oh how I love quinoa.
I love quinoa because healthy food rarely fills me up. I eat fresh fruit and vegetables out of the wazoo but I usually remain hungry after. Which entices me to order a pizza, or go to DQ for some cheese curds and an cookie dough blizzard. Whoops.
But quinoa is a healthy food that fills me up. And it tastes good. even without seasoning on it. It has a nutty flavor. And when its cooked it has a texture like rice. And its a perfect side dish to some grilled chicken. I even throw a few tablespoons into my salads.
Quinoa is loaded with protein and good carbs. It’s perfect for a post workout or pre-workout snack.
Its a really super duper healthy whole grain. Technically its a seed. You cook it like rice. It’s gluten free, cholesterol free, and kosher. Its almost always organic too. It has 9 essential amino acids in it. About 1/3 cup of quinoa has 160 calories, 3 grams of fiber and 6 grams of protein.
And there’s SO many recipes for quinoa. I’m going to share my favorite pre-workout recipe that I made today.
you will need:
1 cup of quinoa (cooked)
1 Tbs of balsamic vinegar
1 Tbs of Olive Oil
Green pepper (diced)
Celery (diced)
Red pepper (diced)
Cucumber (diced)
Garlic powder, Onion Powder, And Basil.
* You can also use Red Wine vinegar, or ACV. Balsamic tastes the best to me.
Okay, so like I said. you cook quinoa like you would cook rice. My mom made a whole bunch this morning so I just took a cup of it for my saled. Cook as much as you think you’ll need. And if you have any leftover you can store it in the fridge for later.
put the desired amount of quinoa in a pot with water (or chicken broth for extra flavor) and boil it until soft. The way you know its ready is if there are little spiral strings coming out the side of the seed. The texture should be soft but chewy.
In a small bowl Mix up the balsamic vinegar, the olive oil, and the seasoning. When it comes to seasoning I don’t measure it out. I add quite a bit because I like garlic powder. But it depends on what kind of flavor you want. Also, feel free to experiment with different seasonings.
Now cut up the vegetables. I listed the ones I use and like best in the saled. But you can use whatever veggies you like.
Now go ahead and put your quinoa in a bowl with the veggies, add the vinegar mix and mix it up.
And now you have a healthy delicious saled.
Here are some other yummy quinoa recipes for you to try.
Quinoa pancakes with blueberry syrup
Beauty on a Budget 