Quinoa…The Super Grain
By Susanne Myers

You have to be living under a rock to not have heard mention of Quinoa, the super grain from South America. As we start to explore the nutritional facts of quinoa , you will find it is a powerful addition to your heath regime. By the way, quinoa is pronounced KEEN-wah and was prized by the Inca in Peru. That’s not surprising since it sustained them for over 5000 years.

This grain is a complete protein, which is one of the reasons why it has been used for such a long time. This means that it has all the amino acids we need, including lysine. In fact, quinoa has quite a bit of this important amino acid. Amino acids are needed by your body to create proteins that are used in repairing and building muscle fibers. In our current diet, we get most of our protein from animal products. Only a handful of grains and other plant based foods contain all the different types of protein blocks we need. That’s one of the many reasons quinoa is considered such a super food and is also often called the mother grain.

Quinoa is extremely healthy because it is full of fiber and low in sodium and cholesterol, as well as full of Thiamin, Riboflavin, Folate, Vitamin B6, Vitamin E, Niacin, Iron, Magnesium, Prosperous, and Manganese. In other words, it is packed with important vitamins and minerals while still being surprisingly low in calories. NO wonder it’s a super food.

With all that fiber and protein, it is a great food to include when you are working on losing some weight, since both of those nutrients help keep you full longer. It is wonderful to cook Quinoa instead of rice, potatoes, pasta and other white starches. It’s better for you and you won’t have to worry about sugar cravings later.

Not only is quinoa a very versatile grain – you can make breads, puddings, and pilaf like side dishes out of it or just serve it as a breakfast porridge – it is also gluten free, making it a great choice for anyone suffering from celiac disease. It’s also delicious on salads and gives a plain old plate of lettuce and vegetables some extra texture and flavor.

Still on the fence about quinoa and why you should eat it? What types of health benefits can you expect from this super food?

It can help remove dangerous free radicals from your body through the high level of antioxidants and it is also good for your heart.

Quinoa also contains a considerable amount of lignans, which help protect your heart. Add to that the fact that it is a whole grain, it’s not surprising that it is considered very healthy.

It is easy to incorporate quinoa into your meals to be enjoyed by all ages.

Here’s a recipe for some simple and rather plain quinoa muffins. I am including some suggestions to add variety to the recipe at the end. They are quite hardy and delicious not to forget healthy. Bake up a batch and enjoy quinoa muffins for breakfast or as a simple snack.

Quinoa Muffins
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup packed dark-brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup whole milk
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cook the quinoa in a cup of water. Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is tender. You will end up with 2 cups of cooked quinoa. Set it aside to cool.

In the meantime combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the quinoa and stir until you have it worked into the flour mixture.

Combine the remaining ingredients in a cup or small bowl, then pour them into the flour—quinoa mixture. Stir it just until everything is combined.

Spray a regular sized 12 cup muffin pan with nonstick spray. Scoop the batter into the tins. Bake in a preheated 350F oven for 25 minutes.

Quinoa Muffin Variations
Here are a couple of “add-on” ideas for these rather plain quinoa muffins. Incorporate those ingredients with the quinoa into the flour mixture, then proceed as mentioned above.

1/2 cup of raisins
1/2 cup of chopped dried dates
1/4 cup of dried apricots & 1/4 cup of chopped almonds
1/2 cup of chopped apple pieces and a good dash of cinnamon
1/4 cup of apple finely chopped apple or raisins and 1/4 cup chopped walnut pieces
1/2 cup mashed banana and 1/4 cup walnuts
1/2 cup fresh, frozen or dried blueberries

Of course you can also experiment with your own favorite muffin ingredients.

Suzanne Myers invites you to visit more great recipes, such as How to Bake Gluten Free Oatmeal Cookies. Visit: www.Articlebase.com/recipes-article/heres-how-to-bake-gluten-free-oatmeal-collkies-2859312.htm  and subscribe to the new LadyPens RSS feed to receive all new article postings. www.Ladypens.com/quinoz-nutrition-facts-this-is-what-makes-it-such-a-healthy-food.html .