Nutritional quinoa

Discover the nutritional facts of quinoa to see why I name it as one of the most healthy foods:

A cup of cooked quinoa has 155 calories, carbohydrates 30 g, 3 g of fat, food 3 g and 5.5 g protein fibres. Whereas cooked pasta has about the same amount of carbohydrates and protein, quinoa has double pulp fibre. Protein profile of quinoa is remarkable because it is a "complete" protein, which means that it contains all nine essential amino acids. Most of the other complete protein-rich foods are meat or dairy products, cereals step-based. Quinoa is a seed of whole grains, it is also naturally a good source of iron, magnesium, vitamin e and potassium.

Quinoa is an excellent option for diabetic meal plans - I recommend often use it instead of white rice or pasta. The extra fiber allows the digestion of carbohydrates to be slowed down, helping with control of sugar in the blood. The risk of diabetes type 2 was also considered 31% lower when whole grains are consumed frequently. Part of this advantage is probably due to its magnesium content of seeds of cereals, and the fibre content. Magnesium is part of many metabolic processes in the body, including some that help to regulate blood sugar.

You can now find the quinoa in regular grocery stores. Locate on a plateau above the white rice near the couscous and specialty rice.

The method of cooking quinoa is similar to that of the rice - the only difference is that it is generally recommended soak or rinse before quinoa use to remove the natural sappoins, that are soapy tasting substances believed to a deterrent for birds in nature. Place a cup of dried raw quinoa seed in a fine strainer and a run it under warm water from the tap while it around whisper with your hand. The combination of hot water in course of execution, abrasion of the strainer and swirling action appear to be sufficient to remove SOAP residue.

After soak and rinse your dried quinoa, Cook according to package - usually with 1 1/2 cup of water for each 1 cup quinoa. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until the grain has absorbed all the water. A simple way to quinoa season would be to use a chicken or vegetable stock instead of water to cook - or incorporating fresh herbs, cheese, nuts or dried fruit after cooking - as in this Italian Quinoa recipe.

Sources:

Anderson JW. Whole grains and coronary heart disease: whole grains of truth. Am J Clin Nutr. Dec 2004; 80 (6): 1459-60. 2004.

Erkkila at Herrington DM, Mozaffarian D, Lichtenstein AH. Intake of whole grains and cereals fibres are associated with reduced progression of atherosclerosis of the coronary artery in postmenopausal women with coronary artery disease. Am heart j. Jul 2005; 150 (1): 94-101. 2005.

Van Dam RM, Hu FB, Rosenberg L, S Krishnan, calcium Palmer JR. Dietary and magnesium, major food sources and risk of diabetes type 2 in American black women. Diabetes care. Oct 2006; 29 (10): 43-2238. 2006.