What Are Benefits And Nutritional Value Of Quinoa?

Quinoa is an ancient grain. It's been cultivated and consumed for thousands of years, and was considered sacred by the Incas. Yet for many people, quinoa is a new and novel food. It's a grain that cooks quickly and easily, and delivers a warm, nutty crunch. It can be ground into flour, added to salads or enjoyed on its own as a hot breakfast.

Protein

Proteins are made up of chemical building blocks called amino acids. Animal proteins such as meat and milk contain all of the essential amino acids that a human body needs to survive and thrive. Plant-based foods contain selected amino acids in varying amounts, but in general do not contain all of the essential amino acids, and if you're a vegetarian, you're probably used to hearing that's it's impossible to derive complete proteins from any single plant food. Quinoa puts an end to that myth. Quinoa, like soy, is a plant-based food that contains all of the essential amino acids your body needs and is an excellent protein source, according to the Global Facilitation Unit for Underutilized Species.

Dietary Fiber

Quinoa is high in indigestible carbohydrates, or fiber. Fiber, which passes through your digestive tract intact. It doesn't offer calories or nutrients, but does deliver health benefits. Fiber can decrease your risk of high serum cholesterol and constipation. It can also temper the spike in blood sugar that typically occurs after eating. According to "Advances in Food and Nutrition Research," quinoa's fiber has properties such as solubility and viscosity that are recognized as useful in benefiting human health. The USDA Nutrient Database says a cup of cooked quinoa contains 5.2 g of dietary fiber.

Nutrients

Quinoa provides several vitamins. When you eat a cup of cooked quinoa, you consume 78 mcg of folate, 1.17 mg of vitamin E, 9 IU of vitamin A, and smaller amounts of the B vitamins thiamine, riboflavin, niacin and B-6. Quinoa is no slacker when it comes to minerals either. A cup of cooked quinoa provides 31 mg of calcium, 118 mg of magnesium, 281 mg of phosphorus, 318 mg of potassium, and smaller amounts of iron, zinc, copper, manganese and selenium.

Other Benefits

Quinoa is admirable for what it doesn't contain as well. It's a gluten-free grain that can be tolerated by those who have digestive problems. It's lower in fat than many other protein sources, and cooking it is a snap. Just use a 2-to-1 ratio of water to quinoa and simmer until the grains pop open and become translucent, which takes about 15 minutes.