Quinoa is one of my favorite foods. It’s a whole food that is easy to prepare and cook and doesn’t take much time. It’s a nice grain and starch substitute for those trying to reduce their consumption of corn and wheat (many people cannot tolerate wheat or gluten and do better without it). It’s one of the few vegetarian food that is considered a complete protein, which is great for vegetarians. It’s also included on the list of the “World’s Healthiest Foods”.

Dani Spies has produces a great video on quinoa. She does a great job at covering the basics.

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I mentioned that quinoa is a very versatile food. It has a very mild flavor and pretty much takes on whatever flavors you cook with it. For those of you that have never tried it, it is like cous cous in flavor and consistency. Quinoa is often used as a side dish like rice, but it can serve as a base for a breakfast cereal, salad dish, main entrée, and even a dessert dish.

There are a few varieties of quinoa, but most common are the white and red. There’s really not too much difference between the two except for the color. Some people with a sensitive palate will say the red is a more flavorful and nutty, but I can’t tell the difference. I do like using the red because it adds a bit of color to a dish.

Here are some pictures of the quinoa plant, the uncooked seed, and finished product. Check back here often or subscribe to this blog by using the button along the right hand side. I’ll be sharing healthy meal ideas that incorporate this super food.

So, if you’ve never tried quinoa before, give it a try. It’s very economical and is only around $4-5 per lb, and a pound goes a long way. Don’t believe people when they say it’s more expensive to eat healthy. Using bulk gains like quinoa and preparing food from scratch makes it cheap and healthy.

Enjoy!

(Dr. Touchinsky is a chiropractor in Orwigsburg, Schuylkill County, PA. He and his wife own Healthy Habits Natural Market located on route 61 just outside of Orwigsburg and within minutes from Schuylkill Haven, Hamburg, Pottsville, St. Clair, Minersville, Tamaqua, and other areas of southern Schuylkill and northern Berks counties. Related to this post, they carry several varieties of organic quinoa, raw organic walnuts, raw local honey from Auburn, several varieties of agave nectar, organic vanilla extract, and on occasion organic bananas.)