NEW HEALTH SUPERSTAR FOOD " QUINOA "

        

Quinoa, cooked 0.75 cup 185.00 grams Calories: 222 GI: low
Nutrient	Amount	DRI/DV (%)	Nutrient Density	World's Healthiest Foods Rating
manganese	1.17 mg	59	4.7	very good
phosphorus	281.20 mg	40	3.3	good
copper	0.36 mg	40	3.2	good
magnesium	118.40 mg	30	2.4	good
fiber	5.18 g	21	1.7	good
folate	77.70 mcg	19	1.6	good
zinc	2.02 mg	18	1.5	good

                         Brief History of   Super  food  Quinoa ( যা  এ  অঞ্চলের  কাউনিয়া  ধান  নামে  পরিচিত  , Quinoa অনেকটা  কাউনিয়া  চাউলের  মত ) and it’s numerous health benefits :

     মনবতাবাদী , যুক্তিবাদী , এবং  বৈজ্ঞানিকগণ  যে  ভাবে  বর্তমান  বিশ্বকে  মানব  কল্যাণে  ব্যবহারের  চেষ্টা  করছেন  ঠিক  তেমনি  ধর্মে  বিশ্বাসে    বিভিন্ন  ধর্মের  মৌলবাদীরা তাদের  প্রভাব  ও  প্রতিপত্তি  ও  তাদের  বিশ্বাস  সমাজে  প্রতিষ্ঠা করতে  এবং  তা  সারা  বিশ্বে  ছড়িয়ে  দিতে  তাদের  সর্বশক্তি  নিয়োগ  করছে  বর্তমানে  ৷  যদিও  বর্তমান  বিশ্বের  মানব  কল্যাণে  এর  অবদান  কী  এবং কতটুকু  তা  বোধহয়  তারা  নিজেরাও  জ্ঞাত  নয় ৷ অন্য  সবার  কাছে  ও  তা  এখন  পর্যন্ত  অজ্ঞাতই  রয়ে  গেছে  ৷ তবে  আশা  রাখতে  দোষ  কী ? এতে  তো  পয়সা  খরছ  হচ্ছে  না  , আর পরিশ্রমের শারিরিক  প্রতিদান  তো  পাওয়াই    যাচ্ছে  ৷ আর  এটা  প্রতিষ্ঠা  করতে  যে  অসংখ্য  মানব  সন্তানকে  হত্যা  করা  হচ্ছে , তাতে  সংশ্লিষ্ট  কোনো  দোষ  খুজে  পান  না  ৷  অবশ্য  ইসরাইলে  হত্যা  করলে  অন্য কথা  !

     অন্যদিকে  বিজ্ঞান  বিশেষ  করে  চিকিৎসা  বিজ্ঞান  আদম  সন্তানকে রোগশোক  থেকে  বাঁচিয়ে  রাখতে  এবং  মানুয়কে  দীর্ঘায়ুর  নিশ্চয়তা দিতে  যে  পরিমান  চেষ্টা  ও  গবেষণা  করে  চলেছেন  তা  উন্নত  বিশ্বের  দিকে  থাকেলেই  চোখে  ধরা   পড়ে  ৷  ঠিক  যেমনি  মৌলবাদীরা  তাদের  প্রতিপত্তি  ও  বিশ্বাস  প্রতিষ্ঠা  করতে  রোজই  অসংখ্য  নিরীহ  মানুয়  হত্যা  করছে  ৷

