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Sep 3 2009

Quinoa – The Super Food

Posted by Zuzana - BodyRock.Tv | In Featured Articles, Food And Diet

ONE OF THE WORLD’S BEST FOODS: ALL ABOUT QUINOA.

You’ve probably heard it mentioned on the site before, and it’s about time we explain it a little further — that little, amazing, beady-looking grain called quinoa (pronounced KEEN-WAH).

While it’s not one of the most popular cereals around (and technically it’s actually a pseudo-cereal — more closely related to beets or spinach than actual grains), it is a remarkable little food, one that does great, amazing things when added to your diet.

Because the Spanish Conquistadors consciously destroyed the fields of the native South Americans who ate it as a staple, quinoa’s penetration into the western food consciousness has never been very deep — it’s stayed firmly as a health-store item, found in a scattered collection of cookbooks but nowhere near as ubiquitous as rice, couscous, or any other popular grain or cereal.

But there’s a reason the Incas called in the ‘Mother Grain’ and grew it in the mountains for decades, and not for nothing has the UN’s famous FAO organization compared quinoa’s nutritional benefits to whole milk. As its amazing characteristics and enjoyable taste have been gaining wider acceptance, quinoa’s profile has been steadily on the rise — much to our benefit.

JUST WHY IS QUINOA SO GOOD FOR US, ANYWAY?

Quinoa is all about protein: it contains 12%-18% of it, and is a great choice for vegetarians. It’s also a complete protein, which means it contains a fully balanced set of amino acids. Zuzana mentioned before that it contains lysine, which is crucial for tissue growth and repair — and not so easily found in wheat or rice. In the end, it does nothing but good for your body & health, even helping to reduce the risk of heart disease and hypertension.

It’s also loaded with fiber, iron, and magnesium: all essential, especially for vegetarians who need to get their iron and protein from meat-free foods. And it’s gluten-free, which makes it far easier to digest, and safe on the stomachs of anyone with an intolerance. In fact, quinoa is so well-balanced as a food that NASA has been considering it for its eventual long-duration space voyages in which all essential nutrients must be provided in a closed system (think Biosphere kind of stuff).

IT’S INCREDIBLY EASY TO COOK WITH, TOO.

Quinoa has a mild, slightly sweet, almost nutty texture when cooked, and has a slight crunch to it (it’s been compared to al dente pasta). You keep it in your fridge, in an airtight container, and there are three primary ways to use it:

In place of rice: Just treat the quinoa like you would rice, using the same cooking proportions and times — two parts water to one part rice, covered at a low heat, for around 12 to 18 minutes. It can be used as a bed for chicken or beef, mixed with vegetables in a stir-fry, or used to create a pilaf. Just like with rice, adding stock and seasonings will help greatly. If you can prepare delicious rice, you can do the same with quinoa — and get a lot more health benefits as a result.

Oh, and don’t forget to spend a few minutes rinsing it in a few changes of water first. You should do this with rice as well, but with quinoa it’s a little more important — not rinsing leaves a slightly bitter taste that you’re better off avoiding.

As a cereal: Eat it for breakfast — you can cook it and treat it like a porridge, adding fruit, yogurt, or honey (or any combination) in order to give your morning meal a protein-filled, insanely nutritious boost. You can also find cooked, dried quinoa, which you can treat just like you would any breakfast cereal.

In soups and salads: If you’ve ever added pasta or rice to a vegetable soup, try quinoa for a change — just rinse it well and let it cook in your already-simmering soup. Or pre-cook and add to any range of cold salads, just like you would with any bean or rice salad.

The important thing to remember is that quinoa, much like rice, depends on flavorful, healthy cooking in order to shine: by using ingredients like good olive oil, balsamic vinegar, interesting herbs and spices, and fresh vegetables, you can create some amazing, delicious, and incredibly healthy meals with quinoa at the center.

AND IT’S NOT SO HARD TO FIND, EITHER.

Where can you buy quinoa? If you’re in the USA, amazon.com will ship dozens of varieties to you, or you can visit any health food store, which will likely carry it, too. Whole Foods also stocks quinoa, selling both pre-packaged varieties and the ‘bulk bin’ version that keeps prices lower.

