Quinoa - why I love it & why you should too!
I have had some questions recently about the health benefits of quinoa and why I eat it, so I have provided some info. I hope this is helpful to you!
Did you know that 2013 is the international year of quinoa???!!!
The UN, in conjunction with Bolivia, Columbia, Ecuador and Peru are working together to promote the health and nutrition benefits of a food that has been harvested there for decades. The popularity of quinoa around the world is causing the price of it to rise where it is harvested, which is not a great thing. But, at the same time, the Bolivian government are providing quinoa to pregnant women as a nutritional supplement and supplying it as part of their school breakfasts, which is great to hear.
Quinoa, a grain or a seed?
Quinoa comes from a "grain - like" crop which is known for its edible seeds - this is the part we eat. It is not a part a cereal or a grain, but instead, a seed. It is gluten free, so fantastic for us on a wheat free diet for whatever reason and is easy to digest.
Quinoa - a superfood?
Quinoa has been called a "superfood", but what is a superfood? In my understanding, it is a term thrown around without any real definition and is being widely used as a marketing tool to promote foods as being "the next big thing" for your health.
Nutritional benefits.
Protein: In saying that, the nutritional benefits of quinoa are great. It is quite high in protein - around 15g per 100g of dry whole quinoa and it is a complete protein which means it contains adequate amounts of the 9 essential amino acids.
Fibre: Quinoa contains twice as much fibre as many other grains. This helps to reduce blood glucose levels, normalise blood pressure and keep us fuller for longer. Its filling!! The University of Milan conducted a study in which participants ate quinoa and compared how full they were afterwards in comparison to eating rice or wheat. All participants reported being fuller after eating the quinoa (they also tested buckwheat and oats).
(Read that report here: British Journal of Nutrition, November 2005; 94 (5):850-8.)
Other vitamins & minerals: Quinoa also contains iron, calcium, magnesium and lysine which all have numerous great benefits to our body, including tissue growth and repair, production and health of red blood cells, energy production.
Why do I eat quinoa?
I don't eat it because it's popular or because everyone else is, I eat it because I enjoy it!!
Quinoa is my go to grain for breakfast. It keeps me full until my 11am snack time (creature of habit when you work in a school), it mixes perfectly with salads, as a replacement for rice and has a great all round flavour. I use it in flake form and in its original form. I use quinoa a lot in my cooking, often not in the flour form (I just blend it up) and I find it works well.
How to cook quinoa:
I usually double the amount of water to quinoa. So if I am using 1 cup of quinoa, I will use 2 cups of water.
1. Rinse quinoa in water and drain before cooking.
2. Put quinoa and water into a pot and boil
3. When it is boiling, turn it down and cook for a further 10 mins.
4. you know the quinoa is ready when it has "sprouted" and grown little tails.
Enjoy!
My favourite breakfast quinoa recipe:
1/2 cup quinoa flakes
1/2 cup milk of choice (almond / coconut etc)
1/2 - 1 cup water (I just fill the pot up half way because the quinoa soaks up liquid)
1/2 cup raspberries
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla essence
Cook quinoa in pot for about 5 mins with all other ingredients mixed in.
It will start to bubble. You can continue to cook but be aware the quinoa soaks up the liquid so it will start to dry out.
Top with favourite fruit, nuts or whatever you desire!
Quinoa comes from a "grain - like" crop which is known for its edible seeds - this is the part we eat. It is not a part a cereal or a grain, but instead, a seed. It is gluten free, so fantastic for us on a wheat free diet for whatever reason and is easy to digest.
Quinoa - a superfood?
Quinoa has been called a "superfood", but what is a superfood? In my understanding, it is a term thrown around without any real definition and is being widely used as a marketing tool to promote foods as being "the next big thing" for your health.
Nutritional benefits.
Protein: In saying that, the nutritional benefits of quinoa are great. It is quite high in protein - around 15g per 100g of dry whole quinoa and it is a complete protein which means it contains adequate amounts of the 9 essential amino acids.
Fibre: Quinoa contains twice as much fibre as many other grains. This helps to reduce blood glucose levels, normalise blood pressure and keep us fuller for longer. Its filling!! The University of Milan conducted a study in which participants ate quinoa and compared how full they were afterwards in comparison to eating rice or wheat. All participants reported being fuller after eating the quinoa (they also tested buckwheat and oats).
(Read that report here: British Journal of Nutrition, November 2005; 94 (5):850-8.)
