Report on Quinoa

Have you tried quinoa yet? I've abandoned all grains including wheat and oatmeal, but then I read about quinoa. It's called the "super grain". Supposedly it's really healthy. It expands when you cook it, and apparently it expands in your stomach causing you to feel full. For 1/3 cup (remember - it expands) you will only get 160 calories and 2.5 grams of fat. No saturated or trans fat. There are 30 carbs, but if you eat it as breakfast (instead of oatmeal) then it's just fine, or with dinner (including protein and vegetables) like a rice then you are keeping your carbs to recommended portions (American Diabetes Association). Now here is the best part...it has 3 grams of fiber and 6 grams of protein. It also has natural vitamins and minerals (including calcium).
So this morning I decided to try it in place of oatmeal. It's easy to cook. You just boil it in water until the water cooks down (about 15 minutes). I added flax, fiber (tasteless fiber powder from the Vitamin Shoppe), bananas, strawberries, cinnamon, a little milk, and a small handfull of walnuts.
The taste is light. It's as good if not better tasting than oatmeal. The texture is a little different, but not bothersome. I was able to eat the whole bowl without feeling like I was eating something yucky. It's really good. It's my new breakfast cereal!
Next I'll try it with dinner. Apparently it can be eaten like a rice pilaf.
I bought a package at the health food store. I wanted to try it first. It's expensive there, but I found a website where you can get it cheap if you are willing to buy more of it (that's why I tried it first). For a 25 pd. bag...http://www.incaorganics.com/quinoa.htm
Quinoa can be used for a variety of recipes including soups and desserts. I am looking forward to experiementing with this new food.