What on earth is so great about quinoa

chloeealicee
chloeealicee Posts: 204 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I've been seeing so much about stuff such as quinoa and bulgur wheat as 'superfoods' and recently i saw some microwavable pouches of the stuff in my supermarket (like uncle bens type thing, same price too) and i was wondering if it's be worth the switch from brown rice to this? has it just got more protein in? because i get probably more than enough of that as it is. Has it got super amazing magical health benefits that i'm missing out on?

I don't even know what i'd cook it with. I have so many questions about this i'm seriously baffled.
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Replies

  • amblight
    amblight Posts: 350 Member
    I don't get the fuss either. It's pretty much the same calorie count as rice, and only slightly more protein - and no major difference in vitamins and minerals.
    I find it a lot less convinient, as it's so expensive (around here at least), takes longer to cook imo, doesn't suck up flavour as well as rice, so it would have to be a lot more nutritious for me to bother.

    I think it's just one of those foods that got a 'clean eating' reputation, so people assume it must be better in some way.
  • ferasaldarmi
    ferasaldarmi Posts: 29 Member
    From where I come from we always have bulgur as an alternative to rice, for hundreds of years.

    I think its just one other staple food that was missing from parts of the world and has been lately introduced. Try it with tomato based dishes and lamb, it goes well with yogurt and herbs.

    I like to alternate betweenice and bulgur, and now quinoa.

    My favorite is mashed up bulgur with tomatos and lamb, its considered "the dish" for our region (Kuwait), we call is Jereesh.

    Have fun!

    Feras
  • evileen99
    evileen99 Posts: 1,564 Member
    Quinoa is a complete protein like meat--very few plant sources are a complete protein. That's why there's all the fuss over it.
  • nilbogger
    nilbogger Posts: 870 Member
    I don't get the fuss either. It's pretty much the same calorie count as rice, and only slightly more protein - and no major difference in vitamins and minerals.
    I find it a lot less convinient, as it's so expensive (around here at least), takes longer to cook imo, doesn't suck up flavour as well as rice, so it would have to be a lot more nutritious for me to bother.

    I think it's just one of those foods that got a 'clean eating' reputation, so people assume it must be better in some way.

    What? Quinoa takes about 20 to 25 minutes total to cook. How long does your brown rice take?
  • Novus175
    Novus175 Posts: 80
    Quinoa is a seed rather than a grain, so the current trend to eat grain free is making it popular. Compared to rice, it has more protein, more fiber, fewer carbs, and significantly higher amounts of several important vitamins and minerals.

    You can use quinoa in the same ways that you use rice. Or use it instead of oats to make porridge. Or use it as a replacement for bulgar or wheat berries in a salad. There is also quinoa pasta that you can use in place of any other pasta. And I've seen numerous recipes for baked goods made with quinoa flour.
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
    I must admit I'm not a fan I dislike the texture it can give and there are many other things I'd rather eat than Quinoa. I'm always suspicious of anything thats a so called 'Superfood'. I have though found some interesting recipes and just ended up replacing the Quinoa with Couscous. For what is it it can be expensive as well and it's environmental (if you care about that) credentials are pretty suspect
  • LexiMelo
    LexiMelo Posts: 203 Member
    Just another tool to have variety in your meals. If you don't like it, no big deal. It takes me 15 minutes to cook quinoa, the same as white rice (and shorter than brown rice). It doesn't absorb flavor as well as rice, and rice definitely still has a place in my kitchen, as does barley, potatoes, couscous and pasta.

    I like the nutty flavor and small texture of quinoa. I really like to add it to salads, giving them substance without taking away the flavor of the rest of the meal.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Quinoa is a complete protein like meat--very few plant sources are a complete protein. That's why there's all the fuss over it.

    Yes...and elsewhere in the world, it is also a staple much like rice or pasta or whatever elsewhere. If you don't want to replace your rice with quinoa, there is no need too...it's not magic...it's just a nice alternative now and then. I would also add that the most recent fad of going gluten and grain free is probably supercharging all the fuss over quinoa as quinoa is a seed rather than a grain.

    I discovered it long ago when my wife and I were visiting Peru as it is a staple food there...this was long before the mainstream nutrition and fitness industry embraced it. I've eaten the stuff for decades and often have it in lieu of steamed rice or whatever.
  • Fit_Fox88
    Fit_Fox88 Posts: 410 Member
    I like it for a change from rice. I use barley the same way. I like the nuttiness and slight crunch of quinoa, plus one batch usually lasts me 3-4 meals as a side dish. I prefer to use it in stuffed peppers in place of rice. I'm stuck on steel cut oats at the moment so I haven't ventured to using it for breakfast.
  • RaspberryKeytoneBoondoggle
    RaspberryKeytoneBoondoggle Posts: 1,349 Member
    It's trendy. I love it in two of my recipes I make often.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    Faster than my brown rice, which takes about 50 mins.

