Healthy Living
Friday, December 4, 2009
Quinoa: The super healthy food that you can eat all week!
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My friend Katie is a serious
health nut - she's about to graduate from the Institute of
Integrative Nutrition, she's a certified yoga instructor and,
the first night we met, we bonded over our belief in the
waist-whittling powers of monounsaturated fatty acids while we were
out at a dive bar! Dorky, I know, but we've been trading
healthy eating tips ever since.
Superfoods improved! Upgrade the benefits of the most healthful
foods with these simple tricks.
So, when I asked her what her favorite healthy food was, I
wasn't surprised that quinoa topped the list. After all, it has
lots of vitamins (including the elusive E vitamin) and minerals
(such as iron and magnesium). Plus, it has twice as much fiber and
protein as brown rice for the same amount of calories! Here are a
few things Katie (aka, the Quinoa Queen!) told me about
quinoa...
We all know that eating whole grains is important, but it's
so easy to get stuck in a wheat bread and brown rice rut. Once you
get over the weird name factor (FYI - it's pronounced
KEEN-wah!), quinoa is awesome! Beyond being super healthy, it's
also yummy (it has a slightly nutty taste) and easy to prepare.
Just rinse it first, to remove the bitter coating, combine one part
quinoa to two parts water, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer
for fifteen minutes. So easy, right?
Okay, so, now you have a whole pot of quinoa and are wondering what
to do with it... Scoop some out throughout the week and you'll
have no problem using up this versatile grain. Here are my favorite
ways to eat quinoa:
- Use it in a stir-fry in place of rice!
- Eat it like oatmeal for breakfast. Tailor it to your taste by
adding milk, fresh or dried fruit, and nuts. Sprinkle on some
cinnamon and sweeten to taste!
- Enjoy a Mediterranean Quinoa salad. Combine with some roasted
veggies, nuts, dried cranberries, feta cheese, lemon juice and
olive oil.
- Add a scoop to a standby salad to give your lunch some staying
power.
- Throw it in a pan with olive oil, an egg and leftover veggies for
a quick and healthy fried rice.
- Mix in salsa, avocado and cheese for a Mexican dish.
- Eat a whole grain version of rice pudding for dessert - add milk,
sweetener, shredded coconut and berries.
Feel inspired but need a little structure for your first
quinoa experience? Check out this
quinoa salad recipe from
SELF.com as
well!
Have you ever tried quinoa? What is your favorite way to eat
it?--
Merritt Watts
Related:
Sense your real hunger: Our top tricks for understanding—and
controlling—your appetite naturally using just your five
senses.
MORE FROM SELF:
Related: whole grains, quinoa, food, diet and nutrition, carbs
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Posted by Caitlin Wed Apr 8, 2009 7:46pm PDT
I had a lovely looking recipe for quinoa a couple weeks ago, which prompted me to go out and buy three bunches of asparagus, a lemon, and some feta. But, I couldn't find the quinoa anywhere! Very sad.
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Posted by Christine W Thu Apr 9, 2009 12:15am PDT
I love Quinoa!! It cooks quicker than pasta== and if you put some beans in it-- becomes a whole protien. ALone, it is packed with protein and is delicious. Wont bloat you like rice. I cook mine (1/2 cup) with one cup of low sodium chicken broth. near the end I -put in fresh carrots, celery, garlic, spinach, broccoli, and cabbage. The veggies get cooked for a couple of minutes in the steam (you can add earlier if you liked them more cooked. ) and I usually add black eyed peas and a handful of sunflower seeds. Im am not a vegan. I love meat-- but ive lost over a 100 lbs so far and this is a really filling, delicious meal. Plus, you can eat as much as you want. prep and cook time is 10 to 15 min total.
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Posted by monkeypoo Thu Apr 9, 2009 6:31am PDT
looks just like couscous, and i love some couscous
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Posted by schibber Fri Apr 10, 2009 8:35am PDT
Quinoa is so good! My husband I love to use it for stir frys. You can mix it with just about anything you would normally mix with rice. It also absorbs flavor very well. Cook it with some spices or veggie stock and it really soaks up those flavors.
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Posted by khannahC Sat Apr 11, 2009 5:57pm PDT
WOW! I have never heard about this I will try it I love trying new foods and this would be great thanx :)
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Posted by jami Sat Apr 11, 2009 9:56pm PDT
Caitlin,
Not sure where you are located, but I just picked up a huge back of Quinoa at Costco. I've also picked up smaller boxes at Trader Joe's.
Good luck!
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Posted by candyheart47 Sun Apr 12, 2009 6:00am PDT
I have never heard about this, where can i find it? I live in Michigan. I read a comment in here by Christine W thu apr 9. I would like to know more about how u lost over a 100 lbs i've been fighting with my weight problem for to many yrs, would be glad for any help u can give me.
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Posted by Carol Galanty-Galanty's Game Plan Tue Apr 21, 2009 3:45am PDT
I too love quinoa! Even my 7 year old picky daughter likes it. She likes hers plain topped with a little Earth Balance and sea salt, but I like to doctor mine up. I added chopped mango, green onions, mint, olive oil and lemon juice the other night. Very tasty. I also have made a mediterranean version with kalamata olives, feta cheese, lemon juice and some fresh herbs. Delicious!
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Posted by Dragon Gurl Tue Apr 21, 2009 1:58pm PDT
I just bought some quinoa yesterday at Whole Foods. It was 2.99 a pound, not bad at all. I will probably make a simple recipe with salt and a little butter. I love couscous so I hope I like this too.
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Posted by Whatever Fri Jul 24, 2009 2:03pm PDT
It's a great alternative for making tabouli. Cook it in Chicken broth and stir in some butter and it's a savory side dish. Cook in OJ/water with nuts and dried fruits with fresh herbs and chill for a summer salad.
BTW, why does every Quinoa article have to make a big deal out of the name? It's not really THAT hard to figure out....
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