QUINOA..,a perfect substitute.

I know this is a bit weird first post of my blog but nothing stuck my mind which is as brilliant as quinoa. My passion for cooking has made me experiment with quinoa and this friendly seed soon became my favorite. Thus i want you all to know about this healthy seed. 

Two years back when i first heard of quinoa, i had this imagination of some vegetable. Later i came to know about this tiny little miraculous grain which has become my favorite these days. This wholegrain is actually not counted with the other cereals this is called pseudocereal. 2013 was named as " the year of quinoa" because of its popularity.

Quinoa is called the super food by nutrition scientists and dietitians in the world because of its nutrition value. Quinoa is high in protein, fiber, minerals and it is also gluten free. This complete protein is great for vegetarians and vegans to get essential protein in daily life and it is also great for people who are dieting, as it is cholesterol free, has dietary fiber and low fat source of protein. Quinoa is low in calories.

Quinoa is twice as high in fiber as most grains like beans and legumes. It is gluten free and considered easy to digest. Quinoa has high anti oxidants that help fight ageing and many diseases. This is called weight loss friendly food because of its proteins which increases metabolism and reduces appetite. This is a source of calcium, high in magnesium and iron.

When cooked its texture is much like cooked rice. Me as an indian has a habit of eating white rice more. I found this grain a perfect substitute for rice. This is much better and high in nutrition value compared to rice. Due to the difficulty in digestion, rice is the cause of obesity and cardio-vascular diseases.

When compared 1 cup of quinoa has 222 calories whereas rice has 205 calories. Quinoa has 39g of carbs where rice has 44.5g. Quinoa has has 8g of protein which is much higher than rice which is 4.3 g. Quinoa has 4g fat where rice has 0.4g. Though quinoa has more total fat which can be overlooked for having more nutrition value. Due to many plus points quinoa is considered as the perfect substitute for rice. Where it is very close between brown rice and quinoa. Which is also a health alternative for quinoa.

Quinoa can be eaten in salad, soups, and cooked in many ways. Many delicious rice dishes can be made with quinoa. This tiny grain has become my new cooking fantasy. Keep looking for many delicious indian quinoa recipes i will be sharing.