My mom introduced me to quinoa (pronounced keen-wah). Initially I was a little reluctant to try it; however, it's now become a staple in my diet. Recently at work, some of the other nurses and I were having a little discussion about quinoa. Everyone wanted to know if it’s really as great as it's been cracked up to be - in terms of its nutritional value, health benefits, etc., so we all did a little research. I now understand why it was considered “the gold of the Incas." Here are some interesting tidbits I learned about this little gem:
Although quinoa is grain-like, it’s not a grain but actually a seed that's related to the spinach family. It’s been a food staple in Peru, Bolivia, and Chile for the past 5,000 years, but was really only introduced to America in the 1980s.
Quinoa is a complete protein, meaning it contains all nine essential amino acids that the body uses as building blocks for muscles. One particular amino acid that it’s packed with is lysine (which is particularly important for allowing tissue growth and repair).
Quinoa is a really good source of iron, manganese, phosphorous, copper, riboflavin, and magnesium. And actually in comparison to other grains, quinoa is much higher in potassium, calcium, phosphorous, iron, copper, zinc, and magnesium. Magnesium is a particularly important mineral that the body uses to relax blood vessels and prevent constriction, so there are actually cardiovascular health benefits associated with quinoa, including lower blood pressure and decreased atherosclerosis (plaque build-up). Studies are also being done with migraine sufferers (migraines are caused by vessel constriction with rebound dilation) because extra magnesium has been shown to help reduce migraines.
The copper and manganese found in quinoa act as antioxidants and guard against free radicals (free radicals damage cells throughout the body). Quinoa also has a lot of fiber, and its ingestion helps maintain the microflora, or good bacteria, in the intestines with its prebiotic effects. In other words, it’s a great food for our digestive systems.
We all agreed that for as simple as it is to use (it basically cooks like rice) it sure has a pretty complex nutritional makeup. For that reason I’ve been even more eager to use it. Jared and I have experimented with different ways to eat it. My sister's recipe, which includes quinoa mixed with a little feta and spinach, is probably our favorite right now. It's simple and tasty!
Anyway, if you’re looking for ways to incorporate a nutritionally-rich food into your diet, you might consider quinoa. It’s very satisfying!
