5 Great Reasons to Try Quinoa

How can you call 9 grams protein out of 254 calories "a good source of protein"?

I imagine that's compared to rice or couscous or some other similar item. Not steak.

I absolutely LOVE quinoa. In our supermarket they make this Quinoa similar to "rice a roni", which is Quinoa, a small amount of short grain rice and seasoning. Delicious.

Quinoa is a good source of protein in the sense that it is a "complete" protein - it contains all 9 essential amino acids.

I've used quinoa off/on as a side dish. Definitely goes well as a replacement for rice or other grains/pastas.

I never much liked the taste of quinoa. But, now, wild rice, that's a different story. It has to be wild-harvested, though, and then it has to come roasted properly. With some that I've eaten, there was a burnt taste.

But now I have a good source for wild rice, and eat it about once or twice a week. Goes really good with a steak.

And wild rice is a little higher in protein and fiber than quinoa. And lower in fat too. While I'm not anti-fat (I'm actually pro-fat), I am against mixing fats and carbs in the same meal, which causes an increased insulin response. So I'm glad to be on the wild-rice train.

BTW, neither quinoa nor wild rice are true grains. They are grass seeds.

Kailash,

You've got me confused. What's a true grain? Wheat grains are seeds that produce wheat grass, barley leads to barley grass, oats to oat grass, etc, and I thought that a grain is the seed that is produced from those grasses? Why would quinoa and wild rice be any different?

soozeequeue said:
Kailash,You've got me confused. What's a true grain?..

Perhaps Kailash is talking about the quinoa "family" in which case no, quinoa is actually not a grain (strangely enough it is in the same family as spinach and swiss chard).

Nevertheless, quinoa is a fantastic food.

I love quinoa, but my husband hates it, so I tend to make it for just myself. I like to make it with homemade chicken stock (ie, not the canned salty stuff) instead of water to give it a little more flavor. I usually eat it like I would rice, but I'm sure you could use it for other things as well.

hmm. where do they sell quinoa? health food markets? and how does it taste? i've grown to love whole wheat bread (in moderation) and brown rice. how does quinoa compare to the two?

We've had great luck cooking quinoa in our rice cooker. Use slightly more water than you would with white rice -- we use a 1.5:1 quinoa:rice ratio (by volume, before cooking).

Ha, I was confused. So I did more research.

Wild rice is a grain, but it is not rice. It's the seed of a marsh grass which grows in the northern U.S. and Canada.

Quinoa is not a grain, but the seed of a member of the Goosefoot family, which includes beets, spinach, swiss chard and lamb's quarters.

Ok I think I've got it now - all grains are seeds, but of course not all seeds are grains, and quinoa is a different kind of seed. Gotcha.

Nixie I don't really think that quinoa has much in common taste-wise with brown rice or whole wheat, it's kind of bland and the texture is unique. I agree with the other people who like it cooked with chicken broth, it's nice as a pilaf with some nuts and dried fruit and spices added to it. I've found some good recipes on the net. I can get it in my grocery store but if not it will be in natural food stores for sure.

Oh, one more thing about quinoa: Make sure you wash it first.

There are natural chemicals on the surface of quinoa known as sapopins. These should be removed with water, vigorously scrubbing or perhaps shaking. There will be a suds created as sapopins are removed. It is important to remove them as sapopins have a bitter taste and are anti-nutrients, meaning they will block nutrition from entering your body.

I agree with you. Quinoa is one of the most healthy grains. I eat it as part of my source of protein. I prepare quick Quinoa Soup with fresh vegetables. I will try it as a rice/side dish... will let you know.

@kailash.....

youe name makes me think you are an indian......?am from india too but dint really get what exactly are quinoa grains called in india as my mom's quite transfixed with the idea that india grains are the best......also that where exactly the right quality of wild rice be fetched from....?
years back we used to cultivate brown rice ourself at my ancestral village but since nobody stays there now its a little difficult to get the same stuff harvested right......

Opus, I'm a American. So are quinoa and wild rice. I'm not sure what they might sell as in India, or where you could find them.

But, you can get some good quality wild rice from here:
http://www.northbaytrading.com/

Quinoa is more widespread, and more consistent in quality. You can even get it on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Bobs-Red-Mill-26-Ounce-Packages/dp/B000EDG3UE

I love quinoa and am making it tonight for dinner! I make a curry yogurt sauce with mango and orange peppers and it is so tasty.

opus_orangerie said:
@kailash.....[...]

I'm actually an American, as are quinoa and wild rice. They are probably cultivated in India, but I don't know where you would find them.

You can find both on the Internet, though, quite easily.

The wild rice that I like is sold by North Bay Trading Company. Some other brands have had a burnt taste to them, and been more difficult to cook (didn't want to absorb water). With quinoa, I've never had such quality issues.

Good luck.