    বিশ্বের  এই  পরিস্থিতিতে  আমেরিকান  পুষ্টিবিদ ও  খাদ্য  বিষয়ে  গবেষণারত  বৈজ্ঞানিকগণ  মানুষের  জন্যে  প্বার্শপ্রতিক্রিয়া  বিহীন  এক  ধরনের  খাবার  আবিস্কার  করেছেন  ৷  যা  একসময়ে  মানব  কল্যাণে  গুরুত্বপূর্ণ  ভূমিকা  পালন  করতে  পারবে  বলে  সংশ্লিষ্টরা  মনে  করছেন  ৷ইহা  একটি  প্রকৃতিক  শস্য  এবং  যুগ  যুগ  থেকে  এই  শস্যটি  প্রাকৃতিক  ভাবে  উত্তর  আমেরিকা  ও  আফ্রিকার  কিছু  অঞ্চলে  উংপন্ন  হচ্ছিল  ৷  কিন্তু  বৈজ্ঞানিক  গবেষণার  আগে  কেহ  এর  এত  ব্যাপক  স্বাস্থগত  উপকারিকতা  সম্বন্ধে  পরিচিত  ছিল  না  ৷  ইদানিং বিজ্ঞানিকগণ  গবেষণা  করে  এই  সত্যটি  আবিস্কার  করতে  সক্ষম  হয়েছেন  ৷

   অর্থাৎ  যে  খাদ্যটি  হাজার  হাজার  বছর  আগে  ঐ  সব  অঞ্চলে  একটি  অতি  সাধারণ  খাদ্য  শস্য  হিসাবে  প্রচলিত  ছিল  সে  খাদ্যটিকে  বর্তমানে  বৈজ্ঞানিকগণ  সুপার  ফুড  হিসেবে  অবিহিত  করতে  বাদ্য  হয়েছেন  ৷ 

     অবশ্য  আমেরিকানরা  সবকিছুকেই  বানিজ্যকরণ  করে  ফেলে  ৷  তাই  এক্ষেত্রেও  ব্যতিক্রম  হয়  নি  ৷ তবে  অন্যান্য  প্রডাক্টের  মত  এহাকে  যদি  জণকল্যানে  ব্যবহৃত  করা  যায়  তবে  আপত্তির  কি কোনো কারণ  থাকতে  পারে ?

     বিখ্যাত  লেখক  যাযাবর  তার  লেখা  দৃষ্টিপাত  গ্রন্থের  এক  স্থানে  লিখে  ছিলেন  বিজ্ঞান  মানুয়কে  দিয়েছে  বেগ  কিত্তু  কেডে  নিয়েছে  আবেগ  ! কিত্তু  বর্তমানে  আর  একথা  প্রযোজ্য  নয় সব  ক্ষেত্রে  ৷ এখন  বিজ্ঞান  ছাড়া  মানুষ  ও  বিশ্ব  সভ্যতা  সম্পূর্ণ  অচল  ৷  এমনকি  অন্ধ  ও  কুসংষ্কারে  বিশ্বাসীরাও  বিজ্ঞানের  আবিস্কার  অস্বীকার  করে  একমূহর্ত  চলতে  অক্ষম  ৷  মৌলবাদীরা  বটেই ৷

     আমাদের  এই  অঞ্চলে  শীতকালে   পলিমাটি  বিধৌত  হাওর  ও  উপকুল  অঞ্চলে  একটি  কৃযিজাত  শস্যের  চাষ  সীমিত  পরিমানে  হয়ে  থাকে ৷  তবে  এর  গুনাগুন  কতটুকু  তা  নিয়ে  কেউ  মাথা  ঘামায়নি  ৷  এই  শস্য  থাকে  প্রাপ্ত  বীজকে  কাউনিয়ার  চাউল  বলা  হয়  ৷ এই  অঞ্চলে বৈজ্ঞানিকভাবে  এর  কোনো  গবেষণা  হয়েছে  কি  না  জানা  যায়  নি  এখনও ৷  তবে  কাউনিয়ার  চাউল  দিয়ে  স্থানীয়ভাবে  নানা  উপাদেয়  নাস্তাজাতিয়  খাদ্য  তৈরী  হয় ৷

