Quinoa and health benefits?

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pbandz
pbandz Posts: 128 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Recently I've been purchasing and eating more quinoa because I've heard it's a healthier "grain" and has a lot of extra vitamins and antioxidants. One thing I've realized though, is that quinoa is relatively high calorie. Maybe not for a grain but it certainly isn't low in calories.
I'm just curious if any of you are eating quinoa for the added benefits, but are adding it to other lighter meals so you aren't eating a meal entirely of quinoa.
Today I made a quinoa salad like thing (forget the name) and its quinoa, tomatos, cucumber, olive oil, and parsley. Adding that to MFP it was a pretty hefty meal.
Just curious how you guys go about your quinoa haha

Replies

  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    I don't know if it has "extra" vitamins and antioxidants, but I enjoy the taste. I have it in pilaf, stir-fry, and in soups. I will also mix it into tofu scrambles.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    pbandz wrote: »
    Recently I've been purchasing and eating more quinoa because I've heard it's a healthier "grain" and has a lot of extra vitamins and antioxidants. One thing I've realized though, is that quinoa is relatively high calorie. Maybe not for a grain but it certainly isn't low in calories.
    I'm just curious if any of you are eating quinoa for the added benefits, but are adding it to other lighter meals so you aren't eating a meal entirely of quinoa.
    Today I made a quinoa salad like thing (forget the name) and its quinoa, tomatos, cucumber, olive oil, and parsley. Adding that to MFP it was a pretty hefty meal.
    Just curious how you guys go about your quinoa haha

    Caloric density has nothing to do with nutritional quality. There are many foods that are nutritional power houses and also calorie bombs. Quinoa has a similar calorie count to pretty most grains.

    I eat all manner of grains...sometimes I eat quinoa, sometimes brown rice, sometimes pasta, I eat a lot of oats, etc. I eat quinoa because I enjoy the flavor and texture (my wife and I discovered quinoa way before quinoa was cool on a trip to Peru) and it has the added benefit of having a bit more fiber and more protein than many other grains.
  • AmazonMayan
    AmazonMayan Posts: 1,168 Member
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    I eat it for the complete protein it is sometimes. I only like it mixed with other things. It's very filling. With the veggies mixed into 1 serving of quinoa (1/4 cup uncooked makes a lot) and vinaigrette, the calories actually end up being on the low side as an overall meal.
  • PiSquared
    PiSquared Posts: 148 Member
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    Like others have said, quinoa is pretty much on par calorie wise with other grains. I like it because its reasonably quick cooking. I don't don't buy into the superfood/antioxidant thinking. I eat it because I like it. Compared to rice (my go to grain), quinoa has more fiber and protein. For me, that makes it a great base for a grain based salad. It's much more expensive than rice, at least where I live.
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
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    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    pbandz wrote: »
    Recently I've been purchasing and eating more quinoa because I've heard it's a healthier "grain" and has a lot of extra vitamins and antioxidants. One thing I've realized though, is that quinoa is relatively high calorie. Maybe not for a grain but it certainly isn't low in calories.
    I'm just curious if any of you are eating quinoa for the added benefits, but are adding it to other lighter meals so you aren't eating a meal entirely of quinoa.
    Today I made a quinoa salad like thing (forget the name) and its quinoa, tomatos, cucumber, olive oil, and parsley. Adding that to MFP it was a pretty hefty meal.
    Just curious how you guys go about your quinoa haha

    Caloric density has nothing to do with nutritional quality. There are many foods that are nutritional power houses and also calorie bombs. Quinoa has a similar calorie count to pretty most grains.

    I eat all manner of grains...sometimes I eat quinoa, sometimes brown rice, sometimes pasta, I eat a lot of oats, etc. I eat quinoa because I enjoy the flavor and texture (my wife and I discovered quinoa way before quinoa was cool on a trip to Peru) and it has the added benefit of having a bit more fiber and more protein than many other grains.

    This. A diverse diet with a wide range of foods will be your best bet for optimizing nutrient intake.

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