Get keen on quinoa!

Monday, 24 August 2009 15:31

The Mother Grain

Ancient Incans considered quinoa to be sacred and called it the "mother grain".

Generally referred to as a grain, quinoa is actually related to spinach, beets, swiss chard, and other leafy green vegetables.  For nutritional purposes, quinoa is classified as a "whole grain".

Small but Mighty!

Quinoa seeds are tiny—about the size of the head of a pin.  When cooked, quinoa slightly swells in size, has a faintly nutty flavor, a fluffy texture, and a boatload of protein!  In fact, quinoa supplies all nine of the essential amino acids, making it a "complete" protein—something difficult to find from a vegetarian source.

Packed with Nutrients!

Quinoa is also a good source of manganese, magnesium, iron, copper, phosphorus, and riboflavin (vitamin B12). A half-cup of cooked quinoa has about 130 calories, 2 grams of fat, 24 grams of carbs, 5 grams of protein, 250 mg of potassium, and 2 grams of dietary fiber.

At Buffaloberries™, we use quinoa instead of bread crumbs in our bison and lamb meatloaf recipes.  The end result is gluten free, protein dense, and delicious—try it for yourself and you'll be keen on quinoa, too!