causes cyanide poisoning.
4. Ingestion of poorly processed cassava root has been linked to cyanide poisoning, a paralytic disease called konzo, and even death. In fact, there have been konzo epidemics in African countries caused by an emphasis on a diet of under-processed bitter cassava. This happened during wars or droughts. However, there are several ways to remove linamarin during processing or cooking.

Commercially produced tapioca generally does not contain dangerous levels of linamarin and is safe to use.

Allergy to cassava

There is very little evidence of cases of allergic reaction to cassava or tapioca. However, people with latex allergies may experience an allergy due to cross-reactivity.

This means that your body will mistake the cassava components for the allergens in the latex and an allergic reaction will occur. This is known as latex-fruit syndrome.

Bottom line: Improperly processed cassava root can cause poisoning, but commercial products are safe. Cases of allergy to tapioca are very rare.

Enrichment for medical purposes

Properly processed tapioca is safe to eat and inexpensive. This is a life-saving product in a number of developing countries.

However, people whose diets are largely based on cassava and tapioca products may suffer from deficiencies in protein and other nutrients. This leads to nutrient deficiencies, malnutrition, rickets and goiters. For medicinal purposes, experts have worked with fortified tapioca flour, which contains more nutrients like soybeans.

Bottom line: Tapioca flour can be fortified with nutrients in developing countries where cassava and tapioca are staple foods.

How to cook with tapioca

This product can be used in a variety of ways, including cooking and baking. However, most recipes involve desserts with sugar.

Tapioca flour

From a culinary point of view, this is an excellent ingredient. It thickens quickly, has a neutral flavor and creates sauces and soups with a silky appearance.

Some even claim that it freezes and thaws better than starch or flour. Therefore, it may be suitable for baked products intended for later use. These flours are often mixed with other flours in recipes, thereby improving both nutritional value and texture.

Tapioca pearls

They need to be boiled before eating. The ratio is usually 1 part dry beads to 8 parts water. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Stir constantly to prevent the balls from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

When the pearls float to the surface, reduce the temperature to medium and leave for 15-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from the stove, cover it and let it sit for another 15-30 minutes.

Bubble tea

Cooked tapioca is often used in bubble tea, an iced and sweet drink. Bubble Tea, also called boba tea, usually consists of brewed tea with tapioca balls, syrup, milk and ice cubes.

Bubble tea is made from black tapioca pearls, which differ from white ones in that they are mixed with brown sugar. Just remember that this type of tea is often loaded with extra sugar and should be consumed in moderation.

Bottom Line: Tapioca can be used in a variety of ways in cooking or baking, and is ideal for creating desserts.

Things to think about

Tapioca is almost pure starch and has few nutrients. By itself, it does not have any significant impact on health, either positive or negative. However, it can sometimes be useful for people who need to avoid grains or gluten.