It’s not the easiest thing to find in the average supermarket, but some chains have begun carrying it, especially if they also sell bulk rice or other grains. Wherever you are, there’s likely a quinoa supplier nearby — or online.

Keep reading bodyrock.tv for more delicious recipes featuring this complete and entirely ‘clean’ food, and share your favorite quinoa meals in the comments below!

(with additional information from the BBC, Wikipedia, and Purdue University)

Best,

Frederick

Extreme Challenge 3 – My Workout The Last Swim of The Summer.

http://flexdietplan.com/2009/09/quinoa-the-super-food-fitness-advice-workout-videos-health/ Quinoa – The Super Food | Fitness Advice, Workout Videos, Health … | Flex Diet Plan

[...] on the site before, and it’s about time we explain it a little. Read the original post: Quinoa – The Super Food | Fitness Advice, Workout Videos, Health … Author: Time: Thursday, September 3rd, 2009 at 5:52 pm Category: Uncategorized Comments: [...]
http://fitnessblogger.info/?p=122467 Fitness Blogger » Blog Archive » Quinoa – The Super Food | Fitness Advice, Workout Videos, Health …

[...] Zuzana – BodyRock.Tv wrote an interesting post today onQuinoa – The Super Food | Fitness Advice, Workout Videos, Health …Here’s a quick excerpt [...]
Kristina

For those in the GTA region or close by; there are several organic grocery stores that carry it regularly; like the three Whole Foods (1 in Oakville and 2 in Toronto). Organic Garage in Oakville carries it too :) You can find it at most Zehrz grocers too. I haven’t found it at the Metro’s yet.
I love it in cold salads. Its so tasty. I’ve thrown it into burritos and wraps instead of rice. Very very good. Thanks for the article!
Ramy

Just thanks, of course I will keep reading BodyRock e.mails, they are the best for me, I even read them before my job and friend’s e-mails))
But what about Oats? and why here I can find Oats which has 18 grams of protine in each 100 grams, and some other Oats has only 5 or 6 gramr of protine in each 100 grams?
Thanks
Ramy
Maria

Do you work in this industry? YOu seem to know a lot about the subject.
Stu

Quinoa sounds great, will try asap.

Ahoj, Found this site yesterday through a search for hiking routes in Czech, saw your video from an amazing looking place, but clip seems to have dissappeared (link not working) and i did not catch the name of the place… can you say again please ?

Great site, keep up the work.
Diky.
http://www.bodyrock.tv/ Zuzana – BodyRock.Tv

Hi Stu, I think it was Prachovske skaly in Cesky Raj :)
http://fitnessblogger.info/?p=122842 Fitness Blogger » Blog Archive » Quinoa – The Super Food | Fitness Advice, Workout Videos, Health …

[...] Zuzana – BodyRock.Tv wrote an interesting post today onQuinoa – The Super Food | Fitness Advice, Workout Videos, Health …Here’s a quick excerpt [...]
Hailey

Zuzana, are you gonna make any new recipes on the site? =) I ordered the original clean-diet book, but it hasn’t arrived yet.
Lida

Hello,Quinoa the super food yes!!! and i like it.Thank you so much for your workout videos,recepis and everything.You should try to see this site http://www.scallops.pe on click on maca,amaranth,camu-camu and you will be amazed and also chocho or tarwi(this is the super food of the future)I hope you can explore the website and for Zuzana fist wrinkles try rosehip oil.
Best,
Lida
http://www.bodyrock.tv/ Zuzana – BodyRock.Tv

Hi Hailey,
I will do more recipes videos this month, I promise.
Jezawix

Hello Zuzana :)

Great that you are promoting Quinoa, I have been eating this stuff for years now and its really very special :) Totally light, and versatile :) You can also get Red Quinoa and thats pretty yummy too :) Gillian Mckeith makes porridge with it, but i prefer it as a substitute to rice and its lovely in salads. You also don’t feel bloated as its so light, unlike pasta which always leaves me quite uncomfortable! Big up da Quinoa! :) Keep up the great work Z x