   কিত্তু  ব্যাপক  আকারে  এই  শস্যটি   উৎপন্ন  হয়  দক্ষিন  আমেরিকা  ও  আফ্রিকার  কিছু  অঞ্চলে  ৷ বিজ্ঞানীরা  ব্যাপক  গবেষণা  করে  এই  Quinoa শস্যটির  ব্যাপারে  যে  পুষ্টিগুণ  পেয়েছেন  তাকে  এখন  তারা  অন্যান্য  খাদ্যদ্রব্যের  পুষ্টিগুণের  সঙ্গে  তুলনা  করে  এই  Quinoa কে  মানুয়ের  জন্যে  সুপার  ফুড  হিসেবে  সনাক্ত  করেছেন  এবং  এর  হেল্থ  বেনিফিট  সম্পর্কে  প্রচার  অব্যাহত  রেখেছেন  ৷  ব্যবসায়ীগণ  ও  ইহা  আমেরিকাতে  বাজারজাত  করা  আরম্ভ  করেছেন  আকর্ষনীয়  মোড়কে  ৷  নিম্নে  ইনটারনেট  থেকে  সংগ্রহিত  QUINOA  এর  তথ্যাদি  আগ্রহীদের  জন্যে  উল্লেখিত  হলো  ৷

     

History

The history of quinoa is clearly rooted in South America, in the Andes region that is currently divided up between the countries of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Columbia, Ecuador, and Peru. Along with maize, quinoa was one of the two mainstay foods for the Inca Empire that had its start around 1200 AD. As previously mentioned in the Description section, quinoa was a food that could survive in a wide variety of growing conditions. Along with its unusual nutrient richness, its adaptability helped it gain popularity among the Incas for hundreds and hundreds of years.
Most quinoa consumed in the United States still comes from South America. Peru remains the largest commercial producer of quinoa, harvesting 41,079 metric tons in 2010. Bolivia was the second largest producer with 29,500 metric tons. Together, these two South American countries produced nearly 99% of all commercially grown quinoa in 2010. In terms of export sales, quinoa has risen to the level of an $87 million dollar business in these two countries.
Some commercial quinoa production takes place in the United States, although total cultivation remains under 10,000 pounds. The Colorado Rockies have been a place of special interest for quinoa production, and some production has also occurred in the states of California, Washington, and Oregon.
Interest in quinoa has recently spread to India (including the North-India Plains and high-altitude areas of the Himalayas), other parts of Asia (including Japan), as well as to Africa and part of Europe. Designation of the year 2013 as "The International Year of the Quinoa" by the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) may also trigger greater attention to this food worldwide.

  

Description

Because quinoa is typically consumed in the same way as the cereal grasses (wheat, oats, barley, and rye), we group it together with those foods on our website. However, quinoa is not a cereal grass at all, but rather a member of the same food family that contains spinach, Swiss chard, and beets. Many researchers refer to quinoa as a "pseudocereal." This term is typically used to describe foods that are not grasses but can still be easily ground into flour. The scientific name for quinoa is Chenopodium quinoa.
Researchers date the popularity of quinoa to approximately 3000 BC, when its consumption became widespread in the Andes mountains regions of South America. About 250 different varieties of quinoa were already present at that time, giving quinoa a remarkable tolerance for different growing conditions. Quinoa is able to survive high altitudes, thin and cold air, hot sun, salty or sandy soil, little rainfall, and sub-freezing temperatures. In addition, all parts of the plant could be eaten, including not only the seeds that we buy in the store and that may also have been dried and ground into flour, but also the leaves and stems. Betacyanin pigments presemt in some quinoa leaves given them their bright reddish color, but it's also possible to find orange, pink, purple, tan, and black quinoa as well. Quinoa leaves taste similar in flavor to the leaves of their fellow chenopods, namely, spinach, chard, and beets. Cooked quinoa seeds are fluffy and creamy, yet also slightly crunchy. They may also sometimes have an amazing translucent appearance. The flavor of the cooked seeds is delicate and somewhat nutty.

The word "quinoa" is pronounced "KEEN-wah." It comes from the Spanish word, quinua, which itself comes from the word "kinwa" or "kinua" in the Quechua dialect.

