Prevention

1: Quinoa

Looking for a satisfying food that has the perfect mix of protein and healthy fats? It's hard to beat quinoa.

What is quinoa?

This couscous in size, gluten-free grain, pronounced (Keen-Wah), has become so popular that there’s scarcely enough left in Peru, Bolivia and Chile.

What are the health benefits of quinoa?

It is an excellent source of minerals (magnesium, manganese, copper, phosphorus, potassium, zinc) and vitamins (vitamin E and B-complex vitamins) and contains the most protein than any other grain. “The fact that it is a pure protein means that it contains all of the essential amino acids your body needs to build muscle,” says Lee Holmes, certified health coach and author of Supercharged Food (superchargedfood.com)

How to cook quinoa

Quinoa is usually cooked in a pressure cooker. For one cup of quinoa, add 1 1/4 cups of water, you can add some salt if desired. Lock lid on high pressure setting. Bring up to pressure, reduce heat to simmer, cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. Then use natural pressure release. Use a fork to fluff up quinoa and serve.

Holmes suggests having quinoa as a fast and filling nutritional breakfast; just add almond milk for an added boost of protein. They can be also be used in porridge, salads, soups, as a side with savoury main meals and as a good replacement to rice.

Try out our Warm Quinoa and Chickpea Salad recipe

Aug 31, 2012