Qrazy for Quinoa

What is all the hype about QUINOA?

You may have already heard about quinoa. But wouldn’t you like to know what makes this whole grain so special that many nutritionists elevate this food to a superfood status?

Quinoa (kēnwä) is a nutrition rich, gluten-free, whole grain filled with antioxidants, dietary fiber, iron, magnesium, potassium, calcium, zinc, and a high protein content (15%). In fact, quinoa is a “complete protein,” meaning it contains all the essential amino acids—in just the right amounts—for your protein needs. Quinoa is very versatile: you can eat quinoa as an ingredient in your salad, as a starchy side dish, or you can even eat it for breakfast as a substitute for a typical  breakfast of cereal or oatmeal.

One of the benefits of eating this ancient grain is that you will feel full for a longer time after eating quinoa because it takes your digestive tract more time to breakdown the high fiber and protein content. As such, quinoa has been shown to reduce risk of diabetes.

Try this week’s delicious Quinoa Summer Salad recipe!

– See more at: http://corp.fitnesstogether.com/nutrition-together/nutrition-tips/#sthash.9Yac7T44.dpuf

Check out this zero cholesterol, Mediterranean recipe of quinoa salad:

SUPERFOOD SUMMER MEDITERRANEAN QUINOA SALAD 

A simple and incredibly nourishing salad and/or side dish. 

Ingredients:

Add minced fresh basil leaves to your quinoa salad to add just a hint of summer flavor.  

Yields: 9 servings (1/3 cup per serving)

Ingredients:

•  1 cup of quinoa
•   2 cups of water
•  1 cup of cherry or grape tomatoes, chopped
•  ¼ cup of fresh basil leaves, minced
•  ¼ cup of olives, chopped (green, black, and/or kalamata)
•   ¼ cup of balsamic vinaigrette
•  2 tablespoons of olive oil 

Directions:

In a medium pot, add quinoa and water until a boil. Reduce water to a simmer and cook the quinoa until all the water is absorb (stir quinoa every 5 minutes so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot). Add the tomatoes, basil, olives, balsamic vinaigrette, and olive oil to the cooked quinoa and mix all the ingredients together. Serve hot or cold.

Nutrition Information Per Serving: Calories: 110 kcal, Fat: 5 g, Cholesterol: 0 mg, Carbohydrates: 14 g, Dietary Fiber: 2 g, Protein: 3 g, Sodium:  36 mg