Much Respect Jez x
http://www.fitnesscool.com/quinoa-the-super-food-fitness-advice-workout-videos-health/ Quinoa – The Super Food | Fitness Advice, Workout Videos, Health … | Fitness Tips

[...] the original post: Quinoa – The Super Food | Fitness Advice, Workout Videos, Health … Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and [...]
gaurav

thanks for the information zuzana
Margarita

I really want to try this, but I cant find it here in Greece!
Kristina

Zuzana, I have a question that perhaps you can give us your opinion on; in regards to fasting. It’s my understanding that as long as the body receives the proper nutrients from food, the caloric intake barely matters. People freak out about anything under 1200 calories a day, as if the body will go into “starvation mode”.

While I believe this would happen if you were not eating at all, I don’t know if it really does happen if all you’re doing is drinking pure, clean veggie and fruit juices, especially when mixed with a protein complex.
Cleansing is immaculate for the digestive tract and most people, as I’m sure you know, could use a cleansing at least twice a year (the way people eat now a days). I wouldn’t be an advocate of a –complete– liquid diet of course, we have teeth for a reason ;) But for breakfast and dinner and all the little snacks in between, I don’t see why a drink could be bad for you. And when its pure veggie juices, a cup or two is hardly over 250 calories and yet packed with everything you need.
What’s yours and Frederick’s take on it?
Thanks in advance :)
olga

hello! :)
quick question, what about buckweat?? it was sayed you can loose a good amount of weight eating it! :)
Juan P Hernandez

I do not want to doubt about your sale of that old quinoa or kinua, which you called pseudo-cereal. Just to say that the Spanish Conquistadors as the British and the German ones never ever consciously destroyed [out of war] the fields of the native South-Central-North Americans, but suggested them to cultivate the most known cereals and legumes from the Old World, which was Europe and Asia. Peruans need a business better than coca.
On the other hand, the food for domestic animals never has been attractive for humans.
We have to recover legumes full of energy, but needed of good preparation to be eaten by humans like: peas,chickpeas,white beans,red-kidney beans, broad beans,lentils, etc. Like nowadays soybeans are discovered as an important source of vegetable oil and protein world wide, and world-diet-business. The more unknown and cheaper, the greatest business.
In many European Mediterranean countries the men and women who suck on a “palillo” or toothpick after lunch and dinner are thin and muscly. Try it. You will not be hungry.
Stu

Great, hope to take a trip to cesky raj ;)
In the meantime pushups and pullups! Thanks for inspiration.
Cheers Zuzana. :)
http://biggerthanever.wordpress.com/ tito

Quinua is the name of a town in Huamanga-Peru, and that is just one food that grows in the Andes, there are many foods in the Andes regions that help many peruvians to eat well, and that you should know it too. I like to eat quinoa with andean cheese, my mom used to prepared it to me in the mormings before going to the university :)
http://www.rickylu.com Ricky

Hey Zu!

I can’t even tell you how much of an improvement I’ve noticed in my diet since I started substituting Quinoa in place of rice. That last video of your Healthy Quinoa Salad was a huge help for me. I’m glad you’ve shown us that there’s still ways of keeping healthy meals tasty, interesting and easy!
Geri

Hi Zuzana!

I wanted to ask, what’s your take on risotto rice? I haven’t tried quinoa yet, but it definitely sounds deee-lish so I’m having the hubby pick me up a bag in the morning. I also want to say that you have helped me reach my goals along with my marathon training. I’m back down exactly where I wanted to be and even better toned. You’re an angel! -o^ I look forward to your new vids !
Justus

Hey there,

I just tried the quinoa and it’s delicious. It has a great taste and it goes well with stir-fry dishes instead of rice indeed. I have yet to see the benefits of the grain since I finished my meal only 15 minutes ago but I have high expectations.
I’ll look forward to your new video’s.
http://leilachristensen.com/2009/10/breakfast-is-served/ Breakfast is Served | Leila Shea Christensen

[...] a grain. There are some great articles on it at Men’s Health, the California Chronicle, BodyRock.TV and Ask Men. I’ve used it (the regular stuff, not the flakes) like rice or couscous in a lot [...]
Erica

I would love to try Quinoa and some organic/healthy foods in your other videos. However, I’m living in Japan and don’t have access to a Health Food Store. The nearest one is 5 hours away! Eeek! Can you recommend a good health food website with international shipping where I can buy some of these products? Thanks for the help!
Nadja W.

