Quinoa - A Healthy and Versatile Plant Based Protein
The short and simple answer is, yes, quinoa is gluten free. Contrary to what many people believe, quinoa is not a grain. It is the seed with the goosefoot plant, that is closely related to the spinach. Aside from the seeds, the leaves are also edible, though much less la mejor cosa que hay widely marketed as the seed. They have been around since the time in the Inca civilization.
Quinoa isn't a new miracle discovery. In fact it has been a staple crop in the indigenous peoples in the Andes Mountains more than 6000 years. The Incas referred to it as the "mother grain" and tried on the extender in religious rites. Quinoa isn't an actual grain, its a seed. The quinoa plant is related to spinach, swiss chard and beets. The seed has many in the properties seen in grains.
Now for the nutrition profile: Quinoa posesses a nice level of calcium. One serving of quinoa would give you about the same as a cup of milk. It also contains hefty numbers of zinc, potassium, iron, b vitamins, fiber, and healthy oils. These nutritional supplements give you energy, assist with sleep, weight-loss, and of course prevention of illness. But by far the most important factor that sets quinoa besides any other grain is that it contains all 8 essential amino acids therefore it is actually a complete protein by itself.
Another way on the way to cook quinoa for lunch would be to mix black beans from it. All you need is 2 ½ to three cups of cooked quinoa, 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil, chopped onion, chopped garlic, pinch of ground cumin, pinch of cayenne pepper, salt and pepper to taste, 2 cans of drained black beans and chopped cilantro.
Quinoa (KEEN-wah) is about the best source of slow burning carbs you could hope to find. A cup of cooked quinoa boasts 8 grams of protein, that's more than any grain. With 5 grams of fiber and only 220 calories, you can see why cooking quinoa makes a lot sense when you are trying to shed pounds and get healthy.