Quinoa is a food that is often recommend for those who are trying to eat healthy or lose weight.  If you have never tried it before, you may be asking yourself, what is quinoa and why should you eat it?

Although you may at first think it is some new fad food, this is not the case.  Quinoa has been grown for over 5,000 years in mountainous regions of South America.  It was one of the most important foods for the Incas, who favored it for its unparalleled nutrition.  The reason that most of us have never heard of it is because it fell out of favor after the Spanish began their rule.  They felt it was “Indian” food and preferred rice instead.  Because of this, they suppressed production and even burned the quinoa fields in an effort to suppress the Incas drive.

Luckily, quinoa was rediscovered and its popularity has been growing like wild fire in the last decade.  What’s so special about it?

Experts have called it the best source of vegetarian protein you can ever hope to find.  This is good news, since so many people are jumping on the “meatless Monday” bandwagon and even switching from an animal based diet to a plant based diet.  Unlike most plant foods, quinoa has all of the amino acids that are necessary for human health.  In addition to this it is jam packed with fiber, minerals and vitamins.

Now if you are a foodie, you will be happy to know that quinoa is quite delicious.  It has a very mild flavor that can easily be adapted to most any type of dish.  It does an amazing job of absorbing flavors that it is cooked with.  One of my favorites is a broccoli salad recipe made with quinoa.  I cook it with red pepper flakes to give it quite a bit of heat!

Not only is it great as the star of the dish, but it also blends in well.  I often add it to bread or to cheese mixtures in dishes like lasagna.  It is great at providing substance and nutrition without ruining taste or texture.