For over 5000 years, people of the Andes have eaten quinoa
as their main staple, calling it “mother grain.” Quinoa
seeds may be small but they add a nutritional wallop to your diet. Known as a
pseudograin, quinoa is actually a fruit and its dried seeds provide the
nutritional value. Quinoa seeds are available in red, white and black but all the seeds provide the same amount of nutrition. Quinoa contains all of the essential amino acids, along with vitamins, minerals antioxidants, making it a complete protein food. Quinoa also contains complex carbohydrates that give
you energy.
Complex Carbohydrates
When it comes to finding foods that provide your brain with
the glucose it needs for energy, look no further than complex carbohydrates.
About 100 to 200 grams of complex carbohydrates per day is recommended for
optimum brain function. A one-cup serving of quinoa provides almost 110 grams of
carbohydrates (35 percent DV for women and 25 percent DV for men) and about 12 grams of
fiber (40 percent DV for men and women). Your body digests high fiber, complex
carbohydrates slowly, helping your blood sugar to remain stable. Most foods
that contain simple carbohydrates, such as desserts, candy and sodas, cause a
rise in blood sugar. Dr. Walter Willet of Harvard University School of Public
Health recommends eating whole grain carbohydrates in foods like quinoa.
Protein
Quinoa is gluten free food that provides 24 grams of protein in
one cup (45 percent DV for women and 35 percent DV for men). This pseudograin
contains the nine essential amino acids required by your metabolism to
manufacture new proteins, making quinoa a complete protein. The amino acids in
quinoa help your body grow healthy cells, tissue and bones, as well as
producing hormones and enzymes.
The growing popularity of quinoa today is due to its natural
balance of essential amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins and minerals. Quinoa
provides almost 8 grams of ironin a cup. Some of the minerals in quinoa include zinc (47 percent DV
for women and 37 percent DV for men) and magnesium (128 percent DV for women
and 102 percent DV for men). Vitamins such as, riboflavin (52 percent DV for
women and 49 percent DV for men) and vitamin B-6 (24 percent DV for women and
19 percent DV for men) also add to quinoa nutrition. Quinoa also has 10 grams
of fat per one-cup serving but only 1 gram of saturated fat.
Before preparing quinoa, rinse it thoroughly to remove the
natural, bitter-tasting coating on the seeds. Add cooked quinoa to salads, hot
breakfast cereals, soups, and bread or muffin recipes. You can also use quinoa
flour for baking.
For more quinoa recipes, visit Ohio State University: Live Healthy, Live Well Team Whole Grains, --Quinoa Recipes
References:
Advances in Food and Nutrition Research: Quinoa
(Chenopodium Quinoa Willd.) Composition, Chemistry, Nutritional, and Functional
Properties
USDA Nutrient Database: Quinoa
Quinoa Image By Michael Hermann (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Quinoa Image By Michael Hermann (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
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