Quinoa - the ‘mother seed’
Quinoa: the facts
 Quinoa - pronounced ‘keen-wah’
 From a species of Chenopodium or
goosefoot plants
 Dates back over 5,000 years in the Andes
 Known by the Incas as ‘the mother of all
grains’ or the ‘mother seed’.
 Extremely hardy
Saponin: Natural Protection
 Prevents insect and bird
predation.
 Extremely bitter.
 Must be removed.
 Controversial proposal for
development of a saponin-free
strain of quinoa!
How to wash Quinoa…
1. Place quinoa in a fine colander or strainer
2. Run cold water over quinoa until soap scum has
washed away
3. Rub the seeds while washing
4. Test the flavour – still acidic – run more cold water!
5. Wash and stir 3 or 4 times in water, or wash until
water is clear.
6. Never soak Quinoa before washing!
How Quinoa can be used…
Quinoa is gluten free and very versatile!
 Side dish
 Healthy salads
 Puffed/rolled into flakes - cereals,
porridge, desserts, salads
 Ground into flour
 Popped just like popcorn!
 Quinoa pudding and desserts
How to cook Quinoa…
 Similar to rice… absorption method…
 2 cups of water with every cup of Quinoa
 Bring to boil, reduce to simmer
 Let stand covered for 5 minutes
 Enjoy!
Quinoa colour varieties
 Over 120 known colour varieties!
 Apart from the colour, all varieties are very
similar and can be used in the same recipes
 Nutritional differences are miniscule
Quinoa - A Nutritional
“Powerhouse”
• Protein - 1 cup of cooked quinoa =
•
•
•
•
•
approx. 8g of protein
Fibre
Calcium
Magnesium
Iron
Gluten Free
Protein
 In every cell of human body
 Repair and maintenance of muscles, hair, skin,
eyes and organs
 Energy
 Hormones
 Enzymes
 Transport and storage
 Antibodies
Protein
 Complete protein - contains
sufficient amounts of all essential
amino acids
 Incomplete protein – missing essential
amino acids or contains inadequate
amounts
 Complementary proteins – 2 or more
incomplete protein sources combined
Your Protein Needs
 Depends on weight, age and health.
 Approximately 0.75 g/kg for adult
women
 Approximately 0.84 g/kg for adult men
 Increases during periods of rapid
growth
Amino Acids
 Building blocks of protein
 20 different amino acids
 9 Essential amino acids – body cannot
produce so they must be provided through the
diet
 11 Non-essential amino acids - can be
synthesised by the body
Individual Amino Acids in Quinoa
Amino Acid
Alanine
Arginine
Aspartic Acid
Cystine
Glutamic Acid
Glycine
Histidine
Isoleucine
Leucine
Lysine
Methionine
Phenylalanine
Proline
Serine
Threonine
Tryptophan
Tyrosine
Valine
Amount
0.34 g
0.63 g
0.65 g
0.12 g
1.07 g
0.40 g
0.23 g
0.29 g
0.48 g
0.44 g
0.18 g
0.34 g
0.44 g
0.33 g
0.24 g
0.10 g
0.15 g
0.34 g
Quinoa Nutrient Values
Nutrients
Amount
Total Fat
Sodium
Carbohydrate
Dietary fibre
Protein
Vitamin A
Vitamin B1
(Thiamin)
Vitamin B2
(Riboflavin)
Vitamin B3
(Niacin)
Vitamin B6
(Pyridoxine)
4g
13 mg
39 g
5g
8g
9.3 IU
0.2 mg
Vitamin B9 (Folate)
77.7 mcg
Calcium
Iron
Magnesium
Phosphorous
Potassium
Zinc
31.5 mg
2.8 mg
118 mg
281 mg
318 mg
2.0 mg
0.2 mg
0.8 mg
0.2 mg
Fibre
 Fibre helps to maintain a healthy digestive system
 1 cup of cooked quinoa provides 5 grams
 Both soluble and insoluble fibre
 Soluble fibre - attracts water and helps to slow
digestion
 Helps lower LDL cholesterol
 Insoluble fibre - adds bulk, prevents constipation
Minerals
Iron – ‘non heme’ iron
 Helps keep our red blood cells healthy.
 Carries oxygen between cells and to our muscles
 1 cup provides 15% of the suggested daily consumption
of iron
Magnesium
 Maintains normal muscle & nerve function
 1 cup can provide around 30% of your daily requirement
of magnesium
Final Fun Facts…
 Quinoa balls eaten by Inca warriors during
battle
 NASA proposed ideal food
 Chicha – traditional beer made from
fermented quinoa
 Quinoa plaster traditionally thought to heal
bones
 Saponin-filled wash water as shampoo!