Quinoa has quickly become one of the most popular health foods in the world, especially in the US, Canada, and many other countries.
The reasons it’s so popular are plenty: it tastes good, it’s nutritious, it helps you lose weight, you can cook lots of ways with it, and it’s gluten free!
Read on to find the Top 5 Benefits of Quinoa, my delicious quinoa recipes, and discover why you should be eating more of this stuff.
What is Quinoa?
Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) is by definition the seed of a plant that is prepared and consumed like a whole grains food.
The quinoa plant originated in the Andean region of South America and has been a staple food of the local people for thousands of years. The ancient Incas referred to it as the “Mother of All Grains”.
It comes in lots of forms, including quinoa flakes, quinoa flour, quinoa grains, or puffed quinoa. There are three popular varieties: white quinoa, black quinoa, and red quinoa.
They all taste about the same, except the red and black have a slightly crunchier texture and the white tends to puff up a little more when cooked.
Quinoa Benefits
Here are the top 5 proven health benefits of quinoa:
1. Very high in protein. Quinoa is one of the most protein rich foods there is. Not only is it an easy to eat vegetable protein, it’s a COMPLETE protein containing all nine essential amino acids. (1)
2. Rich in nutrients. Quinoa has a very high nutritional value, containing important nutrients like iron, lysine (for tissue growth and repair), riboflavin (B2), manganese, phosphorus, iron, and zinc. NASA has actually been examining the possibility of using quinoa in outer space thanks to it’s very high nutritional value. (2, 3)
3. High in fiber. One of the best quinoa health benefits is its high fiber content. Studies have found that one cup of quinoa contains approximately 17 to 25 grams of fiber, making it one of the highest fiber grains available. Unfortunately, most of the fiber is in insoluble form, which doesn’t have all the same health benefits of soluble fiber, but it still helps add up to more quinoa health benefits. (4)
4. Gluten free. Quinoa is a naturally gluten free food. It makes a more nutritious alternative to typical gluten free ingredients like potato, tapioca, corn and rice flour. (5)
5. Very high in antioxidants. Quinoa happens to be very high in antioxidants. Antioxidants help your body remove free radicals, which helps fight premature aging and other diseases. (6)
Is Quinoa Good for Weight Loss?
Quinoa can help with weight loss. It’s is high in protein, which can help increase your metabolism and reduce your appetite a lot.
It also contains a good amount of fiber (17-15 grams per serving), which help you feel more full and reduces how many overall calories you consume. (7)
How to Cook Quinoa
Cooking recipes made with quinoa is pretty easy because it’s so simple and easy to cook because it’s one of my favorite dishes to make .
Important Tip: Always RINSE IT FIRST in a fine mesh strainer with cool water for about 2 minutes.
Rinsing removes quinoa’s natural coating, called saponin, which can make it taste bitter or soapy. Boxed quinoa is often pre-rinsed, but it doesn’t hurt to give the seeds an additional rinse at home.
Quinoa Cooking Instructions
Measure 1 cup of quinoa and place into a fine mesh strainer. Rinse thoroughly with cool water for about 2 minutes.- Dump rinsed quinoa in rice cooker or medium pot.
- Add 2 cups water or broth.
- Bring to a boil, cover and simmer over low heat until all the liquid is absorbed, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Measure 1 cup of quinoa and place into a fine mesh strainer. Rinse thoroughly with cool water for about 2 minutes.That’s it. In about fifteen minutes you’ll have hot fluffy cooked quinoa to play with.
Makes 3 cups of cooked quinoa. If you want more or less, the correct quinoa to water ratio is generally about 1 cup of uncooked quinoa to 2 cups of water or broth.
I recommend adding some herbs, spices, or whatever you like to flavor it up a bit. I also like to add in fresh veggies sometimes for extra crunch and nutritional benefits.
Quinoa Recipes
There are a lot of healthy quinoa recipes you can make that are also easy to prepare. Because quinoa can be substituted for almost any recipe that calls for rice, the quinoa cooking possibilities are virtually endless.
Easy quinoa recipes tend to make the best quinoa recipes since it’s such a natural and basic ingredient. It pairs especially well with salads.
I’ve provided a few basic quinoa recipe examples to get you started:
FAT BURNING Quinoa Meal Prep Lunches
Ingredients
Meal Prep Lunch Ingredients:
- Olive oil spray
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into thin filets
- ½ cup quinoa
- 1 cup water
- 3 cups shredded cabbage red white or a combo
- 3 carrots shredded
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds
Homemade Dressing and Marinade:
- 1 tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce or Tamari for GF
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Sriracha hot sauce
- 2 tablespoons water
Instructions
Make the Meal Prep Homemade Dressing and Marinade:
- In a medium bowl combine the Homemade Dressing and Marinade ingredients. Mix well.
Make the Meal Prep Chicken:
- Add 2 tablespoons of the Homemade Dressing and Marinade to a gallon size freezer bag. Add the chicken breast fillets to the bag and shake or squish together to coat the chicken. Set aside to marinate for 10-30 minutes.
- Preheat a large skillet over medium heat and lightly spray with olive oil.
- Add the chicken to the hot skillet and cook for 5-8 minutes each side, until cooked though.
- Move to a plate to cool, then slice.
Make the Meal Prep Quinoa:
- Rinse the quinoa in cold water.
- Add the quinoa and water to a small pan, cover and bring to a light boil over medium heat.
- Reduce the heat to low and cook until all the water is absorbed.
- Remove from heat and set aside.
Make the Meal Prep Slaw:
- Slice the cabbage thinly, and add to a large bowl.
- Use a box cheese grater to shred the carrots, and add to the cabbage along with the pumpkin seeds.
- Pour the remaining dressing over the slaw and toss together.
Put Meal Prep Lunches Together:
- Lay your meal prep containers out in a line.
- Divide the quinoa into each container.
- Top each with chicken.
- Divide the slaw between the containers (If you plan to heat this, you can add the slaw to a small container to keep separate).
- Store in the fridge for up to 5 days. This meal prep recipe is great cold or hot.
Nutrition
5 More Healthy Quinoa Recipes:
Quinoa Nutrition
Quinoa tastes delicious, but it’s the health benefits of quinoa that really makes it a true “superfood”. It is a nutrition powerhouse full of protein, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other beneficial elements.
It’s also full of protein and is one of the few plants that contains all 9 amino acids; so needless to say there is a lot of protein in quinoa. Generally, the quinoa protein amounts come in around 8 grams of protein per cup, which if you compare quinoa vs. brown rice, it contains over 62% more protein per 1 cup serving than brown rice, which is about 5 grams per cup.
The calories in quinoa come in around 222 calories per 1 cup serving. The carbs in quinoa are about 39 grams per serving, which is slightly below brown rice (at 45 grams per serving). The amount of quinoa calories are about the same as brown rice (at 218 calories per serving), but it packs a much more protein-packed punch, and that’s great news in my opinion!
Quinoa’s also high in fiber, manganese, magnesium, iron, B vitamins, Omega 3 fatty acids, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, zinc, vitamin E and antioxidants.
I’ve been asked before “Is quinoa gluten free?” and the answer is YES!
In addition to all the other quinoa benefits, it’s also a gluten free food, which should make those who suffer from celiac disease or gluten sensitivity happy(er).
Conclusion
Whether you have it for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, you’ll always be doing your body good by eating more of this stuff. You can eat quinoa for weight loss – quinoa for better health – quinoa for a delicious meal,
It truly is a superfood.
I would love you hear your feedback and any of the quinoa benefits or recipe ideas in the comments below.
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