What is quinoa?

2

Replies

  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
    I cooked up some quinoa earlier this week. I make it like 'Spanish rice'. I drain a can of tomatos- the spicy kind-, mixing the juice and water to get the correct amount of liquid, then throw everything in the pot and just cook it like rice. Little salt, some pepper, a sprinkle of cheese on top... yummy.

    The only thing to remember with quinoa is to rinse it well before cooking. I made that mistake once and it had a tinge of bitter to it. Otherwise, it's pretty good stuff!

    What she said! Rinse the quinoa or it has a funky taste.

    It's true, you need to rinse it. I was told it has a natural pesticide in it. I need to look into that more, though.
  • KarenRae66
    KarenRae66 Posts: 31 Member
    You can find some really good stuff made with Quinoa on Pintrest..Quinoa Mac and Cheese is very good..
  • rjsimpson2002
    rjsimpson2002 Posts: 115 Member
    In the UK you can buy quick cook bulgar wheat and red quinoa mixed together (10 min cooking time) which is really nice. (I got it from tesco so probably available in other supermarkets too). I was also making caramelised spicy sweet potato and just stirred in the cooked wheat/quinoa mix into the cooking pan to pick up the flavours at the end. It was great with a green herb salad, sharp feta cheese and a lemon balsamic dressing.
  • cgirly
    cgirly Posts: 56 Member
    Interesting article in the UK Guardian last week:

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/jan/16/vegans-stomach-unpalatable-truth-quinoa
  • TheConsciousFoody
    TheConsciousFoody Posts: 607 Member
    Interesting article in the UK Guardian last week:

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/jan/16/vegans-stomach-unpalatable-truth-quinoa

    oh look, its that hippy article..again. Same website has articles that contradict that one. Just saying.
  • surrealchereal
    surrealchereal Posts: 60 Member
    I won't buy it anymore after reading this article. I have plenty of other foods I can eat instead. I don't need to mock the authors of the article.

    http://m.guardiannews.com/commentisfree/2013/jan/16/vegans-stomach-unpalatable-truth-quinoa
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
    Interesting article in the UK Guardian last week:

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/jan/16/vegans-stomach-unpalatable-truth-quinoa

    I'm going to look further into that.
  • TheConsciousFoody
    TheConsciousFoody Posts: 607 Member
    Interesting article in the UK Guardian last week:

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/jan/16/vegans-stomach-unpalatable-truth-quinoa

    I'm going to look further into that.

    You should, its propaganda. Fun stuff.
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
    Interesting article in the UK Guardian last week:

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/jan/16/vegans-stomach-unpalatable-truth-quinoa

    I'm going to look further into that.

    You should, its propaganda. Fun stuff.

    Definitely seems suspicious. Worth checking out. I wouldn't take the word of one article.
  • AddieOverhaul
    AddieOverhaul Posts: 734 Member
    I made some last night. I mixed white and red quinoa tgether, rinsed it, put it in the pot with water and some powdered boullion and fresh ground pepper for flavour. In a frying pan I sauteed spinach in butter, garlic and onions and then served that on top of the quinoa. It was simple but tasty and healthy!

    I've yet to make a cool quinoa salad but I think i will try that next as it would be really easy to bring for lunch at work.
  • Softrbreeze
    Softrbreeze Posts: 156 Member
    I can see how quinoa is like oats by it self it is a bit bland but the texture isn't much different then oatmeal, and I think you can do a lot more with quinoa, and it's got the protein and amino acids, I prefer quinoa to oats. And how are you going to get a well-balanced diet with very little animal products? What's wrong with animal products?

    Read about the China Study for reference. It is the biggest nutrition study to date, spanning decades of research and using hundreds of thousands of people. Basically, the consumption of animal products correlates directly with the onset of disease. The researchers tracked dozens of communities for decades- what they ate, their habits, the diseases they developed, why they died, etc . The more meat, cheese, etc you use, the more disease you see, especially cancer and heart disease, the 2 biggest killers here in the West. Everyone keeps wondering why cancer and heart disease are so prevalent. Especially cancer (I think most people have figured out that heart disease is related primarily to diet). A hundred years ago, cancer was a rare disease and meat consumption was a "Sunday" event. Then a few decades ago, the dairy and meat industries started lobbying the government and what-do-you-know: The Food Pyramid was born. They fanned the obsession everyone today seems to have with protein consumption. Now cancer is everywhere- doctors estimate that EVERYONE will develop cancer at least 5 times in their lives. Some people's immune systems will fight it off without them ever knowing and some won't. Today's steak is not what your great grandma used to serve either. If you want to know more, there are a lot of nutrition documentaries on Netflix. Food Matters and Forks Over Knives to name a few.
  • TheConsciousFoody
    TheConsciousFoody Posts: 607 Member
    I can see how quinoa is like oats by it self it is a bit bland but the texture isn't much different then oatmeal, and I think you can do a lot more with quinoa, and it's got the protein and amino acids, I prefer quinoa to oats. And how are you going to get a well-balanced diet with very little animal products? What's wrong with animal products?

