Quinoa: The Power Grain

So you’re rifling through your pantry trying to figure out what to make for lunch today. You can’t quite seem to find anything satisfying... so you decide to go to your local grocery store and try your luck there. Fortunately for you, Publix has just stocked up on one of the most powerful grains this world has to offer: Quinoa
If there was ever a particular ingredient that I would consider my trademark, Quinoa would be it. This is my go-to, creme de la creme, hallmark vegetarian item that I just can’t get enough of. I literally use it so often that my family has resorted to calling me Tia Quinoa; a spanish translation of Auntie Quinoa, and I would not have it any other way.
It appears that I am not the only one who has discovered just how powerful Quinoa can be. Fun fact: the United Nations has declared 2013 as the International Year of Quinoa! A quick google search on “Quinoa” will tell you that it originated 4,000 years ago in Ecuador, Bolivia, Colombia, and Peru and that the Incas referred to it as chisaya mama: the mother of all grains.




You might be asking yourself: But what does it even look like? How does it taste? How do I even cook it?

Well, quinoa is a small, light-colored round grain, similar in appearance to sesame seeds and it cooks in about 10-12 minutes. Quinoa is also available in other colors, including red, purple and black. Once cooked, it tastes just about the same way as any other grain would. It truly depends entirely upon how you decide to season/cook the grain itself so essentially it tastes however you want it to taste.

Brown rice, get out of the way before Quinoa runs you over because it’s coming in hot! Quinoa is rising in popularity in kitchens all over the world from the United States to Japan. The best part about this grain is that it can be placed in nearly any dish that you want to make to enhance its nutritional value.

Salads? Yep

Side Dish? Absolutely

Baked Goods? Why not?

Protein Shakes? You better believe it!

That’s right gym enthusiasts and protein pumpers, add a little bit of cooked quinoa into your shake for maximum protein intake. Whenever you want to protein spike your strawberry banana smoothie, put a little quinoa in there and “POW! right in the kissah” I am telling you, the possibilities are endless.

While doing some research on this grain, I found a very interesting chart that pretty much sums up the entirety of my support for this power grain. In the red corner, weighing in at 216 calories per cup we have Brown Rice, in the Blue Corner, weighing in at 222 calories per cup, Quinoaaaaaa!

“I want a good, clean fight!”