If you aren't eating Quinoa, you're missing out.

Quinoa: Superfood

Quinoa (pronounced “KEEN-wah”) is a grain-like food (actually considered a seed) that cooks super quick, is nutrient-packed, and full of protein. It was first domesticated by the Andean people over 3000 years ago, and the Incas considered quinoa to be sacred, calling it the “mother of all grains.” The individual pieces look like tiny beads that expand to about 4 times its size when cooked. The cooked quinoa is smaller than a grain of rice, but bigger than cous cous.

One cup of cooked quinoa has 220 calories, 5 grams of fiber and, get this, 8 grams of protein, which is about 50% more than a cup of of brown rice. It looks like this…

Quinoa is considered a “complete protein”, meaning it contains all of the essential amino acids that your body needs. It’s also considered a “superfood”, meaning it’s jam-packed with so many nutrients that you’re doing your body a disservice if you aren’t eating it. It contains calcium (good for vegans who don’t eat dairy, or those who are lactose-intolerant), fiber, phosphorous, magnesium, and iron. It’s gluten-free and easy to digest, so it wont cause bloating.

You can buy quinoa just about anywhere (even Walmart!) in the rice aisle.

You can eat quinoa hot or cold, season it with literally anything (including cinnamon and stevia!) or mix it into anything  including salads, burgers (quinoa black bean burgers, anyone?) quiche, muffins… you name it. It’s super trendy (The United Nations General Assembly named 2013 as the “International Year of Quinoa”) so if you google “quinoa recipes” it’ll take a lifetime to sift through them all, and there are so many different meals involving quinoa that there’s no excuse for not eating it. Seriously, do yourself a favor, buy this stuff, and experiment with it. Look at this potential deliciousness that could be a part of your life… (click the images if you want the recipes)