Food Review: Quinoa

Okay, this is not necessarily a food review but this is more of a 'what is Quinoa'.  However, I do love eating Quinoa.  I tried the Red Quinoa and it wasn't doing nothing but making my tastebuds yearn for mouthwash.  I didn't like it.  But the regular (white) Quinoa is really good.  I cook mine with plain water or chicken broth/stock.  Sometimes I buy the Trader Joe's Brand Fire Roasted Peppers & Onions and stick 1/4 cup in the boiling water to flavor and cook with the Quinoa.  Excellent!

From Winkipedia (6/16/10 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quinoa )
Quinoa (pronounced /ˈkiːnoʊ.ə/ or /kwɨˈnoʊ.ə/, Spanish quinua, from Quechua kinwa), a species of goosefoot (Chenopodium), is a grain-like crop grown primarily for its edible seeds. It is a pseudocereal rather than a true cereal, or grain, as it is not a member of the grass family. As a chenopod, quinoa is closely related to species such as beets, spinach, and tumbleweeds. Its leaves are also eaten as a leaf vegetable, much like amaranth, but the commercial availability of quinoa greens is currently limited.

Nutritional value
Quinoa was of great nutritional importance in pre-Columbian Andean civilizations, being secondary only to the potato, and was followed in importance by maize. In contemporary times, this crop has become highly appreciated for its nutritional value, as its protein content is very high (12%–18%). Unlike wheat or rice (which are low in lysine), quinoa contains a balanced set of essential amino acids for humans, making it an unusually complete protein source among plant foods.[4] It is a good source of dietary fiber and phosphorus and is high in magnesium and iron. Quinoa is gluten-free and considered easy to digest. Because of all these characteristics, quinoa is being considered a possible crop in NASA's Controlled Ecological Life Support System for long-duration manned spaceflights.[4]

Preperation
Quinoa has a light, fluffy texture when cooked, and its mild, slightly nutty flavor makes it an alternative to white rice or couscous.

Vegetables and seasonings can also be added to make a wide range of dishes. Chicken or vegetable stock can be substituted for water during cooking, adding flavor. It is also suited to vegetable pilafs, complementing bitter greens like kale.


Quinoa can serve as a high-protein breakfast food mixed with honey, almonds, or berries; it is also sold as a dry product, much like corn flakes.

Quinoa flour can be used in wheat-based and gluten-free baking. For the latter, it can be combined with sorghum flour, tapioca, and potato starch to create a nutritious gluten-free baking mix. A suggested mix is three parts quinoa flour, three parts sorghum flour, two parts potato starch, and one part tapioca starch. Quinoa flour can be used as a filling for chocolate.

Quinoa may be germinated in its raw form to boost its nutritional value. Germination activates its natural enzymes and multiplies its vitamin content.[6] In fact, quinoa has a notably short germination period: Only 2–4 hours resting in a glass of clean water is enough to make it sprout and release gases, as opposed to, e.g., 12 hours overnight with wheat. This process, besides its nutritional enhancements, softens the grains, making them suitable to be added to salads and other cold foods.

Gluten, Gluten, Gluten...

Although the following section pertains mainly to GI and Celiac Diseases, there are persons who have not been tested to be Celiac.  There is also Gluten sensitive/allergic persons.  It can range from mild to severe.  Persons with other Auto-Immune Diseases (Hyper/Hypo Thyroid) who remove gluten from their daily intake show alleviated symptoms to their conditions.  I myself have done this and my thyroid symptoms improved dramatically.  Gluten is so over-processed and in virtually almost all of your foods as a filler that I believe your body doesn't know how to process this chemically engineered wheat product aka Gluten.


From Jackson | Siegelbaum Gastroenterology http://www.gicare.com/diets/gluten-free.aspx 6/16/10

Purpose
Gluten is the protein part of wheat, rye, barley, and other related grains. Some people cannot tolerate gluten when it comes in contact with the small intestine. This condition is known as celiac disease (sometimes called non-tropical sprue or gluten sensitive enteropathy).