 

 Tips for Preparing and Cooking

Tips for Preparing Quinoa

Processing methods used in the commercial milling of quinoa usually remove most of the saponins found in the outer coat of the quinoa seeds. Because the quinoa saponins are largely responsible for its bitter taste, many people chose to rinse and rub the seeds after purchase to remove any bitter taste that may remain in the seeds. An effective method to do so is to place the quinoa seeds in a fine-meshed strainer and run cold water over the quinoa while gently rubbing the seeds together in your hands. After completing this process, you can taste a few seeds to determine if a bitter taste remains. If it does, simply continue this rinsing and rubbing process until you no longer taste a bitter residue.

The Healthiest Way of Cooking Quinoa

To cook the quinoa, add one part of the grain to two parts liquid in a saucepan. After the mixture is brought to a boil, reduce the heat to simmer and cover. One cup of quinoa cooked in this method usually takes 15 minutes to prepare. When cooking is complete, you will notice that the grains have become translucent, and the white germ has partially detached itself, appearing like a white-spiraled tail. If you desire the quinoa to have a nuttier flavor, you can dry roast it before cooking; to dry roast, place it in a skillet over medium-low heat and stir constantly for five minutes.
Quinoa is a perfect food to include on a gluten-free diet, since it not only lacks gluten but doesn't even belong to the same plant family as wheat, oats, barley, or rye. Some studies also show quinoa flour to have higher-than-expected digestibility. Both of these factors would be expected to decrease the risk of an adverse reaction to quinoa—especially in comparison to a cereal grass like wheat. While it is possible to make baked goods and pastas out of 100% quinoa flour, most companies combine quinoa flour with other flours (like tapioca flour or rice flour) or with oatmeal to produce a lighter texture. (Products made with 100% quinoa flour typically have a heavy and dense texture, sometimes referred to as "truffle-like.") When combined with rice flour or tapioca flour, however, quinoa-based products definitely qualify as gluten-free and should help reduce risk of adverse reactions.

How to Enjoy

• Combine cooked chilled quinoa with pinto beans, pumpkin seeds, scallions and coriander. Season to taste and enjoy this south-of-the-border inspired salad.
• Add nuts and fruits to cooked quinoa and serve as breakfast porridge.
• For a twist on your favorite pasta recipe, use noodles made from quinoa.
• Sprouted quinoa can be used in salads and sandwiches just like alfalfa sprouts.
• Add quinoa to your favorite vegetable soups.
• Ground quinoa flour can be added to cookie or muffin recipes.
• Quinoa is great to use in tabouli, serving as a delicious (and wheat-free) substitute for the bulgar wheat with which this Middle Eastern dish is usually made.

For some of our favorite recipes, click Recipes.

Individual Concerns

Quinoa is not a commonly allergenic food and is not known to contain measurable amounts of purines. Because quinoa does not belong to the plant family containing wheat, oats, barley, and rye, it is also a gluten-free food. Some studies also show a higher-than-expected digestibility for quinoa, making it a food less likely to produce adverse reactions. However, like all members of theAmaranthaceae-Chenopodiaceae plant family (including spinach, chard, and beets), quinoa does contain oxalates, and sometimes in substantial amounts. The oxalate content of quinoa ranges widely, but even the lower end of the oxalate range puts quinoa on the caution or avoidance list for an oxalate-restricted diet.

Nutritional Profile

Quinoa is food of high protein quality and is typically regarded as an adequate source of all essential amino acids, including lysine and isoleucine. It provides a variety of antioxidant phytonutrients, including ferulic, coumaric, hydroxybenzoic, and vanillic acid. Antioxidant flavonoids including quercetin and kaempferol are also especially plentiful in quinoa. Anti-inflammatory polysaccharides in quinoa include arabinans and rhamnogalacturonans. Many members of the vitamin E tocopherol family are provided by quinoa, including important amounts of gamma-tocopherol. Quinoa is a very good source of manganese. It is also a good source of phosphorus, copper, magnesium, dietary fiber, folate, and zinc.
For an in-depth nutritional profile click here: Quinoa.

