It is considered a superfood. Quinoa, one of the staple foods of the Andean peoples’ diet for more than 5,000 years, began to gain popularity in the rest of the planet about two decades ago. Its fame is deserved. This pseudo-cereal has a nutritional profile that makes it very interesting and has become a source of energy that must be taken into account to include it in our diet.
The Mexican University of Anahuac includes quinoa in its list of the ten most powerful foods for health, along with avocado, blueberries, almonds, oats, broccoli, lentils, strawberries and green apples. Quinoa stands out as a food rich in vegetable protein and rich in minerals, such as iron, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, copper, potassium and manganese.
Quinoa, they point out in the document from this Mexican university, “provides a good amount of vitamins B2 and B3; it has a low glycemic index thanks to its complex carbohydrates, its fiber and its content of isoleucine, leucine and valine, which balance blood sugar. But it also provides histidine, an amino acid that stimulates growth hormone.
According to the World Health Organization, the amount of protein in quinoa depends on the variety, ranging from 10% to 17% of its edible portion. Although it generally contains a higher amount of protein than most grains, “quinoa is best known for its quality.” Its protein is made up of amino acids, “eight of which are considered essential for both children and adults.”
Origin of quinoa
Quinoa – from Quechua kinuwa either kinua- It is a plant of the Quenopodiaceae family. Its leaves and seeds – red or white – are edible. One of its most peculiar characteristics is that it is the only plant food that contains all the essential minerals and vitamins. Its origin is found in Peru and Bolivia, around Lake Titicaca; The first crops took place in pre-Hispanic civilizations.
As we have already mentioned, quinoa is a superfood with many beneficial properties for our body:
- ProteinsIt contains almost twice as much as rice, or 13% of its weight, and is easily assimilated.
- It also contains complex carbohydrateswhich promote weight loss and are very filling.
- THE fats Available in quinoa are of good quality. Per 100 grams, it provides 6.3 grams of fat, more than beans, corn, rice or wheat. Of the total fat content it contains, more than half comes from the polyunsaturated essential fatty acids linoleic (omega 6) and linolenic (omega 3).
- Minerals and vitamins: It has a high content of iron, magnesium and zinc. And it is a very rich source of vitamin B2 and folic acid, as well as vitamins C and E.
From Andean peoples to NASA
All these properties make quinoa an excellent food. very useful for athletes with high energy consumption requirements, because it helps build muscle mass and because it is ideal for post-workout recovery. What the Incas called the “mother seed” has been classified by NASA as a superfood and is one of the most used products in long-term space travel. It has been classified as a CELSS (Controlled Ecological Life Support System) crop, among other things because it contains all the essential amino acids.
Not only is it interesting for athletes or astronauts, but quinoa is also worth considering if you want to take care of your skin from the inside and maintain a firm complexion. Its content in vitamin C makes it an ally food to prevent aging and cellular damage, and also increases the collagen synthesis.
Other benefits of quinoa
Quinoa and the flour made from grinding this grain are suitable for people with gluten intolerance, making it an interesting option for celiac but also for people who decide to wear a vegan dietbecause of its high protein content, or for diabetics. Her neutral flavor makes it ideal as a base for countless preparations and recipes, including salads or stews. Other benefits of quinoa include:
- Help prevent certain diseasessuch as type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular diseases. As it contains alkaline substances (such as calcium, magnesium and trace elements), it has even been used in some Andean cities to treat bone fractures.
- East rich in fiber. It contains 15 grams per 100, most of which are insoluble. Thanks to this fiber intake, it is good for relieve constipation. If you boil the quinoa leaves, you will obtain an excellent infusion to promote intestinal transit.
- has a lot calciumwhich prevents the decalcification of teeth and bones and helps prevent osteoporosis. Specifically, in 100 grams of quinoa there are 47 milligrams of calcium, or 5% of the recommended daily intake for an adult.
How to cook it?
It is very important to wash the quinoa well before anything else to remove the saponins it contains that can make its flavor bitter. The best way to do this is to place the quinoa in a colander under the tap and let the cold water run while we stir it with our hands. We will repeat the process two or three times and we will know that it is ready when the foam stops coming out.
If you’re not going to use it to grind into flour or soak it and make pancakes, the next step will be to cook it. This process usually takes about 15 minutes with the water already boiling. We’ll use two parts water to one part quinoa.
Quinoa is ideal as salad baseIt goes very well, for example, with corn, cherry tomatoes, peppers, some proteins like cubes of chicken or salmon, a can of tuna, a boiled egg, tofu or another vegetable protein. In this case, you can accompany the salad with a lemon vinaigrette, olive oil, honey and very finely chopped chives.
It can be a perfect substitute for people with gluten allergies to enjoy the typical tabbouleh saladwhich is usually prepared with bulgur or couscous and also includes tomato, onion, mint or mint and parsley, all finely chopped.
It also looks great as accompaniment to a main dish meat, such as lamb chops. Or hot, with vegetables such as leek, broccoli and mushrooms, spiced with saffron.
Another totally different option is to take it as dessertfor example to complete a curd with honey. And it can also be one of the ingredients that we add to our homemade granola.
