HEALTH BENEFITS AND NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Quinoa – pronounced as keen-o-wah, is a pseudo cereal grown since ancient times in western countries. It widely grows around the lake Titicaca in Bolivia. Its edible seeds are of many colors like black, red, yellow and white. It is gluten free and rich in fiber, protein, zinc and folate. Quinoa is treated after harvest as its outer layer has natural pesticides called saponins which tastes bitter.

VARIOUS TYPES OF QUINOA

There are around 160 varieties of Quinoa but the three main varieties are –

1. White Quinoa – It is white in color and takes very les time in cooking.
2. Red Quinoa – It is red in color and somewhat retains its shape after cooking. it also gets easily cooked.
3. Black Quinoa – It is black in color and it takes much time in cooking. It perfectly retains its shape after cooking.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

HEALTH BENEFITS OF QUINOA

1. Good source of plant based protein – People who are following a plant based diet need to complete their daily protein intake. Quinoa can offer a good source of complete plant based proteins. Quinoa is rich source of essential amino acids like lysine.
2. Rich source of fiber – One 100 g serving of Quinoa has around 3.8 g fiber which fulfills around 15 % of a person’s daily fiber requirements. A good amount of fiber resolves all the health issues like high cholesterol, high blood pressure, any gastric issues and bloating.
3. Antioxidant rich source – Quinoa provides a fair amount of many essential micronutrients like zinc and folate. Zinc deficiency leads to many skin problems, whereas folate is essential for DNA formation, which is necessary for the prevention of neural tube defects in newborn babies. The good amount of vitamin E found in Quinoa helps in slow down of ageing process.
4. Good source of magnesium – Quinoa is rich source of Magnesium. The deficiency of magnesium is known to cause various serious health complications like – risk for heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and migraine.
5. Gluten free grain – Quinoa is a pseudo cereal which means that it is a non-grassy plant and can easily replace cereals. So, people suffering from gluten sensitivity or celiac disease can use Quinoa as a good alternative to wheat products. This ensures the complete intake of essential nutrients like zinc, magnesium, folate and fiber, which normally a gluten sensitive patient suffers from.

QUINOA AND WEIGHT LOSS

People who consume Quinoa regularly see improved metabolic function of their body. eating 15 g Quinoa for a considerable period of time helps in the reduction of low density lipoproteins (LDL), as a result of which, there is reduced risk of blockage of blood vessels of the heart. When the levels of LDL decreases, then there is a considerable increase in HDL levels. A decreased level in total cholesterol of the body, results in decrease in body weight and an increase in metabolism.

QUINOA RECIPE

QUINOA PULAO	ONCE YOU EAT, YOU WILL COOK IT AGAIN AND AGAIN
Preparation time	10 minutes
Preparation time	25 minutes

INGREDIENTS

Quinoa	250 g
Filtered water	500 ml
Capsicum	100 g
Cabbage	100 g
Cauliflower	100 g
Green beans	100 g
Carrots	100 g
Garlic	6-7 pods
Mustard seeds	1 tsp
Cumin seeds	1 tsp
salt	1 tsp
Red chili powder	1/2 tsp
Clarified butter	10 g

How to make Quinoa pulao

Boil 250 g Quinoa with 500 ml water for 2 whistles. Heat up the clarified butter in a kadhai and then add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, chopped garlic, carrot, beans, cauliflower and capsicum. Add salt, red chili powder, sauté it and then cover with a lid. After 5 minutes open the lid and then add 1 tomato puree and 2-3 chopped green chilies. Now sauté it and again cover it. After 3 minutes, add the boiled Quinoa and mix it well with the other vegetables. Turn off the flame and serve it hot by squeezing lemon over it.

CONCLUSION

Quinoa pulao is a healthy option for weight loss and it must be incorporated in your daily diet. Still weight loss does not depends upon only a single food item so do include this as a lifelong dietary modification. Diet is a lifelong modification and only then suitable results will be visible. there is nothing called as a magical weight loss food.