Quinoa has become one of my all time favorite foods. It is versatile and delicious and cooking quinoa could not be easier! Not only that, but quinoa is one of the healthiest foods that you can ever hope to find. The quinoa nutrition facts are nothing short of impressive. It has been called a super food and a super grain by experts everywhere.
In fact, New Crops Agronomist Dr. Duane Johnson has said “If I had to choose one food to survive on, quinoa would be the best.” As it turns out, quinoa may be the ultimate survival food because it has everything that your body needs – fiber, vitamins, minerals, healthy fat, carbohydrates and protein.
One thing that is so impressive about quinoa nutritional information is the fact that the protein content of quinoa is of the same quality as milk. It is unique for a vegetarian protein in that it contains all eight of the essential amino acids. Most grains do not contain lysine, which is an amino acid that is essential for cellular repair. This makes quinoa a complete protein.
Quinoa is actually not a grain at all. Rather, it is a seed. It is a relative of beets, spinach and chard. Because it is not a member of the grass family, quinoa is considered the perfect food for those with food sensitivities. Even people who have wheat intolerance can enjoy cooking quinoa!
Even though you have only been able to buy quinoa for the last 10 years or so in the United States, quinoa has been cultivated for over 6,000 years! It was called the “gold of the Incas” and the “mother grain” centuries aga. Quinoa played a key role in the pre Columbian culture and was an important source of food as well. May people attribute the might of the Incan armies to quinoa. Soldiers made war balls from quinoa and fats and took them into battle with them.
Quinoa is a great source of iron, manganese, potassium, riboflavin, copper, phosphorous, tryptophan, B6, niacin and thiamine. One cup of cooked quinoa has only 220 calories. It also has 5 grams of fiber and 8 grams of protein. (The protein content can vary some) If you team quinoa up with black bean recipes, you can get your daily fiber all in one meal!
Recently, I read Jillian Michaels The Master Your Metabolism Cookbook
