Quinoa

Here's another alternative to your rice or sweet potatoes, Quinoa. Quinoa(pronounced KEEN-WA) is an ancient whole grain. You can buy it in packets in the health food shop and sometimes in the bulk section of the supermarket. Its a small, round, yellow grain that has a crunchy texture that cooks in just 12 minutes. A gluten free whole grain, rich in dietary fiber providing 45% daily value (DV). Best amino acid profile of all cereal grains.

Quinoa is considered a pseudocereal or pseudograin in that it is not quite a grain and not quite a cereal so it provides long lasting energy like sweet potatoes or basmati/brown rice. It contains high levels of dietary fiber and B Vitamins and has all 8 essential amino acids. Quinoa is high in zinc, potassium, calcium and Vitamin E and is known to strengthen the kidney and heart!

1/2 cup Quinoa contains: 23.4g carbohydrates, 4.5g protein, 2g fat.  You cook Quinoa just like you would cous cous, in water or chicken stock.  We'll have ideas of how to cook Quinoa in a future update.