- Quinoa Salad
Summary
Quinoa was of great nutritional importance in pre-Columbian Andean civilizations, being secondary only to the potato, and was followed in importance by maize. In contemporary times, this crop has become highly appreciated for its nutritional value, as its protein content is very high (12%–18%). Unlike wheat or rice (which are low in lysine), and like oats, quinoa contains a balanced set of essential amino acids for humans, making it an unusually complete protein source among plant foods.
Ingredients
1/2 cup of Quinoa
1 cup water
1 tbsp dries cranberries
1 tbsp pine nuts
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
Salt & pepper
Directions
Rinse the quinoa four to five times, drain and add the water. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, about 15 minutes: until the quinoa is tender and white spiral-like threads appear around each grain. Remove from heat. Add the cranberries and the pine nuts. With a whisk blend the oil, lemon juice salt & pepper and pour into the quinoa.
Nutritional value
Quinoa is a good source of dietary fiber and phosphorus and is high in magnesium and iron. Quinoa is gluten-free and considered easy to digest. Because of all these characteristics, quinoa is being considered a possible crop in NASA's Controlled Ecological Life Support System for long-duration manned spaceflights.
Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults.
Source: USDA Nutrient database
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy 1,539 kJ (368 kcal)
Carbohydrates 64 g
Starch 52 g
Dietary fibre 7 g
Fat 6 g
polyunsaturated 3.3 g
Protein 14 g
Water 13 g
Thiamine (Vit. B1) 0.36 mg (28%)
Riboflavin (Vit. B2) 0.32 mg (21%)
Vitamin B6 0.5 mg (38%)
Folate (Vit. B9) 184 μg (46%)
Vitamin E 2.4 mg (16%)
Iron 4.6 mg (37%)
Magnesium 197 mg (53%)
Phosphorus 457 mg (65%)
Zinc 3.1 mg (31%)