Catherine Saxelby's Foodwatch | Quinoa for health

Quinoa for health

An ancient grain now revived. Quinoa is the latest grain to make the transition from alternative health food to trendy supermarket item. It’s an ancient grain from South America and has been a staple food for the Inca civilization for thousands of years. So how good is it really?

 

Quinoa is pronounced ‘keen-wah’ but don’t worry if you’ve been called it ‘queen-o-ah’. I hear lots of variations and it IS a strange-looking word!

The word itself means “mother seed” which immediately suggested to me that this was a pretty important player in the ancient food supply.

Traditionally it grows in cold climates and high altitudes in Peru, Bolivia and Chile. There are now trials growing it in WA and Tasmania to produce an Australian supply but this will take a few years to appear in the market. So popular has it become in recent years, that there’s scarcely enough quinoa left in these poorer countries to feed the locals. Their valuable crop is all being exported to Western countries where it commands a good price.

White quinoa is most popular and looks much like couscous in size and colour. Grey and black varieties are also available but the white variety is most common and the one you’ll see at the supermarket in the healthy food section.

Nutrition claim to fame

Quinoa’s nutrition creds sound almost ‘too good to be true’.  And when I first heard about it, that was my reaction. But having compared quinoa to cous-cous, barley and bulgur (cracked wheat), I can see that the nutrition is all there. Check this list out:

• Protein - it has double the protein of most grains.
• Fibre – impressive, contains about three times the fibre of brown rice.
• Iron – it’s rich in this key mineral that’s needed for healthy blood, which is unusual for grains.
• Low GI - at 53, it’s near the max for slow carbs which makes it slow absorbing and good for anyone with diabetes. But this is much better than cous-cous (65) or brown rice (59 to 87) or polenta (68).
• Gluten-free - it’s ideal for anyone with a wheat intolerance or coeliac disease. It cooks up to be an interesting pleasant alternative to rice or buckwheat.
• Low fat – 2 to 3 per cent like most grains.
• Excellent source of minerals (magnesium, manganese, copper, phosphorus, potassium, zinc) and vitamins (vitamin E and B-complex vitamins).
• Almost no salt.
• Good news for vegetarians and vegans - it is a complete protein source so you know you are getting all of your essential amino acids which are usually only found in animal products like eggs, milk or meat.

The reason it stands out above the other grains is that botanically it’s related to the spinach, silverbeet and beetroot plants. It’s not technically a cereal grain (Graminaceae) so it has a vastly different profile than wheat, oats, barley and other cereal grains.

How to cook

Quinoa is simple to prepare. All you do is rinse, bring to the boil and then simmer. My first attempt cooked in 15 minutes, a third of the time of brown rice. Fork through and it stays separate and fluffy.

You can make quinoa into savoury or sweet dishes, so it’s quite the versatile staple to have on hand. I love it made into a hearty salad with red onion, rocket leaves, currants, large lentils and mushrooms. Maybe a few dollops of light feta.

Or I tried the recipe on the quinoa pack and cooked up a pot of breakfast quinoa with grated fresh apple, sultanas and cinnamon. Nice but needed a twirl of honey. See picture at right.

Taste?

It’s a cross between cous-cous and brown rice in flavour but a lot less ‘nutty’ so you’ll need to boost the flavour with vegetables, fresh herbs, onion and garlic.

 

The bottom line

Boosted with the vitamins and goodness, quinoa makes for an easy, filling, and nutritionally impressive dish. One to keep in the cupboard.

 

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