Did you know that quinoa is an ideal cereal for people with gluten intolerance or diabetes? Or that quinoa was one of the proposals as one of the foods for long-duration flights into space? And is that quinoa is an authenticsuperfood . Do you know why? Find out in this post where we explain all the benefits and ways to introduce it into your diet.
A little history
It is an ancient cereal from the Andean region of Ecuador, Bolivia, Colombia and Peru. They began to use it for human consumption about four thousand years ago. The Incas called it chisaya mama, which means "mother of cereals." It was considered by the Inca empire a sacred food. That is why the Inca emperor always had the honor of being the first to sow the first quinoa seeds of the season. During theconquest of South America, the Spanish rejected quinoa as the main food of the Indians and even prohibited its cultivation. The name of quinoa comes from the Spanish pronunciation of the name in Quechua Kinwa.
This food of the gods is not exactly a cereal but rather a pseudocereal since it does not belong to the grass family. It is a close brother to spinach and beets. The grain of estThe plant has a bitter covering due to its content in saponins , with a bitter and toxic taste, to protect itself from birds. That is why quinoa should always be washed before cooking to remove the saponin that it contains.iene. To do this, rinse for a few seconds under the stream of cold water until the water runs completely clean. It should not be soaked for more than a few minutes as the saponin would deposit on its surface and it would not be possible to remove it.
Nutritional composition of quinoa
Quinoa has an exceptional nutritional composition. If you are an athlete, you should include it in your daily diet since it is one of the most protein cereals: a 15% of its total weight. Quinoa proteins contain high levels of essential amino acids , especially lysine and isoleucine, and in very balanced proportions, ideal for human consumption. It is a protein seegetal of very good quality. Another great advantage of this cereal is that it does not contain gluten, which makes it an ideal food for people with celiac disease or gluten intolerance.
And what's in the carbohydrate part? Another surprisegood! Quinoa has a lower glycemic index than most other popular cereals. That means that if you have problems with glucose metabolism: hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, diabetes; then I willwe advise to consider this cereal in your diet. In addition to this, quinoa is rich in fiber and especially soluble fiber , which helps reduce the levels of cholesterol, triglycerides and free fatty acids in the salt.ngre, and thus take care of your cardiovascular system. In addition, soluble fiber is what our intestinal microflora likes the most, which we must take care of on a daily basis.
Quinoa is considered an oil crop, because it containsmore oil than corn (10% of the total weight). And most of the fatty acids that this oil provides are monounsaturated (oleic acid) and polyunsaturated (omega 6 linolenic) fats. These acids play a very important role in preventingn of cardiovascular diseases.
We are done with the macronutrients. And what about micronutrients? Are there even more surprises? You are right! Quinoa has a very high antioxidant activity, more than, for example,For example, another supercereal, buckwheat! Partly because it is a very good source of vitamin E and other phytonutrients, which play a very important role in cholesterol metabolism. Also thanks to that quinoa is rich in minerals such asor Calcium, Magnesium, Iron, Copper and Zinc; and vitamins of group B, especially B6 and folate, which only in 100 grams of quinoa can you obtain the daily requirement of these vitamins.
Now you see why the quinoa is coIt is considered as a functional food and a superfood. It is a perfect food for people with gluten intolerance or glucose metabolism problems such as diabetes. And now it is clear why NASA considers quinoa asa possible food to consume on long-duration flights into space.
How to introduce quinoa in your diet?
The next question is: how to introduce this supercereal in our diet? It is very very easy! In grain the quinoa can be used as a garnish to any dishto: put the cooked grain in your green salad, or sauté it with your favorite vegetables and you have a main dish ready. Quinoa is also a very rich cereal to prepare breakfasts, make gluten-free mueslis or granola with your favorites.cough nuts! In addition to grain, quinoa flour is widely used as a substitute for wheat flour in cakes, breads, crepes or hamburgers. This flour has worse baking properties compared to wheat flour.Or, therefore, to achieve the desired texture of your pastry, more components will have to be added to increase the ligament and sponginess (for example, ground flax with sodium bicarbonate).
So that you do not doubt too much, you can already try this ceReal delicious in our restaurant Flax & Kale , where we offer a starter Red Quinoa salad and a main dish with quinoa as a garnish: La Pesca del Salmon en Algerri. And if you fancy something sweet for breakfast you can enjoy a Gluten-free Quinoa-Blueberry Muffin . We are waiting for you at Flax & Kale!
Or simply, to start, you can prepare this deliciouse-quinoa-y-nituke "target =" _ blank "> Vegan Nituké recipe of vegetables with quinoa .
