Quinoa: properties and benefits of a phenomenal plant
Quinoa is a phenomenal plant, so rich in properties and generous in benefits that it can be called a superfood. Its seeds, subjected to grinding, provide a flour containing mainly starch, which allows this plant to be classified as a cereal, while being distinguished by its high protein content and the total absence of gluten.
Quinoa is a very versatile food in the kitchen, it offers a number of recipes for all tastes, starting from salads to meatballs.
The best properties of quinoa and the benefits for the body
Quinoa is very nutritious but not excessively caloric: it provides 372 calories per 100 grams. Its properties make it a food particularly suitable for those who are following slimming diets and need energy and minerals without having to take foods that weigh down and fatten. It is in fact rich above all in protein and dietary fiber, as well as being rich in minerals that are not very common, such as magnesium, which helps prevent cardiovascular diseases, arrhythmias and hypertension. It is also rich in potassium and phosphorus, thus helping to prevent especially the loss of muscle tone and cramps. Dietary fibers, on the other hand, promote digestion, solving the problem of constipation and thus becoming an excellent ally for a flat stomach. Quinoa also contains vitamin E, an antioxidant that helps fight free radicals and "cellular aging. Being gluten-free, on the other hand, it is indicated in diets for those suffering from celiac disease. Quinoa also contains lysine and vitamin C, which play an "active action in contributing to the stability of organic tissue, the 9 essential amino acids necessary for the functioning of our body (histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine and tryptophan) and vitamin B2, able to reduce the frequency of migraine attacks.
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Use in the kitchen: that's why quinoa is a superfood
Quinoa is said to be a superfood, just like health, and what's more, it is an ingredient with many uses in the kitchen, suitable for summer dishes like salads or more generic and greedy dishes like meatballs. Not only does it help in diets, but it offers many ideas on menus to use in the super metabolism diet, one of the diets that makes the most use of quinoa. Before cooking, it is good to rinse the quinoa, in order to eliminate the traces of saponins present on its grains which would otherwise give a bitter taste to the food.
White, red and black: three types of quinoa to choose from!
There are many varieties of quinoa, and among these there are at least three main types, which are named according to the color of the seed: white, red and black quinoa. All three can be used for the preparation of both sweet and savory recipes, because the taste of quinoa goes perfectly with different flavors. The cooking duration can vary from 10 to 15 minutes and must take place in water equal to at least double the volume of the grains, with the same procedure that would be used for rice. Once drained, it can be seasoned with oil, salt and legumes, added to soups, used for an excellent vegetarian paella or used to cook excellent vegetable meatballs and croquettes and to fill vegetables such as peppers and zucchini. For desserts, however, quinoa flour will be an excellent substitute for traditional flour, allowing even those suffering from celiac disease to enjoy biscuits, spoon desserts, but also energy-based cereal breakfasts.
Where is it grown? Where can you buy it?
Quinoa is native to the Andes, it has been cultivated for over 5000 years between 2000 and 4000 meters above sea level, so it is difficult to grow it at home.It is much easier to buy it, and in fact it is bought in the form of seeds or flour, in supermarkets in the cereal department, in health food stores, in organic and natural food stores, as well as in fair trade and online stores. Its success has made it public, and therefore easily available in any supermarket. Try looking for it, if you have not already done so, and you will discover an exceptional and irreplaceable food!
Did you know that quinoa is also used for weight loss? Here it is among the foods for the flat stomach!
With its richness in dietary fiber, which aids in digestion, quinoa is one of the ideal foods to have a flatter stomach! Find out what other foods are to get a flat stomach.