    Read about the China Study for reference. It is the biggest nutrition study to date, spanning decades of research and using hundreds of thousands of people. Basically, the consumption of animal products correlates directly with the onset of disease. The researchers tracked dozens of communities for decades- what they ate, their habits, the diseases they developed, why they died, etc . The more meat, cheese, etc you use, the more disease you see, especially cancer and heart disease, the 2 biggest killers here in the West. Everyone keeps wondering why cancer and heart disease are so prevalent. Especially cancer (I think most people have figured out that heart disease is related primarily to diet). A hundred years ago, cancer was a rare disease and meat consumption was a "Sunday" event. Then a few decades ago, the dairy and meat industries started lobbying the government and what-do-you-know: The Food Pyramid was born. They fanned the obsession everyone today seems to have with protein consumption. Now cancer is everywhere- doctors estimate that EVERYONE will develop cancer at least 5 times in their lives. Some people's immune systems will fight it off without them ever knowing and some won't. Today's steak is not what your great grandma used to serve either. If you want to know more, there are a lot of nutrition documentaries on Netflix. Food Matters and Forks Over Knives to name a few.

    More propaganda! Yay!
  • lizzay79
    lizzay79 Posts: 1 Member
    Its really yum and tastes just as good as rice. Serve it with home made curries, stir fries etc. I cook mine in the rice cooker. Try it!!!
  • binknbaby
    binknbaby Posts: 207 Member
    It's a little hard for me to take that article as truth when they couldn't even specify the correct food group that quinoa belongs to... If they aren't going to do their full research on something as simple as whether it's a seed or a grain, I'm not sure I can trust them on weightier matters.

    Besides, one of the articles cited (from their own page, no less) contradicts the author's statement. It says,
    "They have westernised their diets because they have more profits and more income," says Mejia, an agronomist. "Ten years ago they had only an Andean diet in front of them. They had no choice. But now they do and they want rice, noodles, candies, coke, they want everything!"

    Of course junk food is cheaper, but the reason they eat it is not because they can't afford what they grow; it's because they can afford the "westernized" food, now that they have higher incomes.
  • TheConsciousFoody
    TheConsciousFoody Posts: 607 Member
    It's a little hard for me to take that article as truth when they couldn't even specify the correct food group that quinoa belongs to... If they aren't going to do their full research on something as simple as whether it's a seed or a grain, I'm not sure I can trust them on weightier matters.

    Besides, one of the articles cited (from their own page, no less) contradicts the author's statement. It says,
    "They have westernised their diets because they have more profits and more income," says Mejia, an agronomist. "Ten years ago they had only an Andean diet in front of them. They had no choice. But now they do and they want rice, noodles, candies, coke, they want everything!"

    Of course junk food is cheaper, but the reason they eat it is not because they can't afford what they grow; it's because they can afford the "westernized" food, now that they have higher incomes.

    Exactly.
  • hamonk
    hamonk Posts: 42 Member
    bump for later
  • iLoveMyPitbull1225
    iLoveMyPitbull1225 Posts: 1,690 Member
    I wont go into the debate of seed or grain because I honestly dont know, but I know that its yummy and a really good substitute for rice or pasta. its healthy and low cal. What I like about it is that its really versitile. I have seen so many recipes from sweets to savory side dishes. I personally prefer it as a side dish. You can try browsing pinterest, I have seen so many recipes. theres one that I like thats mediterranean style, with cucumbers, tomatoes, herbs, feta and a homemade dressing. really really yummy :)
  • iLoveMyPitbull1225
    iLoveMyPitbull1225 Posts: 1,690 Member
    I wont go into the debate of seed or grain because I honestly dont know, but I know that its yummy and a really good substitute for rice or pasta. its healthy and low cal. What I like about it is that its really versitile. I have seen so many recipes from sweets to savory side dishes. I personally prefer it as a side dish. You can try browsing pinterest, I have seen so many recipes. theres one that I like thats mediterranean style, with cucumbers, tomatoes, herbs, red onion, feta and a homemade dressing. really really yummy :)
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
    It's a little hard for me to take that article as truth when they couldn't even specify the correct food group that quinoa belongs to... If they aren't going to do their full research on something as simple as whether it's a seed or a grain, I'm not sure I can trust them on weightier matters.

