Adding Quinoa Nutrition To Your Diet

QuinoaWhen you think about eating healthy, very rarely does a person consider adding quinoa nutrition to their diets. What is Quinoa is probably what most would say. Quinoa, pronounced keen-wah, is a seed that comes from a plant that originates from the Andes mountains or more specifically the mountains of Peru and Bolivia.

It was first cultivated by the Incas and helped sustain their vast empire up until the Spanish conquistadors forbid them to grow it and replaced it with wheat. In the Inca language Quinoa means “the mother grain”. It was so important to their diet that the Inca king planted the first row of the crop with a solid gold spade.

Quinoa dates back over 5000 years ago. Many people mistake it for a grain, but it is actually a tiny seed that once fed and entire civilization that expanded across the sea coast of Chile all the way to the peaks of the Peruvian Andes.

Quinoa is a highly nutrition gluten free seed with a slightly nutty flavor. It is a terrific substitute for rice, or couscous. It has been called a super food by many due to the numerous health benefits it offers such as being an exceptional source of protein. The protein in Quinoa is a complete protein with 9 essential amino acids. This is an excellent option for people who are looking to reduce their meat intake. It is also a good source of dietary fiber and contains vitamin B and iron.

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Posted by on August 21, 2011 in Uncategorized


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