Quinoa, pronounced KEEN-wah, is an food that was a staple in the times of the ancient Incas. The relied on it for its nutrient density, which allowed them to endure hard labor at high altitudes. In addition to being a key part of their diets, the Incas revered quinoa as a sacred food. Legend was that quinoa was left as a remains of a heavenly feast. Each year the Incan rulers would begin the growing season with a ceremony where they sowed the first row of seeds with a golden trowel. It is believed that quinoa was a key reason that the Incas were so fierce in battle. Warriors would carry “war balls” with them as food made up of fats and quinoa.
During the Spanish rule, quinoa fell out of favor. Not only did the Spaniards prefer rice, they also looked down on quinoa as an “Indian food”. Seeing the importance it held to the Incas, they made growing quinoa a crime that was punishable by death. After they burned the quinoa fields the only place where quinoa continued to grow was high in the upper mountains.
For many years, quinoa was a food that was only enjoyed by few, but all this changed. In the 1980′s American importers began to gain interest in quinoa as a potential crop in the U.S. Though it would be years before quinoa would reach near mainstream status, its popularity enjoyed steady growth.
Today, quinoa has an almost cult-like following. As it was in ancient times, quinoa is valued for its nutritional value.
Most often you will hear quinoa be referred to as a whole grain or quinoa grain, but this is actually not accurate. Quinoa is a seed whose proper classification is a pseduo grain. Pseudo grains are seeds that are treated like grains in cooking. They offer several advantages over traditional grains.
The advantages of quinoa nutrition over grains are:
- Higher in micronutrients
- Higher in protein – by volume quinoa is between 18% and 20% protein
- Quinoa is naturally gluten free
- Quinoa is a complete source of protein
There are a lot of reasons eating quinoa makes sense, but probably the reason that gets the most attention is the protein content. We have all been raised to believe that the only good sources of protein is animal protein. Even forgetting any ethical issues surrounding eating animals and factory farming, animal proteins have serious nutritional drawbacks. They are high in fat, low in micro nutrients and they contain cholesterol. Additionally, their are concerns regarding antibiotics and GMO feed.
Quinoa is the ideal alternative for those wishing to reduce or eliminate their consumption of meat. Unlike most other plant based foods, quinoa is a complete protein. It delivers a near perfect cocktail of amino acids, having all eight that we must get from our food. According the the Food and Agriculture committee of the World Health Organization, the protein content in quinoa is equal to that found in dehydrated whole milk.
Quinoa recipes are not only easy to make, they are also quite delicious. Cooking quinoa is an easy way to improve your diet!
