Vegan Quinoa Cakes

Earlier this week I posted a fantastic guest blog post about vegetarianism and the low FODMAP diet. It can be really tough to follow a vegetarian or vegan diet while completing the low FODMAP diet, but it is possible. I actually was a pescetarian for the first 6 months I was on the diet, but I now also eat poultry and occasionally red meat. One of my go to meals were these Low FODMAP Vegan Quinoa Cakes. I was a busy Master’s student, and I loved being able to batch cook these quinoa cakes and freeze extras. Even though I’m not a vegetarian now, I still love to cook up this recipe and try to have some vegetarian days.

I thought I would start this post by sharing some of my own experience with vegetarianism. Around the time I turned 14 years old I learned about the impact of eating meat on our environment. I was pretty horrified and declared to my parents that I was becoming a vegetarian. Just so we are on the same page, a vegetarian eats eggs and dairy, but not meat, poultry, fish or seafood. To be honest, I never really loved meat or chicken so it wasn’t a big change for me. Luckily, my parents are very supportive but also health conscious, so they told me I had to do some research on a healthy vegetarian diet. I believe this was the moment my passion for nutrition truly began.

I stayed a vegetarian for all of high school and into my undergraduate degree. By the time I was in my second year of studying nutrition at the University of Guelph, I had learned so much about the health benefits of fish and seafood. I was also struggling to keep my diet healthy while balancing full-time school and many extracurricular activities. After a lot of thought, I made the decision to switch to being a pescetarian, which includes fish and seafood in the diet, as well as eggs and dairy. Canned tuna was a life saver for a busy student and I still love my tuna melts. I also ate beans, tofu, nuts and seeds regularly, which are other vegetarian protein sources. Note: most beans are high FODMAP, as well as some nuts and types of tofu.

Lots of fresh basil and green onion, plus sun-dried tomatoes, makse this recipe super flavourful.

I have previously posted my personal IBS and FODMAP story  on my blog, but I didn’t talk much about my experience with also being a pescetarian. When I was planning to start the low FODMAP diet, I considered starting to eat meat again but I decided I wanted to try maintaining my pescetarian diet first. For protein I ate a variety of fish, firm tofu, low FODMAP nuts, seeds, eggs and dairy products. I really missed my mixed bean stews and homemade roasted chickpeas. Note: canned chickpeas are low at 1/4 cup, make sure to rinse the beans well before eating.

I was able to eat fairly healthy, but I didn’t have a lot of variety in my diet and I felt very restricted. In particular, eating out was tough and I pretty much only ate sushi or salmon salads without the dressing (substituted with plain oil and vinegar). For 6 months I stayed a pescetarian, including all the way through the reintroduction phase when I systematically tested my tolerance to each FODMAP. I am so happy I did the reintroduction phase, because I now know I can eat some high FODMAP foods, such as small amounts of garlic and onion, as well as ice cream. However, I did find that I was pretty sensitive to many FODMAPs. The variety in my diet was able to increase a bit, but not too drastically.

Lots of colours in this recipe!

Making the decision to start eating poultry and meat was huge. I considered it for about 2 months before I bought my first chicken breast. Being a vegetarian had been part of my identity for about 9 years, and it was hard to give that up. Ultimately, I realized that I wasn’t happy and needed more variety in my diet. I didn’t need to eat poultry or red meat every single day but giving myself permission to eat them occasionally lifted a weight off my back.

In no way am I saying that you cannot be a vegetarian or vegan on the low FODMAP diet. It’s actually the opposite, and I believe it can be done healthfully with the help of a trained dietitian. But for me, it wasn’t the right option. I still regularly eat vegetarian and vegan meals, but I am also finally able to occasionally eat a lettuce wrapped beef burger at a restaurant without feeling badly mentally. I have also found that at many restaurants the only thing I CAN eat is a burger with a side of fries, baked potato or salad. When I first started the diet I isolated myself from my friends and never went out to eat due to embarrassment. Now I am not ashamed to tell people that I have food intolerances and I contact restaurants all the time to ask about options (or check their menu online). There is truly no reason to be embarrassed, and every time you tell someone about your food intolerances it gets easier.

It is so important to pack the quinoa cakes tightly so they don’t fall apart on you. Having a quarter cup measuring cup on hand helps.

If you are a vegetarian or vegan and feeling unhappy on the low FODMAP diet, you may want to consider becoming more of a flexitarian to help increase variety. It is of course up to you.

Now that I am living at home again, I eat meals with my family. My dad is retired and cooks most of our healthy and delicious dinners. He is super accommodating and always makes sure that my portion of the meal is safe for me to eat. When he makes pork or beef I eat it because I am not going to ask him to also adapt my portion to be vegetarian. Luckily we eat a lot of fish in our house and not too much red meat. I believe when I move into my own place in the future, I won’t cook any red meat at home, and only eat it when I am out at restaurants. This is a personal choice and what works for me.

They get nice and crispy, even though they aren’t fried.

It was actually a lot of fun to learn how to cook chicken, turkey and beef. I love to cook, and I didn’t have a lot of experience cooking meat. As a dietitian I think it’s good I know what it’s like to include those foods in my diet, since most people in Canada eat meat. I want to be able to understand and relate to the experiences of my clients.

