Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Quinoa

Quinoa What's That?
Quinoa a species of goosefoot (Chenopodium), is a grain-like crop grown primarily for its edible seeds. It is a pseudocereal rather than a true cereal, or grain, as it is not a member of the true grass family. As a chenopod, quinoa is closely related to species such as beets, spinach and tumbleweeds.[1]

This packaged quinoa (i've seen it at raleys) is super 
expencive, buy in bulk at raleys in the self serve section.


Because Quinoa is not a grain and is more like a seed people like me who loosely follow the primal blue print diet (although i am bulking loosely along PB guidlines) can feel free to enjoy it instead of oatmeal because Quinoa is also a complete protein of all essential amino acids

The nutrient composition is very good compared with common cereals. Quinoa grains contain essential amino acids like lysine and good quantities of calcium, phosphorus, and iron. [1]

"While no single food can supply all the essential life sustaining nutrients, quinoa comes as close as any other in the plant or animal kingdom."[2]


Yummy!


Because quinoa is typically consumed in the same way as the cereal grasses (wheat, oats, barley, and rye), we group it together with those foods on our website. However, quinoa is not a cereal grass at all, but rather a member of the same food family that contains spinach, Swiss chard, and beets. Many researchers refer to quinoa as a "pseudocereal." This term is typically used to describe foods that are not grasses but can still be easily ground into flour.

In comparison to cereal grasses like wheat, quinoa is higher in fat content and can provide valuable amounts of heart-healthy fats like monounsaturated fat (in the form of oleic acid). Quinoa can also provide small amounts of the omega-3 fatty acid, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). Given this higher fat content, researchers initially assumed that quinoa would be more susceptible to oxidation and resulting nutrient damage. However, recent studies have shown that quinoa does not get oxidized as rapidly as might be expected given its higher fat content. This finding is great news from a nutritional standpoint. The processes of boiling, simmering, and steaming quinoa do not appear to significantly compromise the quality of quinoa's fatty acids, allowing us to enjoy its cooked texture and flavor while maintaining this nutrient benefit.[3]

i enjoy cooked Quinoa with chicken especially ill usually mix in flax and chia seeds for major fiber and omega 3 fats and chicken with lemon pepper on top. 

Cooking
To cook Quinoa put an ammount in a pot, put twice the amount of quinoa of water in, bring to boil and wait until all water has boiled away and then its ready to serve!




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