We have heard that quinoa grains are actually super food. It could provide us with dietary fiber, vitamin E, good carbohydrates, calcium, protein and other nutrients. In this case, regular consumption of quinoa could build up muscles and help us lose weight during a diet session. Centuries ago, Incan people in South America consumed quinoa as part of their diet. Mothers used quinoa to feed infants and Incan warrior ate it for energy boosts and fast healing of injuries. Quinoa diet offers non-meat protein, which is made of globulin and albumin. These proteins could be used to help development and growth, as well as reconstituting damaged tissues. Quinoa is also known for being quite rich in minerals. As an example, quinoa offers calcium and this could make our bones healthy and strong. Quinoa offers us energy boosts, because it’s rich in complex carbohydrates. For diabetics, it is important to choose complex carbohydrates because blood sugar won’t be elevated too quickly. Quinoa also offers vitamin E and it’s a powerful anti-oxidant. This will liberate ourselves from bad effects of free radicals and it is less likely for us to develop cancer.
Fiber is another thing that we need to consider when consuming food. In reality, quinoa is chenopod like spinach and it’s really grain. It also has edible plants, which add more benefits for people who consume them. The grain-like seed contains plenty of insoluble fiber. We will be able to easily digest food and our bowel movements can be optimized. It means that we will burn fat faster and easier. Dietary fiber is also useful for pre-menopausal individuals, because they are at higher risk of suffering from breast cancer. Quinoa also allows us to prevent the formation of gallstones. Quinoa is very easy to prepare and it’s a great substitute for cereal, bread and rice. We could prepare quinoa the way we cook rice. When cooking quinoa, we could mix two parts of water with one part of quinoa. Quinoa is cooked with medium fire and can be eaten when it is soft. We should reduce it to simmer and cook quinoa after it absorbs all the water. It will take only 15 minutes to properly cook quinoa. Well-cooked quinoa is transparent with separated spiral-like germ. However, it is important to wash and drain quinoa before cooking it to remove much of the slightly bitter taste.
Compared to rice, quinoa has somewhat nutty flavour. It also has crunchy and chewy texture when eaten. In general, we should be able to treat quinoa as a substitute for grain. We could use it in pilaffs and soups. Because its grain-like properties, quinoa can be made into bread, pasta and various baked breads. Instead of croutons, we could add quinoa to our salad to provide that extra bite. Quinoa could also bring nutrition and feels more satisfying if add it to casseroles, stews and soups. Quinoa is a better alternative compared to white rice. It can be stir-fried with beans and vegetables to provide us with protein-filled, fiber-packed dish.