Eating healthily doesn’t have to be boring.
Nature provides us with hundreds of superfoods that not only taste delicious, but provide a wide range of vitamins and minerals as well! One of these balanced sources of macronutrients is quinoa! A highly nutritious seed that releases its energy slowly and can help improve your alertness throughout the day.
Quinoa is often classified as a grain, but it’s actually a seed from South America, first cultivated 5,000 years ago by the Incas. This gluten-free grain provides a great source of beneficial carbs and significant amounts of protein, making it the perfect food if you’re looking for a healthy, balanced lifestyle. Quinoa also contains all the essential amino acids we need, making it a complete protein, meaning that especially for vegetarians and vegans, quinoa makes for a fantastic source of protein in your diet!
Not only that, but as it is so easy to cook, it fits in with all kind of recipes for all meals and snacks, from breakfast to dinner!
One cup of quinoa (around 180 grams) provides 8 grams of protein and around 39 grams of beneficial carbohydrates. This all means that it actually provides your brain with a great source of energy! Quinoa also has no cholesterol or sodium, making it one of the best options in terms of protein/carbs ratio and for warding off heart diseases.
Quinoa is also a great way to help increase your daily intake of vital vitamins and minerals! It is rich in manganese, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, iron, folate, zinc, and potassium (to name just a few!) and just one cup of seeds accounts for 10% of the RDA for Vitamins B1, B2 and B6. Most of these minerals are generally absent in our meals, so by increasing our intake of foods that are full of them, we get a more complete nutritional balance in our diets!
Being so rich in protein, this quinoa actually increases metabolism and actually reduces the appetite, causing a better digestion and a lower amount of ingested calories and because it is so adaptable, it can provide a balanced addition to any meal! Cereal for breakfast, a great salad with chicken and vegetables for lunch, or a mix of quinoa and cooked vegetables for dinner!
So what are you waiting for?! Both healthy and delicious, you should put quinoa on your shopping list today!
