Quinoa: A Delicious and Healthy Food that is Easy to Prepare

While looking for a healthy alternative to rice for my very picky husband not long ago, it was suggested to me to try a seed called quinoa (keen-wah). Not being into a lot of new foods, my husband and I still found it surprisingly delicious. Now it is a regular staple in our home and we no longer eat rice.

The main benefit of quinoa is its nutritional value. It is extremely nutrient dense and also contains both protein and carbohydrates, making it a complete protein much like rice and beans.

The nutritional information for quinoa is as follows. This information was obtained from the USDA Nutrient Database.

Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy 370 kcal 1540 kJ
Carbohydrates 64 g
- Starch 52 g
- Dietary fibre 7 g
Fat 6 g
- polyunsaturated 3.3 g
Protein 14 g
Water 13
Thiamine (Vit. B1) 0.36 mg 28%
Riboflavin (Vit. B2) 0.32 mg 21%
Vitamin B6 0.5 mg 38%
Folate (Vit. B9) 184 μg 46%
Vitamin E 2.4 mg 16%
Iron 4.6 mg 37%
Magnesium 197 mg 53%
Phosphorus 457 mg 65%
Zinc 3.1 mg 31%

Quinoa is also very high in antioxidants and may help to prevent cancer, especially colon cancer as the bulk of the antioxidants are not released until it reaches the colon.

Quinoa is easy to grow and yields a high harvest for a small area. Saponins which coat the seeds prevent insect and bird damage and quinoa can easily be grown organically.

Once cooked, quinoa is much like rice, but it is not sticky. It has a very light and fluffy texture. The taste is pleasant and slightly nutty. When cooked, it can have a slight crunch, but if cooked a little longer, can be made very soft.

I buy my quinoa organic in bulk from the natural food store. It is very inexpensive and a little goes a long way. It is lightweight and similar to millet. When preparing your quinoa, be sure to rinse it well before cooking. Saponins on the outside of the seeds make it very bitter if not washed well. You can put your quinoa in a mesh strainer and rinse well under clear running water or if you are like me and do not have a mesh strainer, you can rinse it in a pot thoroughly three or four times. Pour the quinoa into the pot and add at least four times as much water. Use your hand to agitate the seed for half a minute or so, then carefully pour off the water. Repeat three or four times to be sure to remove all of the saponin.

You can cook quinoa just like rice in a rice cooker or in a pot on the stove. 1/3 cup uncooked quinoa is enough for one person for a whole meal or for a side for two to three people.

Place your quinoa seed in a pan and add exactly 2 and 1/2 times the amount of water (or broth) as seed. Bring to a boil, then turn to low and let simmer until all water has boiled off. Check with a spoon or fork by raking the quinoa off the bottom of the pan to check that there is no water left.

Quinoa is very versatile. You can make it as a savory dish or you can make it sweet like oatmeal and have it for breakfast. You can add cinnamon and sugar or you can add cheese. Here are my three favorite recipes:

Quinoa and Cheese (a healthy version of mac and cheese)
1/3 cup quinoa (before cooking)
1/2 cup to 1 cup shredded cheddar
1/2 tsp butter or olive oil
1/2 tbsp milk (if your quinoa is too dry)

After cooking the quinoa, add the other ingredients, stir twice, then let sit to melt. Once melted, stir in all ingredients thoroughly.

Sweet Breakfast Quinoa
1/3 cup quinoa (before cooking)
raisins (optional)
1 tsp butter (optional)
1/8 tsp vanilla (optional)
fresh berries (optional)
sugar or honey to taste

If you add raisins, be sure to add them toward the end of the cooking process, but before the quinoa is entirely done cooking so that they will soften up. All other ingredients should be added after the quinoa is finished cooking.

Quinoa with Cumin
This is a very simple and Indian-tasting dish that I first made when learning to cook with quinoa.
1/3 cup quinoa (before cooking)
1 tsp butter (or olive oil)
1/2 tsp garlic salt (or more to taste) or just salt if you don't have garlic salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin

Steam the quinoa and then add all of the ingredients after cooking.