Cook quinoa at a 2:1 water to quinoa ratio. When the water is gone, add any of the following; honey, maple syrup, raisins, goji berries. Or experiment with any of your favorites. This a great breakfast though I eat this at any time of day. Here is another great source for quinoa and info about it - http://www.quinoa.net/

powerpuffin said:
How can you call 9 grams protein out of 254 calories "a good source of protein"?[...]

Given that a healthy adult human should get 10% of calories from protein, which is about 20 grams, that's almost half the daily need. Plus, you don't get BSE/CJD, coronary disease, or colon cancer, and nobody was vivisected to produce it. Sounds pretty darned good to me.

The recipe possibilities for quinoa are endless. You can make rice pudding using quinoa instead of white rice (I use non-GMO xylitol as a sweetener).
My absolute favorite, though, is Quinoa Tabouli. Tabouli is traditionally made with bulgar wheat, but it's so awesome made with quinoa. Just add chopped fresh parsley, fresh mint, fresh garlic, green onions, cucumber, fresh lemon juice, olive oil and (optionally) tomatoes. It's a great cold salad to keep in the fridge for a quick, satisfying dish.

Sauteed some onion, garlic and spinach. Add in washed quinoa, proceed with additing the boiled water/broth. salt to taste or other spices which you might enjoy, the rest is history.

I LOVE the Lemon-Scented Quinoa Salad recipe at 101Cookbooks.com (http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/001493.html). She has some other good quinoa recipes there as well.

I was raised on potato chips and pepsi. I am 46 years old. After fighting breast cancer, having a heart attack by 40, I finally decided to "check out" the natural lifestyle. I have started eating quinoa, wild rice, organic fruits and veggies. I am cancer free, my heart is doing great, plus I have lost 0ver 85 lbs! I feel I have been given another chance at life, I am now teaching my Kids to "drop that big mac" and they, too, are really enjoying all this "new" food! Ya, they tried to fight it at first... but now "Lovin it"!!

It also taste great, I love it in soups and salads. Have you ever made a desert with it?

I love quinoa. It is so easy to make and is a great alternative to eating meat. I've eaten quinoa for breakfast with berries and nuts.
below is another recipe that is a favorite.
Quinoa as a Salad
1 cup uncooked quinoa
8 asparagus spears
2 oz crumbled goat cheese or feta
¼ cup green olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
4 Tbsp chopped sun-dried tomatoes
½ Tbsp olive oil + a drizzle for the asparagus
1 Tbsp balsamic or red-wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Boil the quinoa according to the instructions on the previous page.
3. While the quinoa cooks, prep the asparagus. Remove the woody ends by gently bending each spear until it breaks—it'll naturally snap off at the right place. Lay the spears on a cookie sheet or baking pan and drizzle with the olive oil and a pinch of salt. Place in the oven and roast for 10 minutes.
4. Chop the asparagus into bite-size pieces and add to the quinoa, along with the cheese, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, oil, and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

what is quinoa called in india & is it available in mumbai. Please do let me know .

Hey kilash and soozeequeue,
i recently happen to discover Quinoa and in India its now available.And kilash u must try it again...i have figured many ways of wating it and it is YUM try again.
I am the distributer for Bangalore city. anyone needs it In Bangalore they can contact me.
wanithaashok@gmail.com

Hello

Since Quinoa has such good health benefits , doesnt it face competetion from other health foods like museli, oats? What is the acceptability of Quinoa in Indian market...I find it pricey at 250 bucks/half a kg pack....however it is finally available in bangalore

Hi Wanitha.
I would like to buy a trial pack of Quinoa from you. How do i go about it?
Divia

Recently I saw Wanitha's show on TV9 (Kannada TV channel), though I missed most part of it as I joined late. Nevertheless, guess it can be cooked like normal Rice. Indians love Rasam, Sambar & Palya (subzi) and cooked Quinoacan can be used with them. Adventurous may even try Quinoa Kheer (Payasa, a sweet dish)! Hope someone starts growing this soon in India too to beat current exorbitant import-price...

I don't know who told you that 10% protein is the right amount for a healthy adult human, but if someone were to follow your asinine advice, they would end up losing most of their muscle mass in a matter of months.

Sources: I have a nutrition degree.

A staple of my diet is quinoa cooked with a bit of curry or vegetable broth and some frozen vegetables. I place the water/quinoa ratio at 2-1 when cooking frozen veggies with quinoa. Put the frozen veggies in the quinoa the moment it hits the burner and just let it simmer the water away. High quality veggies aren't always available fresh where I am, but most beans, corn, spinach, cauliflower, and cabbage all compliment it very nicely. If you want to round it out with some protein, simply add one fried or diced hard-boiled egg (yolk usage is a personal thing) to each 1/2 cup service of quinoa. Tasty, nutritious, cheap, and filling.

Some other great GLUTEN-FREE options for those dealing with various gluten intolerances include: wild rice, teff, rice, millet, buckwheat, corn, amaranth. Try mixing in a little teff with your quinoa for an extra iron, calcium, and protein boost!