Other vitamins & minerals: Quinoa also contains iron, calcium, magnesium and lysine which all have numerous great benefits to our body, including tissue growth and repair, production and health of red blood cells, energy production.
Why do I eat quinoa?
I don't eat it because it's popular or because everyone else is, I eat it because I enjoy it!!
Quinoa is my go to grain for breakfast. It keeps me full until my 11am snack time (creature of habit when you work in a school), it mixes perfectly with salads, as a replacement for rice and has a great all round flavour. I use it in flake form and in its original form. I use quinoa a lot in my cooking, often not in the flour form (I just blend it up) and I find it works well.
How to cook quinoa:
I usually double the amount of water to quinoa. So if I am using 1 cup of quinoa, I will use 2 cups of water.
1. Rinse quinoa in water and drain before cooking.
2. Put quinoa and water into a pot and boil
3. When it is boiling, turn it down and cook for a further 10 mins.
4. you know the quinoa is ready when it has "sprouted" and grown little tails.
Enjoy!
My favourite breakfast quinoa recipe:
1/2 cup quinoa flakes
1/2 cup milk of choice (almond / coconut etc)
1/2 - 1 cup water (I just fill the pot up half way because the quinoa soaks up liquid)
1/2 cup raspberries
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla essence
Cook quinoa in pot for about 5 mins with all other ingredients mixed in.
It will start to bubble. You can continue to cook but be aware the quinoa soaks up the liquid so it will start to dry out.
Top with favourite fruit, nuts or whatever you desire!
A low FODMAP diet - what is it and how does it work?
Having tummy troubles and can't pinpoint what is making you sick? I was, and before discovering this diet, was at wits end trying to work out what was making me so ill. I had cut out wheat and felt better, but not great. I then cut out dairy and felt even better, but something was still up. Then my nutritionist recommended this diet and it worked wonders for me.
The FODMAP diet was developed by Sue Shepherd from Shepherd Works here in Melbourne at Monash University.
FODMAP stands for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides and Polyols which are a bunch of molecules that when poorly digested, act as a food source to bacteria in the gut and cause symptoms of Irritable Bowel, including bloating, gas and nausea. FODMAPS are found in a wide variety foods so starting a low fodmap diet can be tricky, especially if going it alone.
This diet has been my saviour. It took a LONG time to eliminate all the FODMAP containing foods and then slowly test each food group out to work out what my stomach could / couldn't tolerate. I actually eat very little of the FODMAP containing foods now, as most of the foods on the list I did not really enjoy before hand anyway. The list is quite extensive, but a little searching on the net can help.
I avoid foods mostly from the Ogliosaccharide group which are mainly Fructans and Galactans. These are present in foods including wheat, onion, garlic and legumes. I also try to limit my intake of foods high in Polyols which include most stone fruits, apples and pears. The diet sounds overwhelming to begin with, but it gets easier.
Head to the Shepherd Works website at www.shepherdworks.com.au for more information about the FODMAP diet. You can book in with a nutritionist at their clinic in Box Hill if you're in Melbourne. This website has an amazing fact sheet about FOMAP's and is worth a read www.gesa.org.au
This diet may be what you have been looking for to eliminate those stomach troubles once and for all!
The FODMAP diet was developed by Sue Shepherd from Shepherd Works here in Melbourne at Monash University.
FODMAP stands for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides and Polyols which are a bunch of molecules that when poorly digested, act as a food source to bacteria in the gut and cause symptoms of Irritable Bowel, including bloating, gas and nausea. FODMAPS are found in a wide variety foods so starting a low fodmap diet can be tricky, especially if going it alone.
This diet has been my saviour. It took a LONG time to eliminate all the FODMAP containing foods and then slowly test each food group out to work out what my stomach could / couldn't tolerate. I actually eat very little of the FODMAP containing foods now, as most of the foods on the list I did not really enjoy before hand anyway. The list is quite extensive, but a little searching on the net can help.
I avoid foods mostly from the Ogliosaccharide group which are mainly Fructans and Galactans. These are present in foods including wheat, onion, garlic and legumes. I also try to limit my intake of foods high in Polyols which include most stone fruits, apples and pears. The diet sounds overwhelming to begin with, but it gets easier.
Head to the Shepherd Works website at www.shepherdworks.com.au for more information about the FODMAP diet. You can book in with a nutritionist at their clinic in Box Hill if you're in Melbourne. This website has an amazing fact sheet about FOMAP's and is worth a read www.gesa.org.au
This diet may be what you have been looking for to eliminate those stomach troubles once and for all!