Quinoa is still relatively unknown in the western world. People who have discovered it know how good it is for you. For others who have no idea if its benefits, they will just walk past it in the supermarket not knowing what they are missing. So if you do not know what is so special about quinoa here are the seven secrets.
Secret 1 – Quinoa is gluten free
This seed is a good source of many vitamins and nutrients. Being gluten free and very non allergenic also means that people who have restricted diets can usually eat it with out any problems.
Secret 2 – It is a complete protein
It contains 8 (Some say 9) vital amino acids. For vegans and vegetarians looking for alternative to tofu and soya it is ideal. It is also far more versatile in the kitchen then other vegan sources of protein
Secret 3 – Quinoa Is good for your health
It is a vegetable protein which is easy to digest. It also is a complex carbohydrate that slowly releases its goodness into the body. You do not get a rush of carbs followed by a lull. This is great for diabetics and people with kidney problems
Secret 4 – There are different types
When I grew some quinoa in my garden last year I was surprised at the number of varieties in the seed catalogue. There are also at least 3 different colours. The most common is white quinoa (More a cream colour). You can also have black quinoa and red quinoa. The variety I grew was called rainbow and was a mix of browns, reds and blacks. The different varieties also have different levels of oils in them and some are more crunchy than other.
Secret 5 – Its comes in 3 forms
The most common form is the seed or grain form. This is what you boil in a saucepan with water for 10 -15 minutes. You can also buy quinoa flour. This is not a like for like substitute for wheat flour but I have had some success in baking with quinoa flour. The last variety is quinoa flakes. These can be made up into a breakfast porridge or muesli base. It can also be used to make quinoa cookies and biscuits.
Secret 6 – Quinoa Can Help You Lose Weight
Although it is not very low in calories or fat count quinoa is very filling. So you do not need to eat very much to feel satisfied. I was in a restaurant once where quinoa was on the menu. The portion served was massive. I had to leave most of it much to the waiters dismay. My Spanish Language skills were not up to explaining why I left so much on the plate. The other reason it helps you lose weight is that you always eat quinoa with other healthy foods such as vegetables and fruit.
Secret 7 – It Is Very Easy To Cook Quinoa
I do not understand people who say to me that quinoa is hard to cook. It is not. If you can boil pasta or rice then you can cook quinoa. It is a new ingredient to many but well worth looking into for the good health of your body
Where can I get seed? Can it grow in zone 6 in the US?
One important factor when cooking quinoa is to rinse it well prior to cooking. This takes away a residue that if left on makes the quinoa bitter.
What you should know is that after the first boil you should skim the froth off and it will give an even fresher taste, less like iodine.
The thing that you haven’t told anyone is that you can use a rice cooker to cook quinoa – it does it perfectly. With the red one, just use one cup of quinoa to 2 cups of water. Perfect every time. Use less water with the white one. Black use 2 cups of water. Normally with rice, you use one water one rice. It’s SO easy it took me ages to convert but now I used a rice cooker I would never go back.
Hi Jane
you can cook quinoa in a rice cooker – no problem
1. Don’t eat anything that is white. Think about most foods that are white and chances are you shouldn’t be eating it. Specifically, I’m talking about white bread, pasta, sugar, white rice, and most milk products. Healthy foods like cauliflower, chicken, turkey, fish are all exceptions to this rule. Based on Tio’s current eating habits, I didn’t think he was all too worried about cauliflower anyway.
2. Only drink water, NOTHING else! How about coffee? Just to keep any possible withdrawal headaches at bay, one small cup of organic black coffee is ok. Can you add half and half?…Well is it white?
3. Don’t eat anything with the word wheat in the ingredients list. What if it’s whole wheat? Look, if the word starts with W and ends in T and has the letters h-e-a in between, you can’t eat it.
Hello everyone..
I live in Mexico and have been unable to find Quinoa here. What I have found however is something very similar it is called Amaranto. The grain is smaller than quinoa but the nutritional properties are almost identical and it doesn´t have to rinsed before cooking. So far I can only find it in a puffed version not the whole grain and trying to get information from venderes is like getting blood out of a turnip. Would any reader know about the sale of Quinoa in Mexico. contact me at my email rkymtpower@gmail.com. Thanks Provecho..