10 Reasons why you should jump on the quinoa bandwagon!

Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) has recently become popular in the Western world and has even made it onto the media circuit, it being used in meals on The Biggest Loser, My Kitchen Rules and Masterchef, just to name a few. So is this just a fad new food, or is it something to be taken seriously? If you haven’t tried it, its definitely time to jump on the quinoa bandwagon and I’ll give you 10 reasons why!

1.  Quinoa is an ancient grain native to South America and mainly found in Bolivia, Peru, Columbia and Ecuador. For these cultures, this is a staple grain. The ancient Incans called it ‘the mother of all grains’ , valued it the same as gold and held it to be sacred.
2. Quinoa is a gluten free grain, so is a coeliac-friendly alternative!
3. Quinoa is one of the few plant-based complete proteins. This means that it contains all of the essential amino acids necessary for the dietary needs of humans. If you are vegetarian, you may be at risk of not eating enough of all these amino acids each day, so quinoa is a great option! Not only is quinoa a complete protein, its also a good source of protein, with roughly 14g of protein per 100g of uncooked quinoa!
4. Quinoa is a good source of both soluble and insoluble fibre – Eating soluble fibre has been shown to reduce the risk of developing heart disease by reducing cholesterol levels.  Eating insoluble fibre has been shown to reduce the risk of developing constipation, colitis, colon cancer and haemorrhoids.  Diabetics on high-fibre diets need much less insulin.
5. Quinoa is high in magnesium, phosphorus and potassium. Those on potassium-sparing diuretic medications should note that 1 cup of cooked quinoa is equivalent amounts of potassium to 1 banana. Quinoa also contains smaller levels of iron, zinc and calcium.
6. Quinoa is easy to digest, which means those who have trouble absorbing nutrients from foods (such as the elderly, people on some medications, or with gut issues) will find this a nourishing and easy way to get your nutrients.
7. Quinoa is very easy and quick to cook! Before cooking, wash your quinoa under water thoroughly to remove the outer coat of saponins which make it more difficult to digest. Some people like to soak their quinoa for 5 minutes before use to be sure all saponins are gone. The cooking method is similar to rice, bringing 2 cups of water to 1 cup of grain and cover on a low simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until the germ seperates from the seed. The cooked germ looks like a tiny curl and should have a slight bite to it. You can also cook it in a rice cooker on the same water : quinoa ratio.



Uncooked vs. Cooked Quinoa: 1/3 cup makes this much cooked (this is an average dinner plate)

8. 2013 has been declared the UN International Year of Quinoa. A grain that has had a year declared for it can’t be all that bad!
9. It tastes yummy! The taste and texture of quinoa is a bit like brown rice crossed with oats. It’s fluffy, creamy, crunchy and somewhat nutty, all rolled into one.
10. Quinoa is a very versatile grain, with it being used in both sweet and savoury dishes. A few ideas on how to have it...

·         Make a quinoa salad - you could try my quinoa tabouli, or simply grate up some vegies and toss your quinoa in with it. Very easy.

·         An alternative to using wheat pasta – very tasty with a pasta sauce (like my ridiculously easy sauce!)

·         Add to soups to add texture and make a hearty meal

·         Instead of fried rice, make fried quinoa!

·         Quinoa patties

·         Quinoa porridge

·         Add quinoa flakes to smoothes

·         Puffed quinoa with muesli and yoghurt (similar taste to rice bubbles!)

·         Just by itself!

So there you have it, ready to jump on the bandwagon now?  You can buy quinoa from some supermarkets (its usually in the health food aisle), at markets and health food stores.

Think before you buy...

Something which has recently come to light about quinoa is unfortunately as the demand of it increases in the Western world, the price has also increased for the native people in Bolivia. This means what was once a staple keeping people healthy is now unavailable and they are forced to eat more nutritionally-devoid foods, like white rice and noodles.

Check the back of the pack of your quinoa to see where it comes from.  If you are in Australia, Kindred Organics from Tasmania is available in many stores so purchase local products to help local farmers and reduce the requirements from Bolivia.

Quinoa comes in white, red and black grain. There is no large difference between them all nutritionally, some people say that the red grain is slightly harder to break down that the white. Some places make a mix of the 3 to make a multicoloured dish.

So now you know about this amazing food! Be inspired to add it to your breakfasts, lunches and dinners!

Uncooked vs. Cooked Quinoa - know the difference!