Quinoa is loaded with fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Even though it does pack 40 grams of carbohydrates into one cup, quinoa only has a glycemic load of 18. The glycemic load is an estimation of how much the food will raise your blood sugar levels. A glycemic load of 10 or less is considered low, 11-19 considered medium, and 20 or greater is considered high. For comparison, a cup of rice has a glycemic load of 22 and a cup of pasta has a glycemic load of 45 (that's before you add the sauce). Qunioa is also a special food in that it contains all 8 essential amino acids, something hardly ever seen other than in meat. And to top it all off, quinoa is gluten-free. Diabetics, vegetarians, and gluten-sensitive individuals can all rejoice!
Cooking quinoa is as easy as 1-2-3. One, wash the quinoa over running water using a fine strainer. Two, toast the quinoa in a pot using olive oil (you can also use coconut oil or a small touch of butter) over low to medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Lastly, add water or stock (2 cups to one cup of quinoa), bring to boil, and cover. After 15 minutes, pig tail-shaped sprouts will pop out of each seed, indicating its readiness to be eaten.
There will be more recipes featuring quinoa to come!
