Quinoa, pronounced Keen-wah, is good for you.  Plain and simple.  I only discovered it a few years ago,  and  I was intrigued.  I want to eat healthy foods, so I  checked on-line and found a great site for lots of health information about quinoa.  whfoods.com is the site.  They have everything you want to know and more.  For me, I found it interesting to learn that quinoa is commonly considered a grain, but is actually a relative of leafy green vegetables like spinach and Swiss chard.  It’s high in protein, and the protein it supplies is complete protein.  This means  that it includes all nine essential amino acids.  That was enough for me, I wanted to try this super food.

Breakfast is where I’ve worked it into my routine.  I eat a seriously substantial breakfast!  I tend to like things sweet, so I use maple syrup. I like it for it’s taste, and the fact that  it is a natural sweetener.  Quinoa is easy to make. Boil one cup of dry quinoa with two cups of water for about 10 minutes (until the water is absorbed).  Unless your quinoa says otherwise, you have to rinse it.  I find it easier to cook it first and then rinse.  I cook it once a week (about one cup), and then take what I need everyday.  For my breakfast  I use 3 heaping tablespoons of quinoa, (I heat it in the microwave), and add about 1/2 cup of Glenisk Greek Style yogurt, two teaspoons of Linwoods Milled flaxseed wtih cocoa & berries, a tablespoon of pure maple syrup, and a few tablespoons of my homemade maple granola (see my previous post on making granola https://mominthegarden.wordpress.com/2012/02/11/mom-in-the-kitchen-making-granola/ ). Since I’m going for that power punch in the morning, it’s nice to know that milled flaxseed is a good source of Omega-3 essential fatty acids.  I like breakfast!  Have fun with this!

Dana’s Quinoa Pack a Punch for Breakfast recipe:

• 3 tablespoons cooked & rinsed quinoa
• 1/2 cup Greek Style yogurt
• 2 teaspoons milled flaxseed (any variety)
• 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
• 1/4 cup granola