Quinoa is SO Good and Healthy too!

I never even knew what quinoa was about a year ago and now it's become part of our weekly menu. Here is what it looks like before it's cooked.

And this is after (you can cook the same way as rice in a rice cooker).

I got the following information from www.lifestyle.iloveindia.com

• Quinoa is rich in protein content. In fact, it is a complete protein as it contains all the essential amino acids, especially lysine, which is required by the body to grow and repair tissues.

• It has high content of manganese in it, which acts as antioxidant in the body and helps it get rid of dangerous cancer cells and other diseases.

• The seed proved to be a good source of magnesium, which provides relief from migraine headaches, relaxes blood vessels, and decreases the risk of hypertension.

• Riboflavin present in quinoa reduces the frequency of migraine attacks, by producing energy metabolism within brain and muscle cells.

• The presence of potassium and magnesium in quinoa prevents clogging of arteries and hence, relieves stress on the heart.

• Quinoa has low content of saturated fats and cholesterol, making it an ideal food for every health conscious consumer.

• It is a good source of calcium, which is extremely important for the growth of healthy teeth, bones and skin.

• The grain is a boon for people who are allergic to wheat and are suffering from Celiac disease, as it is gluten free.

• Quinoa is a wonderful source of fiber for the body, which aids easy elimination and toning of colon.

• The food is rich in carbohydrates, an efficient fuel for energy production required by children and athletes.

• It is a good source of insoluble fiber that helps avoid gallstones, especially in women who are more prone to them.

• The high content of copper present in it helps in oxidizing glucose, produces skin coloring agent melanin and acts as catalyst in the formation of hemoglobin. 

There are so many great quinoa recipes out there, so I thought I'd share a few. If you use my weekly meal plans then you've probably noticed that I put quinoa on there every week. It's because it's so dang healthy!!!

Here's a great looking dish from the Fat Free Vegan Kitchen 

Here's some yummy looking soup from Laylita's Recipes

You can even use it to bake with, here are some delicious looking muffins from Cooking With Kimberly

I usually just have it plain, but I really need to start spicing it up a bit. You can get a 4 pound bag of gluten free organic quinoa at Costco for only $8. I think thats a pretty great price because I was just looking at places online to buy it and I saw prices for organic quinoa up to $60 for a 9 pound bag.

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