    Besides, one of the articles cited (from their own page, no less) contradicts the author's statement. It says,
    "They have westernised their diets because they have more profits and more income," says Mejia, an agronomist. "Ten years ago they had only an Andean diet in front of them. They had no choice. But now they do and they want rice, noodles, candies, coke, they want everything!"

    Of course junk food is cheaper, but the reason they eat it is not because they can't afford what they grow; it's because they can afford the "westernized" food, now that they have higher incomes.

    Exactly.

    Yeah, that's what I was thinking. I know there can be issues with well known things like chocolate (using children for slave labor) and palm tree oil and things like that, so it's worth looking into. But, other than this one article I never heard of this and the article did not provide extensive links to find the info. And also it just seems like it would increase their money and livelihoods.
  • NOLA_Meg
    NOLA_Meg Posts: 194 Member
    Quinoa is a seed high in protein and with lots of amino acids that our bodies need. However, the demand for quinoa has caused such a increase in price in the South American countries where it grows, that the local people who have depended on it for nutrition for hundreds if not thousands of years can no longer afford it. Honestly, it is just the new "fad" food. There are lots of other seeds and grains that are healthy for you. Just like oatmeal, a lot of people have difficulty with the texture of quinoa. The flavor itself is bland- you have to dress it up just like with oatmeal. Just stick with oats, that's my advice. Eat a well-balanced diet with as little animal products as possible. Read about The China Study for reference, if you haven't already. Diminish the suffering in the world- every choice you make has an impact somewhere, whether for good or for bad.

    After learning about the plight of the people in Peru I no longer buy or eat quinoa- although the little tails always creeped me out anyway.
  • marathon_mama
    marathon_mama Posts: 150 Member
    It is NOT a grain.
  • NOLA_Meg
    NOLA_Meg Posts: 194 Member
    I won't buy it anymore after reading this article. I have plenty of other foods I can eat instead. I don't need to mock the authors of the article.

    http://m.guardiannews.com/commentisfree/2013/jan/16/vegans-stomach-unpalatable-truth-quinoa

    My thoughts exactly! So glad others feel the same!
  • NOLA_Meg
    NOLA_Meg Posts: 194 Member
    It is NOT a grain.
  • karen8932
    karen8932 Posts: 1
    I've recently started eating quinoa. I really like it. I cook mine with vegetable or chicken broth instead of water and then add vegetables like peppers, onions, mushrooms, a little low sodium soy sauce and herbs. You can pretty much put whatever you like in it.
  • leachatham
    leachatham Posts: 1
    Quinoa is an ancient grain......
  • Taraanne76
    Taraanne76 Posts: 111 Member
    I mix it in with brown rice so my family doesn't freak out about more health food in their "rice w/ the shuck on it". Never mind their reaction to chia seeds.

    I'm trying this recipe tonight:
    http://allrecipes.com/recipe/quinoa-and-black-beans/
  • EvanKeel
    EvanKeel Posts: 1,903 Member
    I don't think the protein ratio is all that stellar actually. It's not bad at all, but it's not the top of the pack as far as whole grains go. The amino acid profile is pretty stellar for a seed, though.

    I'll use it in place of bread crumbs in meatloaf. You have to cook it first, though.
  • rluedtke
    rluedtke Posts: 32
    You can use quinoa in any recipe to replace rice. I made stuffed zucchini with it, stuffed peppers. I have it for breakfast where I add some cinnamon and apple chunks in when I'm cooking it. Super filling and quite tasty that way.

    I also made a few salads with it- there's a recipe on the bag of quinoa that you can purchase at Costco that is delicious. I also make one that has peppers, green onion, cucumber , cilantro and mandarin sesame dressing. Can either have the salad in its own or put a bit over a bed of lettuce.

    It can be quite bland on it's own. But I think that's what makes it so versatile.
  • chellebublz
    chellebublz Posts: 568 Member
    I bought a box of quinoa about comparible to a box of brown rice, it was around $5, so about double the price. I've never tried it either. Planning to do a recipe for quinoa stuffed peppers I found on pinterest :) I hear it's pretty good for you depending how strict you are with your diet. It's a no go for Paleo, but if you allow carbs and grains it's one of the best.
  • keem88
    keem88 Posts: 1,689 Member
    it's not a grain, it's a seed.
    and the high demand in western countries is hurting the countries that it is coming from.
    it is a full protein, and can be used in place of pasta or rice in dishes

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