Nightshade vegetables are chemically alkaline, but are acid forming foods

I cook quinoa often and love it however the last three times I made it my stomach got very upset.

Do you think it is because I put tomato sauce on it? Never bothered me before and that’s the only way I eat it is with sauce - Gina M.

Savvy Vegetarian Advice:

Hi Gina, my stomach has never been upset by quinoa, which is considered an alkaline forming food, but it has been upset by eating tomatoes, which are considered an inflammatory or acid forming food by ayurveda ^[1] and other alternative medical modes.

From what I’ve been reading, tomatoes and other nightshade vegetables are alkaline in chemical composition, but are an acid forming food.

From Chi Machine International ^[2]:
“There are two types of acid and alkaline foods:
1) Acid or alkaline foods, meaning how much acid or alkaline the foods contain.
2) Acid or alkaline ‘forming’ foods, meaning the pH condition foods cause in the body after being digested.

The second type is what you need to be concerned about. Lists of alkaline and acidic foods that you find online are often misleading because they focus on the first type, going just by the chemical composition of foods, rather than their effect on the ph balance of the body. I’ve seen tomatoes on alkaline food lists.

People prone to ulcers, acid reflux, IBS, arthritis, or other “inflammatory” disorders are often warned away from nightshades, which include tomatoes, potatoes, peppers and eggplant.

If you don’t usually get negative effects from eating tomatoes, this could be a temporary thing. If tomato doesn’t agree with you right now, look at it as a chance to get a little more variety into your diet.

I know it’s quick and easy to just open a jar of tomato sauce and plop some on top of your quinoa. But there are other easy-to-make sauces you could eat with your quinoa: e.g. chickpea or cashew gravy, vegan cheesey sauce, mushroom leek sauce - all found in Savvy Vegetarian’s Sauces Dips and Spreads Recipe Index ^[3]

If you’re feeling slightly more ambitious, try these other tasty saucy recipes:
Veggies in Coconut Curry Sauce ^[4]
Chili Beans in Vegetarian Gravy ^[5]
Tofu Veggie Stir Fry ^[6]

All those recipes are easy, and lend themselves to many variations. Including beans, tofu, or tempeh in the foods you eat with your quinoa ups the protein ^[7] value of your meal.

We like many different kinds of stews on top of our quinoa - or rice - especially curries. Check Savvy Vegetarian bean ^[8] or vegetable recipes ^[9] for more possibilites.

Related Posts

^[10]Seasoning Vegetarian & Vegan Recipes with Herbs & Spices ^[10]

^[11]All About Quinoa, Gluten Free Vegetarian Quinoa Recipe ^[11]

^[12]For a healthy pH balance, minimize acid producing foods. ^[12]

^[13]Quinoa Loaf Is In Your Future! ^[13]