Quinoa

Hubby cooked this yesterday. Quinoa with meatballs and salad. I love eating this pre-workout because it give me a super boost in energy without making me feel heavy nor sluggish before hitting TRX.

What makes “keen-wah” so nutritious? One of the reasons it packs energy yet digests easy is because Quinoa is a seed, not a grain. Quinoa, a species of goosefoot (Chenopodium), is a grain-like crop grown primarily for its edible seeds. It is a pseudocereal rather than a true cereal, or grain, as it is not a member of the grass family. As a chenopod, quinoa is closely related to species such as beets, spinach, and tumbleweeds.

Quinoa is grown high in the Andes Mountains of South America. Quinoa plants have been cultivated at altitudes of well over 10,000 feet and have been considered a superfood for at least a few millennia — in fact, the Incas reverently called it the “chisaya mama” (mother of all grains) because it contained all eight essential amino acids as well as other highly beneficial compounds, vitamins and minerals.

Yes indeed, one of the most impressive things about quinoa is the sort of protein that is in it. Its vegetable protein contains all of the essential amino acids including Lysine. Most grains do not contain Lysine, which is an amino acid that is essential for cellular repair. This makes quinoa a complete protein. According to the World Health Organization, the protein found in quinoa is equivalent to that found in dehydrated whole milk. Currently Quinoa is one of the latest superfoods to be touted by celebrity trainers as part of a great and nutritious diet.

One cup of quinoa (a single serving size), contains:

220 calories (70 percent carbs, 15 percent fat, 15 percent protein)
40 grams of carbohydrates (13 percent daily value)
8 grams of protein (16 percent of daily value)
3.5 grams of fat (5 percent daily value with no saturated fat)
A glycemic load (blood sugar spike) of only 18 out of 250
5 grams of fiber (20 percent of daily value)
20 percent of daily value of folate (various forms of Vitamin B)
30 percent of magnesium daily value (beneficial for people with migraine headaches); 28 percent daily value of phosphorous; iron (15 percent); copper (18 percent); and manganese (almost 60 percent)

Source: Quinoa Nutrition