Nutritive value of pseudocereals and their increasing use as functional gluten-free ingredients

Results from a number of recent studies have highlighted the need for an improvement in the nutritional quality of cereal-based gluten-free products. Several gluten-free grains exist, such as the pseudocereals amaranth, quinoa and buckwheat; these are characterized by an excellent nutrient profile. Thus, an increasing trend in research is focusing on their use in the formulation of high quality, healthy gluten-free products such as bread and pasta. However, commercialization of these products is still quite limited. The availability of palatable pseudocereal-containing gluten-free products would represent a significant advance towards ensuring an adequate intake of nutrients in subjects with celiac disease.