In-Depth Nutritional Profile

In addition to the nutrients highlighted in our ratings chart, an in-depth nutritional profile for Quinoais also available. This profile includes information on a full array of nutrients, including carbohydrates, sugar, soluble and insoluble fiber, sodium, vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, amino acids and more.

Introduction to Food Rating System Chart

In order to better help you identify foods that feature a high concentration of nutrients for the calories they contain, we created a Food Rating System. This system allows us to highlight the foods that are especially rich in particular nutrients. The following chart shows the nutrients for which this food is either an excellent, very good, or good source (below the chart you will find a table that explains these qualifications). If a nutrient is not listed in the chart, it does not necessarily mean that the food doesn't contain it. It simply means that the nutrient is not provided in a sufficient amount or concentration to meet our rating criteria. (To view this food's in-depth nutritional profile that includes values for dozens of nutrients - not just the ones rated as excellent, very good, or good - please use the link below the chart.) To read this chart accurately, you'll need to glance up in the top left corner where you will find the name of the food and the serving size we used to calculate the food's nutrient composition. This serving size will tell you how much of the food you need to eat to obtain the amount of nutrients found in the chart. Now, returning to the chart itself, you can look next to the nutrient name in order to find the nutrient amount it offers, the percent Daily Value (DV%) that this amount represents, the nutrient density that we calculated for this food and nutrient, and the rating we established in our rating system. For most of our nutrient ratings, we adopted the government standards for food labeling that are found in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's "Reference Values for Nutrition Labeling." Read more background information and details of our rating system.

Quinoa, cooked 0.75 cup 185.00 grams Calories: 222 GI: low
Nutrient	Amount	DRI/DV (%)	Nutrient Density	World's Healthiest Foods Rating
manganese	1.17 mg	59	4.7	very good
phosphorus	281.20 mg	40	3.3	good
copper	0.36 mg	40	3.2	good
magnesium	118.40 mg	30	2.4	good
fiber	5.18 g	21	1.7	good
folate	77.70 mcg	19	1.6	good
zinc	2.02 mg	18	1.5	good

World's Healthiest Foods Rating	Rule
excellent	DRI/DV>=75% OR Density>=7.6 AND DRI/DV>=10%
very good	DRI/DV>=50% OR Density>=3.4 AND DRI/DV>=5%
good	DRI/DV>=25% OR Density>=1.5 AND DRI/DV>=2.5%

In-Depth Nutritional Profile for Quinoa

    

Alkaline Diet Quinoa Recipes Wheat Free Wheat Free Diet How to Cook Quinoa Gluten Free DietQuinoa Health Benefits Gluten Free        11 Proven Health Benefits of Quinoa (No. 1 is My Favorite)

By Kris Gunnars | 

280,023 

views

Quinoa is the world’s most popular “superfood.”

It is loaded with protein, fiber and minerals, but doesn’t contain any gluten.

Here are 11 proven health benefits of quinoa.

1. Quinoa is Incredibly Nutritious

Quinoa is a grain crop that is grown for its edible seeds. It is pronounced KEEN-wah.

It technically isn’t a cereal grain, but a pseudo-cereal (1).

In other words, it is basically a “seed” which is prepared and eaten similarly to a grain.

Quinoa was an important crop for the Inca Empire back in the day. They referred to it as the “mother of all grains” and believed it to be sacred.

It has been consumed for thousands of years in South America, although it only became trendy and reached “superfood status” a few years ago.

These days, you can find Quinoa and products made with it all over the world… especially in health food stores and restaurants that emphasize natural foods.

There are three main types of quinoa… white, red and black.

This is what they look like: How to Prepare Quinoa

Three Methods:Cooking On A Stove TopCooking In a Rice CookerCooking In the Oven

Quinoa is known as the little rice of Peru. The Incas treated the crop as sacred and referred to quinoa as "chisaya mama" or "mother of all grains."^[1] By tradition, the Inca emperor would sow the first seeds of the season using "golden implements." Quinoa is rich in protein and much lighter than other grains. It is much easier to prepare than rice and is rapidly gaining in popularity, especially among vegetarians who value its high protein levels.