Hey everyone,

First of all, THANK YOU Zuzana and Frederick for all the work you put into this site. You are such an inspiration. You really got me motivated to improve my eating habits and I’m eager to try out some of your recipes.

Now, here’s a tip for your German fans:
There’s plenty of affordable good quality organic (“Bio”) Food in normal supermarkets.
BUT, when it comes to rare stuff like Quinoa, I had no luck at Rewe and Edeka.
You can get it at Alnatura though, 500g was around €2 or €2.30. Got some bulgur there as well (pretty much at the same price)
Frederick

Hi Nadja W,
Thanks for posting this info :)
Iva

Hy Zuzana!
I have one maybe stupid question; can Quinoa be used as a protein part of one complete meal? Like if we have salad for carbs part, olive oil for fat part and quinoa for protein part? Or do we need something like turkey, tuna etc. for protein part of the meal?
Best,
Iva
http://www.bodyrock.tv/ Zuzana – BodyRock.Tv

Hi Iva,

I personally don’t sweat it anymore, but to answer your question – quinoa is an excellent source of protein.
Iva

Hy Zuzana,
Yes, you don’t sweat it anymore but because you have a body that ROCKS :) , and that you worked on very hard, so you don’t have to sweat it, but I have more kg’s than I should, so I should be careful what I’m eating in terms that I don’t consume too much of carbs. But I have to agree with you; when I’m eating small portions often, and healthy food, but when I’m not worring about exact proportions and stuff like that I get the best results. I learned that I have the biggest problem with a psychological factor; when I think about the food too much-what to eat, when to eat, in what proportions… I always fail…But when I relax and try to listen to my body it’s much easier. The thing I have realized that people struggle the most with, is a habbit factor- bad eating habits, due to evolution, childhood or any other reason, so firt thing I have to do is learn other, healthy patterns of eating and living, relax, enjoy life, and exercise with you of course ;) . So that is what I’m trying to do now.
Thank you very much for your response!
Best,
Iva
http://www.bodyrock.tv/ Zuzana – BodyRock.Tv

HI Iva,

it is not true that I don’t sweat it because I reached certain level of fitness and now I just can relax. I have to work hard to keep myself in this shape. I don’t sweat the ratios of protein, fat, and carbs, because it is just not good to be obsessed with these things. Right now americans have this new obsession called hormones :) I have to laugh. This is just not the way I want to live. I wouldn’t be able to enjoy my meals anymore if I would have to think about the right ratios or the right hormones in my food. There is actually a new eating disorder called Unhealthy obsession with healthy eating spreading in north america. We have to be careful, because this sounds as something that could be very serious. Imagine someone who is so obsessed about the right amount of this or that hormone in their food, that they are scared to put just about anything in their mouth. If you stick to natural food that you enjoy then you will be a happy and fit person. That’s my opinion.
Iva

Hy Zuzana,
you are absolutely right! I didn’t mean that you acheved all your goals and now it’s over-you can relax. Maybe I said it wrong. I just wanted to say that I admire the level of your fitness which you accomlished with a lot of hard work, and that you can relax now in terms of not being obsessed with food ratios and hormones and stuff like that, because throughout the years you’ve learned so much stuff that it has become your “state of mind”. I hope you understand me,I ment it all like a compliment, because you deserve nothing less, I’m just so impressed by your success! I only wish that I can drive myself to that state of mind, and I hope I will.
The “new” eating disorder that you’ve mentioned that we can come across in the media, is not that new at all. It is pretty comon and old, but people have been obsesed with different types of food or ingredients of food troughout history so it’s never been documented as disorder. And what’s even worse, doctors believed for a long time that any kind of problems involving food couldn’t been diagnose as medical state because it’s not a “real” medical problem. Eating disorders have just recently been classificated as an disorder according to MKB-10 (International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems ICD-10), and that all is a really sad fact! I’m familiarized with this issues because I’m a psychology student :) . But as we all know doctors are the worst patients :) so If you have any advice how to start changing my state of mind in terms of eating healthy and taking care of my body, like what has motivated you for all this, it would be a huge help :) .
Even though I’m surrounded with psychologists every day, I’m more interested to take advice from someone who “practices what he preaches” ;)).
Best,
Iva
http://www.bodyrock.tv/ Zuzana – BodyRock.Tv

