Thoughts on quinoa.....

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tianabarfly
tianabarfly Posts: 17 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I need some advice on quinoa. I was under the impression it was healthy for you so I bought some the other day. I logged it afterwards to see the nutritional value and I was surprised by the amount of calories, and especially carbs in it. Is it healthy for me to eat or not? I understand moderation is key, but will it effect my weight loss?

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  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,488 Member
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    Eating a calorie surplus affects your weight loss. When you eat it are you over in calories? If yes, it will affect your weight loss. If not, then no, it will not affect your weight loss.
  • tianabarfly
    tianabarfly Posts: 17 Member
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    I actually haven't ate it yet. I was too worried that it was bad for me. Makes sense though, just to eat less calories that day to accommodate the calories in it. Thanks :)
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    tianabarfly wrote: »
    I need some advice on quinoa. I was under the impression it was healthy for you so I bought some the other day. I logged it afterwards to see the nutritional value and I was surprised by the amount of calories, and especially carbs in it. Is it healthy for me to eat or not? I understand moderation is key, but will it effect my weight loss?

    caloric density has nothing to do with nutritional quality. there are any number of highly nutritious foods that are also calorie dense...there are also a lot of low calorie foods that have little nutritional value...one has nothing to do with the other.

    carbs aren't the devil

    it is a good source of non-meat protein

    it is a good source of fiber

    carbs aren't the devil
  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member
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    I'd caution you against labeling individual foods as 'healthy' or 'unhealthy'.

    You can't look at foods in a vaccuum - you need to consider how they'll fit into your overall daily diet.

    For someone who is using a low-carb approach or someone who has already met their carb and protein requirements for the day - quinoa probably wouldn't be a healthy addition to their diet that day. It might be a healthy addition the following day though.

  • Derf_Smeggle
    Derf_Smeggle Posts: 611 Member
    edited November 2015
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    You are implying that carbohydrates are bad for you. This is simply not true.

    While weight loss is ultimately about CI/CO, nutrition is more than just calories.

    Quinoa has a nice complement of nutrients, but like rice can add up caloric value quickly.

    1 dry, uncooked cup full makes between 3 to 3.5 cups cooked, in my experience. The batch is about 620 to 650 calories. I doubt you would eat 3 full cups cooked.
  • debrakgoogins
    debrakgoogins Posts: 2,034 Member
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    Quinoa has become a staple grain in my house. I cook it in my rice cooker. Yes, it has calories and carbs but it's also is high in fiber and protein. Give it a try. Just account for it in your diary the same way you would any other food you are eating.
  • tianabarfly
    tianabarfly Posts: 17 Member
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    Thanks for all the great advice!!
  • questionfear
    questionfear Posts: 527 Member
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    We use quinoa in place of rice or another grain. Personally, I find a little goes a long way.

    Also, if you have leftover plain quinoa and you're feeling adventurous you can mix it with milk, cinnamon, fruit, etc and make it a breakfast meal.
  • DisneyDude85
    DisneyDude85 Posts: 428 Member
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    questionfear wrote: »
    We use quinoa in place of rice or another grain. Personally, I find a little goes a long way.

    Also, if you have leftover plain quinoa and you're feeling adventurous you can mix it with milk, cinnamon, fruit, etc and make it a breakfast meal.

    THIS! So delicious :)
  • Meganthedogmom
    Meganthedogmom Posts: 1,639 Member
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    I love quinoa - I cook it with chicken broth and often serve it with fish or chicken. If I have the calories I'll melt a teaspoon of butter in with it. So good! I make a serving per person, which is about 1/4 cup dry and 170 calories. Worth it to me, plus it's a good source of protein.
  • kailyw05
    kailyw05 Posts: 80 Member
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    I eat it often. I think it's abut portion control. I can usually get 4-5 servings of quinoa from 1 cup uncooked. Let's say 650/4 = 163 calories per serving. Combined with some form of meat protein, veggies, and some beef/chicken stock, makes me a great meal for less than 500 calories. That's a win in my books!
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    I serve quinoa very much like couscous and I consider the recipes interchangeable (though quinoa takes a little longer to cook). I've also put quinoa in soups and stews as another carb source. Try the red quinoa; very attractive.

    We don't have it very often however as hubby considers couscous to be the devil's food. He'll leap tall buildings to get away from it. Not for any nutritional reason. He, just. hates. it.
  • J72FIT
    J72FIT Posts: 5,948 Member
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    tianabarfly wrote: »
    I need some advice on quinoa. I was under the impression it was healthy for you so I bought some the other day. I logged it afterwards to see the nutritional value and I was surprised by the amount of calories, and especially carbs in it. Is it healthy for me to eat or not? I understand moderation is key, but will it effect my weight loss?

    What do calories and carbs have to do with a food being or not being healthy...?
  • amberlyda1
    amberlyda1 Posts: 154 Member
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    a lot of the carbs in quinoa are fiber. It is a nutrient dense food with lots of vitamins and protein. I find it more filling than rice and it fluffs up more (in my opinion) than rice so i only need a small handful. Most of the time I just leave out my usual side of protein at a meal and just have it with veggies or add it to some soup.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,576 Member
    edited November 2015
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    tianabarfly wrote: »
    I actually haven't ate it yet. I was too worried that it was bad for me. Makes sense though, just to eat less calories that day to accommodate the calories in it. Thanks :)

    It's not bad for you. It has more protein than many other grains, which is why it gets a lot of 'superfood' type hype. But it's just food. Work it into your diet if you enjoy it, skip it if you don't.
  • _John_
    _John_ Posts: 8,642 Member
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    It's a decent carb choice....for a grain.
  • TrickyDisco
    TrickyDisco Posts: 2,869 Member
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    Love quinoa, is a nutritious versatile grain - makes a change from rice, pasta, buckwheat, potatoes, couscous etc - tasty served plain or with added extras. Delicious with chopped dried apricots, toasted sunflower seeds, fresh mint, loads of black pepper, fresh lemon juice and a little rapeseed oil, though all that bumps the calories up considerably but if it fits within my calorie allowance then no problem.

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