quinoa for breakfast

Quinoa; is it a grain or a protein?

Well, it can be confusing. It is actually a seed. It is not part of the cereal grasses (wheat, barley, rye) but it can be ground into flour. It is in the family of chard, spinach and beets.  And it is gluten free.

Quinoa has been called a super-food for while. And it is! More research into this “grain” gives it high ranking in the anti-oxidant realm, which means it is anti-inflammatory.

Even though many consider it a grain and it can substitute grain in a meal, I consider it a protein. It is what is called a complete protein and it is high in the good omega 3 fatty acids as well.

To cook quinoa:

Ingredients:

Makes 3-4 portions.

  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 2 1/2 cup water
  • dash of sea salt
  • 4 prunes (1/4 cup chopped)
  • 1/2 cup peaches cubed

Method:

Bring the water with all the ingredients to a boil and then simmer for 20 minutes. It is done when it looks like a little sprout (the tail comes out).

To measure – 1/2 cup of dry quinoa (wash it well) with 1 1/4 cup of water and a dash of sea-salt serves 2.

Serve with:

1 tsp each chia, hemp, maple syrup

1/8 cup chopped pecans

For this breakfast I added fruit. I don’t normally mix grain and fruit, but since the starch in quinoa is so low the food-combing still works. I prefer to cook the fruit in with the quinoa. Being low-starch and high protein also makes quinoa a low-carb food.

You can eat it “dry” or add some oat-milk or any other nut milk to your liking.

Enjoy!

Bowls from Clay by DF