Quinoa, a grain worth trying

Have you tried quinoa? I have to admit I hadn’t tried it until the other night. It was wonderful!  Quinoa — prounounced keen-wah — has a texture similar to rice or couscous, it has a very mild, nutty flavor and took on more flavor with the chicken broth and sautéed veggies that I added.

Quinoa has become more popular the last few years, in my opinion, because of diets that use a balance of protein and carbohydrate to aid in weight loss. Quinoa has double the protein per serving compared to other grains such as wheat, oats or rice. It is the only grain that is a complete protein. A complete protein means that this grain contains all essential amino acids needed by the body to work properly.Increased protein intake helps with better blood-sugar control and with decreased cravings for sweets and carbohydrates. Controlling appetite and calories are key for weight loss.Another reason for quinoa’s popularity is that it is free of gluten and is considered easy to digest.  It can be substituted for almost any other grain.