Super Food: QUINOA ~ The Perfect Food

“ God heals, and the doctor takes the fee.” ~ Benjamin Franklin

Another ancient food proves it's invaluable to our well-being and a great tasting eat! Quinoa [pronounced KEEN-wa] has been recently "discovered" by Western cultures and is now both fashionable in the culinary and healthy eating worlds. Quinoa is a low carb, high protein grain that has grown for many thousands of years in the mountains of South America. A plant native to the Andes region of Peru and Chile and cultivated for its seeds and leaves, which are ground and eaten. It's been a major crop in the Andes mountains since 3,000 B.C. for the Incas and their descendents even today.

Quinoa is the “mother earth grain.” This comfort food is highly nutritionally dense with vitamins, proteins, amino acids, minerals, and fiber, basic to our survival. A cup of quinoa is very low in calories and saturated fat...

• Quinoa 1 cup (160g)
  
• Calories: 636
  
• Protein: 22.3g
  
• Carbohydrate: 117g
  
• Fiber: 10g
  
• (*Source:PPC Natural Markets: Health Notes - Quinoa)

*Additionally, Quinoa is low in sodium and an excellent source of: Iron (15.7 mg) Magnesium (357 mg) Potassium (1258mg); and Good Source: Calcium (102mg). And it also contains essential omega-3 fatty acids (also found in fish, flax seeds, walnuts, and canola oil), which provide benefit to the heart.

...while jammed-packed with the following GOOD Suff:

A half cup of quinoa has approximately 374 calories, 13 grams of protein, and six grams of fat, but less than one gram of saturated fat. Significant vitamins include B6, niacin, riboflavin, and thiamin; other minerals include copper, magnesium, manganese, potassium, and zinc.

*Note: Foods that are an "excellent source" of a particular nutrient should provide 20% of more of the RDV (recommended daily value). Foods that are "good source" of a particular nutrient provide 10% to 20% of the RDV.

Quinoa is a powerful antioxidant food that we should be eating more of.

OKAY, IT'S GOOD FOR YOU... BUT HOW DOES IT TASTE?
Like all comfort foods, quinoa is a very flexible food that you can "hook-it-up" to suit your taste-buds. It can be eaten as a main course, a side dish or dessert. Quinoa has a nutty flavor, a texture similar to wild rice... You can used in soups, pasta, salads and cereals, and is often blended with corn and with oats. Its flour blends well with wheat flour or corn meal for bread and biscuits. Quinoa is high in protein and has a high Omega 3 oil content compared to other grains.

QUINOA - THE PERFECT FOOD?
Nutritionally, quinoa is virtually the perfect food -- for human consumption because of its perfectly balanced amino acid composition. In fact, almost the entire plant can be eaten; including its grains, leaves and flower. It has a high content of calcium, phosphorus, and iron and is low in sodium. Wheat is the only cereal grain that comes close to matching quinoa's protein content.

"Like soybeans, quinoa is high in lysine, an amino acid often lacking in vegetable products. Quinoa also has a good amount of methionine and cystine, making it a perfect compliment for legumes, which are low in these essential amino acids."

Quinoa is now being considered as a potential crop for NASA's Controlled Ecological Life Support System (CELSS). The CELSS concept will utilize plants to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and generate food, oxygen, and water for the crew of long-term human space missions. While the seeds of quinoa are considered to be the edible form of the plant, the leaves and sprouts can also be eaten raw or cooked and provide a substantial amount of nutritive value.

HOW DO YOU FIX IT & WHEN DO YOU FIND IT?
"As for preparation, the simplest way is to cook quinoa like pasta: Fill a large pot or saucepan with water, and bring it to a boil. Add just about any amount of quinoa, turn the heat to low, and cook until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain the water and allow the quinoa to cool."

Quinoa has a tasty nutty flavor that cooks up quicker than rice, and can be used to make pilafs, risottos, salads, soups, and even desserts. Given it growing popularity, you can also find quinoa products as pasta, cold cereals, cookies, and organic snack bars.

Note: Bulk, raw Quinoa has an protective outer shell, call saponin, that is sticky and bitter; this must be throughly washed off BEFORE you cook it.

Where you find quinoa? Typically, you can locate quinoa in the rice aisle of your grocery store or at your favorite health-food section. It comes prepackaged and in-bulk. You can also visit our Our Amazon Health Shoppe to purchase quinoa and other products featured in our blog.

You can read this aricle for more information and recipes.
Perfect Day Of Eating

EAT WELL... BE WELL!