What on earth is quinoa?
Quinoa (pronounced “keen-wah”) is the leading new supergrain! Well, technically, it’s not really a grain, it’s an edible seed – the seed of a green broad-leafed plant (related to the weed lamb’s quarters and to spinach) that is cultivated high in the Andes Mountains in South America and, more recently, in North America.
While the most favored type is clear yellow, other kinds of quinoa are orange, pink, red, purple and black. Quinoa seeds are incredibly yummy. Cooked, they are fluffy and creamy, but a little bit crunchy. They’ve got a delicate and subtly nutty taste. Infrequently seen in today’s produce section, the quinoa plant has edible leaves, with a flavour not dissimilar to that of its beet, spinach and chard relatives.
Background
Quinoa plants have been harvested at altitudes well above 10,000 feet and appreciated as a superfood for millennia – there’s evidence of societies eating it as far back as 7000 years ago. Indeed, quinoa was a key food of the Incas, who referred to it as “the mother grain”.
Equally revered by the ancient Aztecs as a source of energy for their fearless warriors, it is now admired by chefs, home cooks and the health-conscious alike, for its culinary versatility and, most importantly, its nutritional value.
Nutrition and potential health benefits
Quinoa is rapidly growing in popularity as a tasty, easy-to-prepare, nutrient-packed health food. As a matter of fact, quinoa is close to being a perfect food source in the balance of nutrition it provides. For example, quinoa is a great source of protein – 12% to 18% – and is one of few plant sources of complete protein (in other words, it has all of the essential amino acids – the building blocks of protein). Therefore , it is an ideal food for vegetarians, vegans and other people looking for a protein boost.
As stated by the National Academy of Sciences, quinoa is “one of the best sources of protein in the vegetable kingdom”, yielding more than twice the protein of rice and 5 times more than corn. The World Health Organization has scored the calibre of protein in quinoa to be comparable or better than that seen in milk products.
Quinoa contains the amino acid lysine which helps your body produce protein. It can also help the body process the protein in the quinoa and in other foods, being naturally high in both methionine and cystine.
Quinoa is gluten free (which makes it a perfect food item for celiacs and others with gluten sensitivities); in addition it is rich in dietary fibre, phosphorus, riboflavin and is readily digestible. It is also a great source of B vitamins containing niacin, thiamin and B6.It contains high levels of potassium and riboflavin. Additionally it is good source of zinc, iron, calcium, copper, manganese and magnesium and it contains folic acid and vitamin E.
Quinoa also happens to have a low glycemic index as compared to whole grains. The glycemic index – or GI – rates foods depending on how much they make our blood sugar level climb. Keeping your blood sugar balanced can help you to maintain weight and improve cholesterol, which explains why whole, unrefined food items that are low in sugar and rich in fibre are recommended for their health advantages.
With regard to calorific content, quinoa comes in about 50 calories less per serving when compared to brown rice and also has less carbohydrate than any other grain beside corn.
Where can you find it?
It’s just fairly recently that quinoa has started to receive media attention as a superfood and, as a consequence, become more readily obtainable in many of the large supermarket chains, as well as in health food stores.
It may be eaten in many different ways, e.g.: in soups, stews, salads, casseroles, or as a side dish with any meal. It can even be put into desserts and used as a hot or cold breakfast cereal.
The other alternative, if you are not keen on the flavour or if you don’t want to eat quinoa every day, is to go for a top quality organic quinoa dietary supplement. This will allow you to experience the nutritional benefits of quinoa everyday, without the hassle (and calories) involved with consuming great quantities of the seed.
Specialist Supplements Ltd has created a wonderful superfood blend for just this purpose – to help make your life easier and healthier. Organic GreeNourish Complete is a meal replacement powder which contains not only quinoa, but also:
• wheatgrass
• barley grass
• pre-sprouted barley
• spirulina
• Seagreens® Ascophyllum (kelp)
• acai berry
• apple
• bilberry fruit
• lemon peel
• carrot
• turmeric
• flaxseed / linseed
• alfalfa
• spinach leaf
…wow, right? Loaded with vegetarian source proteins, chlorophyll and lots of other natural power nutrients, there are no added “nasties” such as food colours, fillers, binders, flow agents or preservatives.
Once you try it you will never look back, so check it out now!