quinoa

The name derived from a Spanish word to mean fantastic, is a great nutrition means as it has also been called ''super grain of the future''. It is pronounced as ''keen-wah'' has lived up to its reputation for goodness.

Just like amaranth, quinoa is not really a grain. It is a grass plant with edible seeds and leaves you can serve like spinach. Most people cook it like rice or hot cereal, or use the flour to make pancakes, cookies or muffins.

Quinoa is a whole grain with lots of fiber; minerals like iron, copper , manganese, magnesium and phosphorus; and B vitamin such as thiamin, riboflavin and niacin.

It is full of energy and fills one up just like the traditional grains like wheat. Though it is not like a diet food. One cup of quinoa has 636 calories - nearly thrice as much as brown rice.

A major benefit of this food is that it his packed with a good amount of iron. It is vital so that the red blood cells can carry oxygen to the rest if your body.

Popeye the sailor knew the importance of iron for his health and strength - ''I fights to the finish , 'cause I eats my spinach.'' .In reality, quinoa is a better source of iron than spinach is. Also the right amount of iron may help one think more clearly, keep bones strong after menopause, and stave off restless legs syndrome.

In addition, it has high quality protein that has lysine - the amino acid other grains lack. Also, those who can not eat gluten can enjoy quinoa since it is gluten free.

Last but not least, copper is addition mineral in this super food. It assists the body to make red blood cells, and it works with calcium to keep your bones strong as you age. Copper is part of an enzyme that helps the body make collagen, the fiber structure to strong bones.

Below are some guidelines when preparing quinoa;

Soak the seeds. If the quinoa is bitter tasting, perhaps it was not soaked long enough. The seeds naturally have a soapy coating called saponin to keep away birds and insects. Wash it off before you cook it. Seeds you buy could be pre-washed, but a bit more rinsing won't hurt. There is so much saponin that some people use the rinse water as a shampoo.

Cook it quickly. The seeds cook in about 15 minutes - twice as fast as rice. Boil them using about two cups of liquid for each cup of seeds.

Make you own flour. One can make flour by grinding the seeds in a blender or nut grinder. Store the flour in the refrigerator to keep it from turning rancid.

Try it in all varieties. If you do not like cooking up a bowl of these seeds, one can buy it as a cereal flake, in snack bars or added to dried pasta.