“No Grains?” – The Small Choice That Sparks Big Debate

Anyone who decides to cut grains from their diet soon discovers that it is not just the food that changes, but also the conversations around it. Skipping a sandwich or swapping a wrap for a proper steak sounds simple, yet it often triggers all kinds of reactions. That is hardly surprising: for decades, grains have been presented as the foundation of every meal, and most of us grew up with bread at breakfast and again at lunch. Deviating from something so deeply rooted feels to many people like breaking a basic rule.

But look further back than the lunchbox and the picture is exactly the opposite. Humans spent by far the largest part of their existence as hunter-gatherers, with meat, fish, eggs and animal fat at the core of the menu. Grains only appeared around 10,000 years ago, with the rise of agriculture. In human history, they are newcomers.

"What's wrong with grains?"

The first question is usually why anyone would skip grains at all. Many people expect a medical reason such as coeliac disease. But a growing group of people simply notice that they feel better without bread, pasta and breakfast cereals: less bloating, calmer digestion and steadier energy. Grains contain substances such as gluten, lectins and phytic acid that by no means everyone tolerates well. Science has not yet agreed on how large that effect is in the average healthy person. But the question "why should I eat them?" is at least as valid as "why should I skip them?"

Then there is the practical side: isn't it terribly complicated? Quite the opposite. You build your plate around what is truly nutritious: meat, fish, eggs and organ meat, topped up with some vegetables or fruit if you like. An omelette with bacon instead of sandwiches, a steak instead of a plate of pasta. Steak with butter is on almost every menu, and most restaurants are happy to adjust a dish.

Then there is the familiar remark that everything in moderation is fine. But "moderation" is not an objective measure. If someone demonstrably feels better without grains, that is not dogma but a practical choice. It is not about denying yourself something, but about listening to your body.

Some people will say they have eaten grains all their lives without any problems. That may well be true. At the same time, many people consider a bloated stomach after lunch or an energy dip at three in the afternoon normal, simply because they know no different. You only notice the effect of leaving grains out once you really try it for a few weeks.

What about legumes?

People who drop grains are often told to eat beans, lentils or chickpeas as a "healthy alternative". We don't. Like grains, legumes contain plenty of phytic acid and lectins, plus fermentable carbohydrates that cause gas and stomach complaints in many people. You simply swap one problem for another. On top of that, plant protein is less complete and less digestible than animal protein. A steak, a piece of salmon or a few eggs provide all the essential amino acids in one go, without antinutrients.

Carbohydrates, fibre and minerals

Is grain-free eating automatically low-carb? Not necessarily. If you want carbohydrates, get them from fruit, potatoes, sweet potatoes or honey. But let's be honest: your body does not need dietary carbohydrates to function. There are essential amino acids and essential fatty acids, but no essential carbohydrates. Your liver makes the glucose you need by itself. Many people who drop grains find that they actually have steadier energy on meat and fat than on bread and pasta.

We also know the argument that grains form the base of the familiar food pyramids and dietary guidelines. Many of those guidelines were drawn up at a time when shortages and malnutrition were the biggest risk. Grains were cheap, kept well and were a reliable source of calories. That does not make them the most nutritious choice. Calorie for calorie, meat, fish, eggs and organ meat beat them easily on protein, vitamin B12, haem iron, zinc and vitamin A.

And fibre? That is a fair question too, but the idea that you cannot be healthy without grain fibre is less solid than is often claimed. Some people actually have fewer stomach complaints when they eat less fibre. If you still want fibre, get it from vegetables, fruit and tubers, not from a loaf of bread.

A question that comes up often is where you get your minerals. Grains are presented as rich in micronutrients, and labels show impressive percentages of iron or zinc. But nutrition is not about what a food contains. It is about what your body can actually do with it.

Grains contain phytic acid, a storage form of phosphorus in the outer layer of the kernel. In your gut, phytic acid binds to minerals such as iron, zinc and calcium, so you absorb less of them. The minerals are on the label, but part of them never actually reaches your body.

Compare that with meat. Red meat and organ meat provide haem iron, the form of iron your body absorbs far better than the non-haem iron from plant sources. Zinc from meat is also well absorbed, precisely because there is no phytic acid in the way. And vitamin B12 occurs naturally only in animal foods. If you take your vitamins and minerals seriously, start at the butcher, not the baker.

The gut wall

Another insight concerns the way modern grain products affect the gut barrier. Gluten can temporarily increase the permeability of the gut wall via the protein zonulin, and in sensitive people this effect appears to be stronger. Not dramatically, but subtly enough to keep the immune system busier. Some researchers see this persistent "low-grade" signal as a possible cause of fatigue, mild inflammatory complaints and vague aches that are hard to pin down. The effect is mainly linked to highly processed grain products: the finer the flour, the faster it is digested and the greater the impact on blood sugar and the gut environment.

Meat, fish and eggs contain no gluten, no lectins and no phytic acid. And bone broth naturally provides gelatin and the amino acids glycine and proline: the same building blocks your own connective tissue is made of.

Tips for getting started

• Start with breakfast. Replace sandwiches or granola with eggs and bacon, leftover steak or an omelette with minced meat.
• Build every meal around meat or fish. Choose your protein first and only then add the rest. A generous portion of beef, lamb, salmon or eggs keeps you full for hours.
• Choose fatty cuts. Ribeye, lamb chops, chicken thighs with skin and salmon give you energy that does not crash at three in the afternoon. Cook in butter or beef tallow instead of sunflower oil.
• Eat nose-to-tail. Liver, heart and bone marrow are the real superfoods. If you don't like the taste, our Beef Organ Mix is an easy way to still get organ meat in.
• Snack smart. Instead of crackers or a granola bar: a boiled egg, a piece of aged cheese or biltong, with around 50 grams of protein per 100 grams.
• Need carbs for training? Choose fruit, potatoes, sweet potatoes or honey. No bread, no pasta and no beans.

Give it a few weeks and pay attention to your energy, your digestion and how long you stay full. Chances are you won't want to go back to the bread bin.