    But it's just trendy now for the reasons people have mentioned (protein, non grain). IMO, it's not a superfood--I don't believe in that--but it's trendiness is nothing to hold against it if you like it, and I do. It's a nice alternative to rice or Israeli cous cous or the like. Similar to how trendy kale is a nice green along with many others, including comparatively ignored spinach or chard, etc., IMO, and definitely worth eating but not worth cutting out the other similar foods for. But then I think variety is best anyway, at least for me.
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  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Quinoa is a complete protein like meat--very few plant sources are a complete protein. That's why there's all the fuss over it.

    This ^^

    And it's gluten free, which is a pretty big fad right now, though rice is also gluten free. Another reason is that it's not been hybridized by man for centuries (which is why it's often referred to as an ancient grain).

    I haven't really seen much increased interest in bulgur, though that may simply be the fact that it's a whole grain.

    I love both bulgur and quinoa in salads. For those that who avoiding gluten, quinoa makes a good substitute for bulgur in toubleh.
  • fitness_faeiry
    fitness_faeiry Posts: 354 Member
    I have trouble digesting quinoa, but I do like it. However I actually think bulgur wheat is nicer in taste and texture.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Quinoa is a seed rather than a grain, so the current trend to eat grain free is making it popular.

    Yeah, this reasoning always makes me laugh. Most, maybe all, grains are seeds.
  • VeryKatie
    VeryKatie Posts: 5,961 Member
    No idea what's good about it other than it being a whole grain (which studies have shown can reduce the risk of getting cancer). But I really like the texture and flavour - more so than rice. THAT'S what's so great about it :)
  • WonderWhitney11
    WonderWhitney11 Posts: 78 Member
    Quinoa is the only grain/seed with all of the essential proteins our bodies need that they can't make on their own. As a vegetarian, I like quinoa because I know I'm getting what my body needs. It's a bit of an acquired taste though... a little bit "earthy" tasting... amaranth is another good one that has lots of protein, and it can be popped like itty-bitty popcorn!
  • ccrdragon
    ccrdragon Posts: 3,374 Member
    Quinoa doesn't have to take that long to cook - you can cover it with water in a pot and boil it for 10 minutes and then let it sit for another 10 minutes off the heat and it will be ready to eat (and slightly chewy which to me is better than soft).

    We use as an alternative to rice - you can add seasoning to it and have it as Mexican rice, you can use it as a bed under fish or just throw some into a smoothie to add some texture to it. We also buy it in bulk from the super-Kroger or from Costco and that makes it a lot cheaper than the small serve bags in the rice aisles.
  • Mangopickle
    Mangopickle Posts: 1,509 Member
    Lower glycemic load, more complete protein, higher protein, almost 4x the fiber, easy to cook. I try to make every calorie count. I struggle to portion control rice I find it waaaaay too tasty :). I have no trouble portion controlling quinoa or millet
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    It's been around in the world for a long time and is not new. But, that doesn't make it a bad thing. In ten years, when everyone is back to eating gluten and meat, I'll still be eating quinoa, as long as the price remains decent.

    I'm hoping the price will come down once they stop processing it into chips and what ultimately amounts to other junk food...although i do buy it in bulk from Costco so it's not overly expensive anyway.

    I'm right there with you though...I ate it before it was cool and I will eat it after the mainstream forgets about it and moves on to the next "super-food"
  • peleroja
    peleroja Posts: 3,979 Member
    I like it because of the complete protein thing. I don't each much meat so I get it where I can.

    I do only buy the certified fair-trade stuff, though, because what the skyrocketing demand has done in South America is essentially make a traditional inexpensive staple suddenly blow up in price to the detriment of the farmers and other rural people who have eaten it for hundreds of years.
  • zillah73
    zillah73 Posts: 505 Member
    Quinoa is a complete protein like meat--very few plant sources are a complete protein. That's why there's all the fuss over it.

    Yup, this.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Ok but... 7g of protein for 180 calories? I'm just not getting how people can say that is 'high protein'.

    I bought some for a change, and I liked it though.
  • kaseyr1505
    kaseyr1505 Posts: 624 Member
    I like it, and I include it in my meal plans when I think it fits. For me, it's a nice variation.
  • BlueBombers
    BlueBombers Posts: 4,064 Member
    I personally don't the taste of it, but that's just me.
  • AllOutof_Bubblegum
    AllOutof_Bubblegum Posts: 3,646 Member
    It's delicious, easy to cook and extremely versatile. It's also a complete protein, so nutrition win.
  • enterdanger
    enterdanger Posts: 2,447 Member
    Not sure so much of the healthy benefits of quinoa. I like the taste of it and get bored with rice and potatoes.

    I usually make it as a salad with dried fruit. However, I like bulgar wheat much more. It's got a nuttier taste than brown rice and it's super versatile. I make it like a pilaf the most, but you can even use it in place of oatmeal and make a hot cereal out of it. It's super cheap too and is supposedly a heritage grain which I hear are supposed to be better for you.
  • abuck_13
    abuck_13 Posts: 382 Member
    Like anything out there, there is quinoa that tastes good and quinoa that tastes nasty - it is really a matter of trying a few types, finding what you like and deciding if you want to add it to your meals or not.
  • donnat238
    donnat238 Posts: 309 Member
    I like it as a substitute for rice dishes. Not crazy about rice, but will add quoina to certain dishes...I like the texture and flavor.

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