This Mediterranean quinoa salad is delicious! Quinoa is a grain not many of us use in our day to day, but here are some reasons why we should!
Quinoa’s Special Qualities
The first question I usually get about quinoa is how it’s pronounced:
“keen-waa”
The spelling of the word really is different than the pronunciation, but it’s a fun word nontheless!
Quinoa is a grain with it’s own super powers. It’s unique because it has all nine essential amino acids that our bodies can’t produce, which means it’s one of the few plants in the world that is a complete protein!
It boasts 5g of fiber for every cooked cup, and is a healthy whole grain that can easily be a substitute for rice. To learn more about quinoa’s history and it’s amazing qualities, visit Harvard’s article.
Grains Give Us Energy
Grains are loaded with carbohydrates, which is our bodies preferred source of quick energy.
Fats in our bodies are used for many purposes, and excess fat is stored in our bodies for long-term energy storage. Carbohydrates on the other hand can quickly be used for energy in our bodies, and can be stored in our tissues in the form of glycogen.
Have you ever been doing an activity on an empty stomach and felt really tired? Have you ever eaten something while you felt that way and your body quickly went back to normal? This is partially because carbohydrates give us the quick energy our bodies need during exercise and other daily activities!
While you participate in Your Choice Your Move this Summer make sure to fuel your bodies with carbohydrates from whole grains!
Recipe
This recipe is a great way to experiment with quinoa. Quinoa is soft, fluffy and fun to eat. I hope that you enjoy this recipe and being active with all the energy this recipe will give you!
–Captain Create
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