Ingredients

·                                

1 cup quinoa

·                                

2 cups water (or broth)

·                                

Olive oil to taste (Optional)

·                                

1/2 teaspoon salt (Optional)

Method 1 of 3: Cooking On A Stove Top

1.                  1

Rinse the grains of quinoa in water. You can skip this step if you have purchased pre-rinsed quinoa in a box. To rinse, place the measured grain in a strainer under running water for a few minutes. This is necessary to remove the excess saponins on the outside of the grains which impart a bitter flavor to quinoa if not removed.

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2.                  2

Toast quinoa in a saucepan (optional). Drizzle a bit of olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add the quinoa and cook for about 1 minute. This brings out quinoa's nutty flavor.

3.                  3

Cook the quinoa. Place two parts water or stock to one part of quinoa in a saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer the quinoa for about 15 minutes or until the grain becomes translucent and the white germ forms a visible spiral on the exterior of the quinoa grain.

·                                                         Try to ensure there is an al dente bite to the germ, in the same way as pasta. Quinoa will continue cooking for a bit even after you take it off the heat.

4.                  4

Take the quinoa off the heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. This will give it time to absorb any moisture that might still be in the pan.

5.                  5

Uncover and fluff with a fork. The quinoa should look light and fluffy, and you should be able to see the germ separating from the seed.

6.                  6

Serve. Freshly cooked quinoa should be served immediately to retain nutritional value and a good flavor. Serve with:

·                                                         Stir-fry, using the quinoa as a substitute for rice.

·                                                         Curry.

·                                                         Braised meat.

·                                                         In a salad.

·                                                         Virtually any other combination you can think of!

Method 2 of 3: Cooking In a Rice Cooker

1.                  1

Rinse 1 cup of quinoa in a fine mesh sieve under cold water. If you bought packaged quinoa, this step isn't always necessary, but it's better to be safe than sorry.

2.                  2

Pour quinoa into rice cooker. One option is to toast the quinoa before placing in the rice cooker. See Step #2 in Method One above for directions.

3.                  3

Add 2 cups of liquid and 1/2 teaspoon of salt into the rice cooker. Water, chicken stock or broth, or vegetable stock all work.

4.                  4

Cook for approximately 15 minutes. Some rice cookers will have different settings instead of a simple "cook" option. Try the "white rice" option if your rice cooker gives you several options.

5.                  5

Let stand for about 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve.

Method 3 of 3: Cooking In the Oven

1.                  1

Preheat oven to 350 °F (177 °C). Arrange rack in the middle of the oven.

2.                  2

Rinse quinoa thoroughly in a fine mesh sieve under cold water.

3.                  3

In a medium saucepan, heat up 2 tablespoons vegetable oil over medium-low heat.

4.                  4

Add onions, peppers, mushrooms, or any other type of desired vegetable or herb into the saucepan (optional). Cook onions until they are translucent, but not burned. Sweat the peppers or vegetables along with the onions.

5.                  5

Add the quinoa and salt to the saucepan, stirring until completely incorporated. This should take no longer than 30 seconds.

6.                  6

Add one cup of broth and one cup of water to the saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heat.

7.                  7

Once a boil is reached, transfer quinoa to a 8-by-8-inch baking dish.^[2] Spread out quinoa evenly and cover baking dish completely with aluminum foil.

8.                  8

Cook the quinoa in the oven for roughly 20 minutes, or until most of the liquid is gone.

9.                  9

Remove the aluminum foil from the baking dish, add cheese or other seasonings, and bake for an additional 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, the quinoa should be fully cooked.

10.      10

Serve and enjoy!

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Here is the nutrient breakdown for 1 cup of cooked quinoa, or 185 grams (2):

·                  Protein: 8 grams.

·                  Fiber: 5 grams.