Of great concern and interest is the fact that nine out of ten people with celiac disease do not known they have it. A simple blood test can give the physician the first clue to this disease.

In patients with celiac disease, gluten injures the lining of the small intestine. This injury can result in weight loss, bloating, diarrhea, gas, abdominal cramps, and/or vitamin and mineral deficiencies. When patients totally eliminate gluten from the diet, the lining of the intestine has a chance to heal.

Prebiotic Plant Fiber
A prebiotic is not a probiotic, which are beneficial bacteria taken by mouth. These probiotics are present in yogurt, other dairy products and pills. Prebiotics, on the other hand, are the necessary plant fibers that contain both oligofructose and inulin. These two fibers are the main nourishment for the good bacteria that reside in the gut. These fibers are rich in chicory root, Jerusalem artichoke, leeks, asparagus and others. Gluten containing wheat and barley also contain these prebiotics

Health Benefits from Prebiotic Fibers

There is now ample information in the medical literature to indicate that a prebiotic rich diet leads to demonstrable health benefits. These include:

• Increased calcium absorption
• Stronger bones and bone density
• Enhanced immunity
• Reduced allergies and asthma in infants and children
• A lower blood triglyceride level
• Appetite and weight control
• Lower cancer factors in the gut

Celiac Wheat-Prebiotic Dilemma
Nature has played a trick on celiac people. Wheat and wheat products provide over 80% of the prebiotics that North Americans ingest. Yet, celiac patients must assiduously avoid wheat, barley and rye. How do they then feed their good colon bacteria and get the health benefits, as outlined above? They must favor the other vegetables and fruits, as listed in the prebiotic section below. Additionally, they should consider a gluten free prebiotic supplement such as Prebiotin.

Special Considerations
Removing gluten from the diet is not easy. Grains are used in the preparation of many foods. It is often hard to tell by a food's name what may be in it, so it is easy to eat gluten without even knowing it. However, staying on a strict gluten-free diet can dramatically improve the patient's condition. Since it is necessary to remain on the gluten-free diet throughout life, it will be helpful to review it with a registered dietitian.

The person who prepares the patient's food much fully understand the gluten-free diet. Read food labels carefully:

• Do not eat anything that contains the following grains: wheat, rye and barley.
• At one time, oats were thought to contain some gluten. It has now become apparent, however, that oats frequently were processed in machines that also processed wheat. Most manufacturers no longer do this, although if there are any questions, a person should get reassurance from the manufacturer by mail, email or phone.
• The following can be eaten in any amount: corn, potato, rice, soybeans, tapioca, arrowroot, carob, buckwheat, millet, amaranth and quinoa. (Millets are also a mild thyroid peroxidase inhibitor and probably should not be consumed in great quantities by those with thyroid disease, this includes soy, soybeans which are linked to be Isoflavones which may affect fertility.  Buckwheat in sensitive people can be fatal, it provokes IgE-mediated anaphylaxis)
• Distilled white vinegar does not contain gluten.
• Malt vinegar does contain gluten.

Grains are used in the processing of many ingredients, so it will be necessary to seek out hidden gluten. The following terms found in food labels may mean that there is gluten in the product.

• Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HVP), unless made from soy or corn
• Flour or Cereal products, unless made with pure rice flour, corn flour, potato flour or soy flour
• Vegetable Protein, unless made from soy or corn
• Malt or Malt Flavoring, unless derived from corn
• Modified Starch or Modified Food Starch, unless arrowroot, corn, potato, tapioca, waxy maize or maize is used
• Vegetable Gum, unless made from carob bean, locust bean, cellulose, guar, gum arabic, gum aracia, gum tragacanth, xantham or vegetable starch
• Soy Sauce or Soy Sauce Solids, unless you know they do not contain wheat  

Any of the following words on food labels often mean that a grain containing gluten has been used.

• Stabilizer
• Starch
• Flavoring
• Emulsifier
• Hydrolyzed
• Plant Protein