What is Quinoa, benefits & how to cook it?

The name of Quinoa originated from Spanish spelling written as Quechua. It is also termed as kinwa. It is firstly grown in Andean region of Peru, Colombia, Ecuador and Bolivia. It is available in the form of seed. Quinoa seeds are highly nutritious in comparison to normal seeds. It contains lysine, calcium, iron, phosphorus and essential amino acids.

The cooking recipe of Quinoa is similar to rice. It can be used in many dishes. It is also termed as Superfood due to it s high nutrition value. 

Nutritional Facts related to Quinoa

Quinoa is highly nutritious food. It contains protein, dietary fiber, vegans, phosphorus, calcium, iron, magnesium. It is also termed as protein food as its protein content is higher than brown rice, milet and barley. This healthy and light breakfast food can be digested easily.

You can cook it as a rice as well as eat as sprout. It takes very less time to germinate Quinoa. 2-4 hours are enough to convert it into sprout. You can also be eaten as salad.

Benefits of Quinoa

Quinoa offers multiple benefits:-

Highly Protein enriched food- The protein content of Quinoa per 100 calories is high tan millet, barley, brown rice and potatoes. It is a protein food which is also contain ample amount of amino acids.

There are multiple health benefits of Quinoa. It is termed as superfood as it is full of vitamins and minerals. The health benefits

Full of Vitamins:- Quinoa contains various kinds of vitamins B6 such as niacin, riboflavin, potassium as well as minerals such as folate, magensium, copper and zinc. It is also great source of antioxidants such as kaempferol, phytonutrients, quercetin.

Protein Rich:- Quinoa is high source of protein as it is found in huge quantity.

Promotes healthy blood sugar:- It reduces the chances of developing type 2 diabetics. It keeps your glucose level in balanced manner.

Reduces Migranes Attacks:- If you suffer from nasty migrane attacks then you must add quinoa in your daily diet plan.

Superfood is energizing:- Quinoa is superfood as it is energizing. It gives stamina and energy. Low Fat Food:- It is best breakfast option those who want to loose weight. Although it contains fatty acids and omega 3 fatty acid. 

Above given reasons are enough to prove that Quinoa is a best breakfast option in today’s hectic lifestyle. It can be cooked very easily as gives you lots of nutrition. So add this healthy food in your daily diet from today and start enjoying its health benefits. You will definitely experience the good change in your health. 

Quinoa contains almost twice as much fiber as most other grains. Fiber is most widely known to relieve constipation. It also helps to prevent heart disease by reducing high blood pressure and diabetes. Fiber lowers cholesterol and glucose levels, may lower your risk of developing hemorrhoids and may help you to lose weight as it takes a longer time to chew than does other foods because it makes you feel fuller for longer and is less “energy dense” which means it has fewer calories for the same volume of food.

Quinoa contains Iron. Iron helps keep our red blood cells healthy and is the basis of hemoglobin formation. Iron carries oxygen from one cell to another and supplies oxygen to our muscles to aid in their contraction. Iron also increases brain function because the brain takes in about 20% of our blood oxygen. There are many benefits of iron some more of which include neurotransmitter synthesis, regulation of body temperature, aids enzyme activity and energy metabolism.

Quinoa contains lysine. Lysine is mainly essential for tissue growth and repair.Quinoa is rich in magnesium. Magnesium helps to relax blood vessels and thereby to alleviate migraines. Magnesium also may reduce Type 2 diabetes by promoting healthy blood sugar control. Other health benefits of magnesium include transmission of nerve impulses, body temperature regulation,  energy production, and the formation of healthy bones and teeth.

Quinoa is high in Riboflavin (B2). B2 improves energy metabolism within brain and muscle cells and is known to help create proper energy production in cells.

Quinoa has a high content of manganese. Manganese is an antioxidant, which helps to prevent damage of mitochondria during energy production as well as to protect red blood cells and other cells from injury by free radicals.

There are herbal brands which are offering quinoa. Following brands offer Quinoa

ORGANIC INDIA- ORGANIC INDIA, Quinoa is regarded one of the best brand of Quinoa. It is food of high protein quality and is typically regarded as an adequate source of all essential amino acids, including lysine and isoleucine. It provides a variety of antioxidant phytonutrients, including ferulic, coumaric, hydroxybenzoic, and vanillic acid. Antioxidant flavonoids including quercetin and kaempferol are also especially plentiful in quinoa. Anti-inflammatory polysaccharides in quinoa include arabinans and rhamnogalacturonans. Many members of the vitamin E tocopherol family are provided by quinoa, including important amounts of gamma-tocopherol. Quinoa is a very good source of antioxidant-promoting manganese. It is also a good source of heart-healthy magnesium, folate, and fiber, as well as bone-building phosphorus and copper.

You can buy ORGANIC INDIA Quinoa from following websites

Amazon.Com 

PepUp Shop.com

Shop Healthy

Indiatimes Shopping

There are some other brands which are offering Quinoa such as 

Satvikk White Quinoa, 200g

truRoots Quinoa 

Zealeo Organic Quinoa, 1kg

Richfeel Quinoa Hair ...

How to Cook Quinoa 

Most people have enough trouble pronouncing quinoa (it’s KEEN-wah, btw) let alone cooking it. Now that you know how to say it, preparing it can still be tricky (at least one of the folks on staff here had trouble with this super-healthy seed from South America). So we talked to our Test Kitchen team to find out what we were doing wrong.

1. Thinking It’s a Grain
The first mistake people make is thinking that quinoa is a grain. It’s actually the seed of a grain-like crop closely related to beets. Maybe this isn’t a “cooking tip” – but you should always know what you’re eating.

2. Skipping the Rinse
Rinse it well! There is a bitter coating on the tiny seed that needs to be rinsed away; if you don’t do it, it’s going to taste wrong. And when you rinse it, use a fine-mesh strainer. You don’t want those tiny seeds to disappear down the drain!

3. Overcooking It
Nobody likes mushy quinoa! Here’s the way to do it: Combine 1 cup quinoa with 2 cups water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes.

4. Forgetting to Drain It
Quinoa holds lots of water, so you have to make sure you drain it thoroughly after it’s cooked. Otherwise, it will make your whole dish watery. And don’t forget to use that fine-mesh strainer again!

5. Not Letting it Rest
Return the quinoa to the pan after you drain it, then cover and let sit for 15 minutes. Letting the quinoa rest in the hot saucepan after boiling/cooking dries it out, so you don’t end up with clumpy/wet quinoa. It’s light and fluffy!–Kay Chun, Hunter Lewis, and Janet McCracken
Bonus Tip! Try making quinoa as you would risotto. Saute some onions in olive oil, then add quinoa (rinsed!) and toss to coat with oil. Begin adding warm liquid a bit at time, stirring frequently, until it’s creamy and cooked through
Source

www.mindbodygreen.com , www.shophealthy.com ,   www.pepupshop.com  www.bonappetit.com
www.organicindiashop.com ,