·                  Manganese: 58% of the RDA.

·                  Magnesium: 30% of the RDA.

·                  Phosphorus: 28% of the RDA.

·                  Folate: 19% of the RDA.

·                  Copper: 18% of the RDA.

·                  Iron: 15% of the RDA.

·                  Zinc: 13% of the RDA.

·                  Potassium: 9% of the RDA.

·                  Over 10% of the RDA for Vitamins B1, B2 and B6.

·                  Small amounts of Calcium, B3 (Niacin) and Vitamin E.

     SOME MORE STORY OF QUINOA

Seven Reasons Quinoa is the New Health Food Superstar

      

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                     Somehow, a superfood that only health advocates like me have known about for years is now common fare for a wave of twentysomethings eating at trendy coffee shops and delis.

                     Although there is no accounting for taste or trends, quinoa does have some powerful health benefits. It tastes great, it is high protein, and it is part of another major food trend of today: gluten free eating.

                 Although referred to as a grain, quinoa is actually a seed from a vegetable related to Swiss chard, spinach and beets. Quinoa is pronounced "keen-wah," not "kwin-oh-ah." Learn its benefits, ancient history, preparation tips and cautions.

7 Health Benefits of Quinoa

           1. High in protein -- its protein balance is similar to milk and has more protein compared to rice, millet or wheat.

           2. A good source of riboflavin -- riboflavin helps reduce the frequency attacks in migraine sufferers by improving the energy metabolism within the brain and muscle cells.

         3. The saponins from quinoa are used to promote healing of skin injuries in South America, making it a good antiseptic.

           4. It's alkaline-forming. Although it is not strongly alkaline-forming, it is comparable to wild rice, amaranth, and sprouted grains.

            5. It only has 172 calories per ¼ cup dry quinoa.
6. Since it is not related to wheat or grain, it's gluten-free. Millions are discovering they feel better and lose weight when they reduce gluten grains or at least wheatproducts. 

              7. It is a complex carbohydrate with low glycemic index. This is again good for weight management. I use it in a number of my health Boot Camps

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      Quinoa History

The Inca referred to quinoa as the "mother seed," and considered it to be sacred. They grew quinoa in South America in the high altitude of the Andes. It was also their staple food for 5,000 years. 
The Spanish conquistadors, not knowing its value, almost wiped out quinoa by making it illegal for Native Indians to grow. In the 1980s, two Americans rediscovered quinoa and started growing it in Colorado.

     Quinoa Caution

Quinoa is coated with toxic chemical called saponin. It is therefore important to rinse quinoa thoroughly. And moderation is key -- even with healthy superfoods -- so it shouldn't be eaten every day. A few times a week is enough. Although quinoa is not a commonly allergenic food and does not contain lots of purines, it does contain oxalates. This puts quinoa on the caution list for an oxalate-restricted diet.

         Interesting Facts:

·                  In South America they use the saponin removed from the quinoa as detergent for washing clothes.

·                  The sticky, bitter, soapy film of saponins also keeps birds from eating the quinoa seeds off of the bushes. Scientists decided to create quinoa that didn't have saponins, and guess what? The birds ate it all.

·                  More than 200,000 pounds are grown each year in the US Rocky Mountains.

·                  Quinoa is the sweetest tasting when grown above 12,500 feet.

           Tips for Eating and Cooking Quinoa:

·                  Always rinse quinoa. Place quinoa in a strainer, run cold water over it until the entire soapy residue has been washed away. You can taste test a few seeds; if they still have a bitter taste, run more cold water over them. Rubbing the seeds while rinsing with water takes away even more bitterness.

·                  You may add quinoa to your salad or make quinoa porridge. Also quinoa pudding is a great substitute for brown rice while quinoa flour is a great substitute for your gluten free baking.

·                  Quinoa can even be popped like popcorn, a treat popular with Peruvian children.

·                  It is best to store quinoa in an airtight container; stored in the refrigerator, it will keep for three to six months.