Focus on Whole Grains: Quinoa

Quinoa (keen-wa) is called the mother of all grains and for good reason. It has the highest protein content of all the grains along with high levels of phosphorus, magnesium, iron, linoleic acid, lysine, methionine, and cysteine. Typically, lysine and cysteine aren’t fond in high quantities in whole grains. When quinoa is paired with other foods, all of these help make a more complete protein.

Quinoa is also great because it has functional properties such as emulsifying, solubility, water-holding capacity, and foaming which are beneficial for the gastrointestinal tract and reducing chronic diseases (good for heart disease, diabetes, certain cancers). Vegans, vegetarians and gluten-free dieters gravitate towards quinoa due to its excellent profile.

Cooking quinoa is quick and easy with only 15 minutes on the stove. Quinoa is versatile and light so it can be made into a breakfast, snack, lunch, and/or dinner item.

• Breakfast: pour your favorite milk over cooked quinoa then add nuts and fruit
• Lunch: add chicken to cooked quinoa with onion, tomato, and spinach
• Dinner: create a side with cooked quinoa, black beans, corn, avocado, and lime juice

At Causenta we do a “test kitchen” every few weeks. At the last test kitchen, one of the recipes we made was Quinoa Summer Salad…everyone at the office loved it! It’s a great end of summer salad with a light, crisp taste.

If you want to start eating healthier and don’t know where to start, consider a consultation with our nutritionist in AZ. You can get a diet consultation, a diet evaluation, or a diet prescription based on YOUR needs, goals and likes/dislikes. We can even provide weekly grocery lists and recipes. Call Causenta at (480) 883-7240 to schedule an appointment today.