Hi Iva,

I didn’t mean to come across as insulted :) I know that you were just being nice. What I believe is that we should look at food as more than just fuel, but also as a pleasure. Eating should be a little celebration every single time – it is an important experience in our daily lives and I think that we should enjoy it.
Iva

Hy Zuzana,
I agree with you, these things are so simple but we tend to forget on these small but significant pleasures of life.
I have one more question for you if I’m not too boring :) : I tried to do your “Kick ass challenge 3, and I couldn’t do one-arm prep push up, not even one!! I know this is a preparation for a real one-arm push up but I couldn’t even do this. I had a back problem so I don’t know if that is the reason. Do you think my back muscles are too weak or my arm and shoulder muscles are too weak, and what should I do to gain strenght to be able to do these exercises?
Best,
Iva
Jeff

In Canada you can find Quinoa at Costco. BTW Zuzana, I love your site and your routines are wonderful!!
Marianne F

Too true. I hope one day i can be where your at = ] keep up the good work Zuzana.
Lorrie

The outer part of quinoa contains saponins. People say to rinse off these saponins but they are extremely good for you and anti-cancer. I don’t rinse mine. I lightly toast my seeds/sprouts then add chicken stock. Add some butter, green onions and Arabic lebneh (a thick yogurt-like food that contains more probiotics than yogurt)…WOW! is it good and yes, good for you. I find my quinoa at the local chain supermarket and it is organic. It’s versatility is a bonus, also. You guys are great. Thanks for all the info.
diana.

zuzana, do you still eat quinoa now that you’ve found salba? you still eat salba everyday?
http://www.media-robot.com Marija

I haven’t read all the responses yet – so not sure if someone mentioned it, but you can get this at discounted prices from the Bulk Barn (In Canada, not sure if they are Global). Whole foods is pretty expensive
Nicole

Hi guys, I am fairly new to your blog and I have been going back and reading old posts. I finally tried quinoa for the first time tonight! It was good, even though I forgot to rinse it. :) I tried it plain alongside some chicken just to see what it would taste like. Little did I know it would swell to about 3 times its size when cooked, so I have plenty of leftovers! I’m going to mix in some veggies and try it that way tomorrow. Thanks for the great healthy food tips and recipes!
http://www.budgetrockstar.blogspot.com Lori

I must say that stuff made me full fast lol!
BO

Hi to all…..

First of all I just want to say a big Thank you to Suz and Fred..yes I have been following you guys for about two weeks but I feel so comfortable with you guys that I have shorten your names. Congratulations on your site…it Rocks.

About Quinoa, I have been using it as a replacement for rice but the other day I saw your bruchetta recipe and made some adjustments to it since I was missing the bread and felt I needed a little more than a snack…

I did the bruschetta with toasted wheat wrap and included the Quinoa with cilantro…..de–li–cious!!! If you try it let me know how you like it.
nicole

i found it at target today
http://listofspices.com spice list

While we’re on Quinoa – The Super Food | Fitness Advice, Workout Videos, Health & Fitness | Bodyrock.tv, With grilling season almost upon us, there’s never been a better time to make spices part of your summertime cooking, whenever you can. The great thing about adding spices is that they make the meat able to stand up to the high temperature cooking (above 352 degrees F) yet block the increased HCA production that comes with intense flames.
Anonymous

I have never come across either of them here – we looked for it at Tesco without any luck and albert was the same…