The first time I cooked chicken was actually for my second date with my boyfriend. We had concert tickets for my favourite band (Mister Wives) and I had just discovered a recipe for chicken strips I could adapt to be low FODMAP. I don’t know why I thought the best time to test this out was for a date, but I made them and they actually turned out pretty well (and no one got food poisoning, ha). Sometimes I just get super excited about something and nothing will stop me from trying it out. In this case, it was chicken strips.

Something else I am excited about is sharing this low fodmap vegan quinoa cakes recipe (see what I did there, connected it back to the recipe, the whole reason you are on this page?!) If it is your first time making the recipe, you could halve it and just make 12 cakes to test it out. I made the serving size for this recipe 24 cakes because they are so freezable. Also, to clarify, this is a savoury recipe, not a recipe for a quinoa birthday cake. Hopefully all of the pictures have made that clear.

There are a few foods in this recipe that can become high FODMAP at high quantities. Sweet potato is low at 1/2 cup per serving. Oats (and oat flour is just ground oats) are low at ½ cup. Sun-dried tomatoes are low at 2 pieces (8 grams). Tahini is low at 1 tbsp. Each individual quinoa cakes has a fairly low amount of each of these foods, so it’s okay to eat a few quinoa cakes per serving (they aren’t super big). You could technically eat up to six cakes in one serving (more would become high FODMAP from the sweet potato and tomato). I recommend eating just a few for lunch and pairing with other foods such as a fruit, some tofu or a salad. If you are extra sensitive to sweet potatoes, you can sub out some or all of it with plain potatoes. Make sure to use a towel to press out any extra water from the potatoes.

As mentioned in the blog post about vegetarianism and the low FODMAP diet, iron is a nutrient of concern for vegetarians and vegans. The type of iron found in vegetables is not absorbed as well as the iron found in meat. However, vitamin C can increase the absorption of iron. This recipe is rich in iron from the quinoa, oats and pumpkin seeds, and the sun-dried tomatoes contain some vitamin C to boost absorption. The green onion and basil contain a small amount of vitamin C too.

Overall this is a tasty, flavourful and nutritious low FODMAP and vegan recipe.

Adapted from the wonderful (and Canadian) Oh She Glows.

Vegan Quinoa Cakes

These low FODMAP vegan quinoa cakes are tasty, flavourful and nutritious. They are a source of iron, and also appropriate for those on a strict gluten-free diet.

5 from 3 votes

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Course Lunch, Side

Servings 24 quinoa cakes

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 1/2 cups dry quinoa (approx. 3 cups cooked; any colour is fine)
• 1/4 cup ground flax
• 1 cup oat flour (certified gluten-free necessary only if Celiac)
• 2 cup grated sweet potato
• 1/4 cup finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes optional
• 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves finely chopped
• 1/2 cup green onion finely chopped (green parts only)
• 2 tablespoon tahini paste or almond butter
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar or white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup gluten-free rice based all-purpose flour

Instructions

 

• Preheat your oven to 400°F. Cut parchment paper to cover two baking sheets.
• Bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Pour in the dry quinoa and reduce heat to low. Cover and let simmer for 15 minutes. Uncover, fluff the quinoa with a fork, and leave to the side to cool off.
• Create “flax eggs” by mixing together the ground flax and with 3/4 cup water in a bowl (1:3 ratio flax to water). Let sit for at least 5 minutes and it will thicken.
• Grate the sweet potato. Gently press it in a towel to remove any excess moisture.
• Combine the oat flour, sweet potato, sun-dried tomatoes, pumpkin seeds, basil, green onion, tahini, oregano, vinegar, salt and flour together in a large bowl. Mix in the flax egg when thickened. Mix in the quinoa once it has cooled off (it is okay if it is still a bit warm).
• Use a quarter cup measuring cup to scoop up the mixture. Pack the quinoa cakes together in your hands, and then gently flatten. Place on the baking sheet.
• Bake the cakes for 15 minutes, then flip and bake another 10 minutes. The quinoa cakes are done when they are lightly browned and firm.
• Let cool for at least 5 minutes before removing from baking sheet. Store in the fridge for up to 6 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Notes

• You can make your own oat flour at home by grinding rolled oats in a food processor or blender. If you have celiac disease and you are either sensitive to oats or cannot get certified gluten-free oats, replace the oat flour with gluten-free all purpose flour (rice based) or bread crumbs.
• Make sure to only use the green parts of the green onion, the white parts contain fructans.
• Not a vegan? You can replace the flax eggs with 4 chicken eggs. This recipe also tastes yummy with half a cup of parmesan cheese added in, or some cheese melted on top of the cooked patties. Your choice.
• You can reheat the patties in a toaster oven or a frying pan. A microwave works too, but they won't be as crispy.

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If you have any questions about vegetarianism, the low FODMAP diet, boosting iron intake, etc. leave a comment down below or contact me via social media or email!

Need help with the low FODMAP diet or a nutritious vegetarian/vegan diet? Contact me about my nutrition counselling and coaching services, I would be happy to help!