Quinoa has been a mainstay of the South American Indian diet for many centuries. Its grains were boiled, ground into flour, and they were also used to make a light, intoxicating drink similar to beer. In 1982, quinoa was brought to North America, where it started "star trek". It became popular all over the world, and 2013 was even proclaimed the "International Year of Quinoa". In this article we will consider: the reasons for the popularity of quinoa, the useful properties and features of this culture, and methods of preparation.
- Why NASA is Interested in Quinoa: Its Health Benefits
- Who Should Include Quinoa in Their Diet
- 3 easy quinoa recipes that anyone can make
Why NASA is Interested in Quinoa: Its Health Benefits
Quinoa — it is not a cereal, its fruits are, strictly speaking, fruits, and not grains. This is a herbaceous plant that can grow almost anywhere: in the mountains, on the coast, in acidic or alkaline soils. Quinoa fruits are covered with a bitter shell, so herbivores do not eat it. From sown 200 grams of seeds, you can get a crop of up to 1 ton. How could you not be interested in such a cereal that could potentially feed the whole world?
In addition to the unpretentiousness and productivity of quinoa, the beneficial properties of its seeds are also amazing. By the amount of protein, this cereal overtakes all cereals (14.3 grams of protein in 100 grams of cereal). Moreover, this protein is absorbed almost completely, that is, 73% of its amino acids will be incorporated into the proteins of the body (almost the same indicator in beef— 74%).
Quinoa is mostly complex carbohydrates. Its glycemic index is lower 53, it takes longer to digest and saturates better than the same rice, for example. In addition, quinoa contains a lot of dietary fiber (fiber), which improves bowel function, lowers cholesterol and glucose levels in the blood. In terms of the content of trace elements (calcium, iron, zinc, phosphorus, magnesium and potassium), quinoa surpasses most known cereals.
It becomes clear why scientists are interested in quinoa: the useful properties of this cereal, nutritional value and energy value allow it to be included in the diet of astronauts. And unpretentiousness and high yields make it possible to experiment with growing quinoa in flight conditions. It turns out that the first crop grown outside the Earth will not be wheat, but a plant from the foot of the Andes, for a long time unknown in the world.
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Who should include quinoa in their diet
In a good way, quinoa, the beneficial properties of which are unique, deserves to be on the table of everyone. But some bands should pay special attention to it, for example:
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Vegetarians. For people who have given up meat, this cereal will help fill the lack of protein.
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Celiac sufferers. Most grains contain gluten, and quinoa — no. Those who follow a gluten-free diet can safely include this cereal in their diet, it will significantly expand the list of allowed dishes.
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For diabetics. Quinoa contains unsaturated fatty acids, vitamins, fibers that reduce cholesterol and glucose levels in the blood. Contains no sugar.
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Athletes. Before strength training, you can snack on quinoa salad, so the body will receive a dose of protein and carbohydrates necessary for muscle growth.
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Slimming. Quinoa can replace meat, rice, wheat and contains all the substances the body needs. At the same time, in 100 grams of boiled cereals there are only 120 Kcal. An ideal product for those who follow daily calorie intake.
During cooking, most of the nutrients are retained, but lovers of getting the most out of any product can try germinated quinoa grains. They make a great addition to breakfast or snacks.
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3 easy quinoa recipes that anyone can make
Thanks to its properties, as well as the massive popularization among healthy people, quinoa quickly became "fashionable". It might not affect its cost and therefore therefore,not everyone can afford to eat this cereal for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We show how how to make delicious and simple meals out of quinoa.
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Unloading Salad. Boil quinoa in salted water, cool. Cut the cucumber into strips, lettuce leaves (you can replace any other herbs to your taste). Prepare the dressing: mix olive oil with lemon juice, grated ginger (a quarter of a teaspoon), minced garlic clove. Combine all the ingredients, mix.
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Mexican porridge. Boil quinoa in water with salt and olive oil. Separately stew corn and tomatoes, at the end add chopped chili, cilantro, garlic. Mix porridge with vegetables, salt, add a little lime juice.
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Quinoa patties. Saute chopped onion and carrots, you can add spinach. In the boiled quinoa, add one egg, fried vegetables, 2-3 tablespoons of flour, salt, pepper and mix. From the resulting mass form cutlets and fry in pan or bake in oven.
You you can always change these recipes or come up with new ones. You don’t necessarily want to eat quinoa every day, the beneficial properties of this cereal are, of course, impressive, but the proper diet — it's a varied diet. Complete your menu with fish, lean meats, herbs and vegetables, and combine quinoa with other grains. So the benefits for both the body and the figure will be greater.
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