This is a detailed overview of quinoa nutrition facts. We're breaking down the health benefits of quinoa, whether quinoa is really healthy and much more!
It's been said before, but quinoa really is good for you! On this page, I’m going to just highlight a few of the wondrous health benefits of quinoa. We’re talking all about quinoa nutrition here!
Let me begin by saying that we all know about the list of amazing superfoods that men and women must eat to stay strong, healthy, and full of life, right?. List toppers are usually blueberries, raw almonds, eggs and broccoli (plus a few more). True, each is packed with nutrients and is incredibly healthy, but what a lot of us don’t realize is that quinoa outranks many of these champions.
So, what about the facts?
Quinoa Nutrition Facts
Not only is quinoa gluten-free, but it is full of protein, fiber, and other fabulous nutrients. Quinoa has all nine essential amino acids, which makes it a complete vegetable protein. It's also easy to digest and for vegetarians and vegans, it is a perfect alternative to animal protein.
Quinoa is also a complex carbohydrate meaning that it digests gradually, giving the body time to absorb the nutrients and does not quickly convert the food into sugar and fat. This alone makes quinoa great for low-carb dieters. Now I am not one to diet, so we’re not focusing this post on how quinoa can help you lose weight. We’re talking about how to integrate this superfood to help you live a healthier and happier life.
For the folks leading an active lifestyle, you could hardly find a better food than quinoa. Complex carbohydrates like quinoa keep you feeling full longer and because they digest fairly slowly they provide energy and endurance for your hard-working muscles. The high protein content of quinoa also makes it a superior muscle-building supplement.
So…Is Quinoa Really Healthy?
To answer that question, let's look at the true nutritional facts for quinoa. For the nutrition breakdown below, we're using one serving size (which is 1 cup cooked, 1/4 cup dry):
Nutritional Info for Quinoa:
- Calories: 222
- Total fat: 4 g
- Total carbs 33 g
- Dietary fiber 5 g
- Sugars 0 g
- Protein 8 g
Vitamins & Minerals
- Vitamin E 6%
- Thiamin 13%
- Iron 15%
- Magnesium 30%
- Phosphorus 28%
- Zinc 13%
- Copper 18%
- Manganese 58%
Quinoa Health Benefits
Although quinoa is not technically a grain, it has many grain-like properties and acts as many other whole grains do. The high level of magnesium found in quinoa helps lower blood pressure and the manganese and copper eliminate toxins through their antioxidant powers.
Iron is also a key component of quinoa and is critical to human health. It promotes the production of red blood cells that carry oxygen from your lungs to all your tissues. Consuming foods that are rich in iron is incredibly important and an essential piece of living a healthy lifestyle.
The list of health benefits that quinoa provides goes on and on. Just know that quinoa is one of the healthiest, delicious, most amazing foods out there, and is something we should all incorporate into our diets.
The Best Beginner Quinoa Recipes
Now that you've learned all about how healthy quinoa is, it's time to get cooking! Here's a list of my favorite quinoa recipes that are perfect for beginners.
- Quinoa Mac and Cheese
- Creamy Superfood Kale & Lentil Quinoa Salad
- Mexican Quinoa Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
- Slow Cooker Coconut Quinoa Curry
- One Pot Morrocan Lentils & Quinoa
- Chickpea & Quinoa Mason Jar Salad
- Cilantro Lime Black Bean Quinoa Tacos
- Quinoa Power Breakfast Bowls
And now I'd love to hear from you…
How are you most looking forward to integrating quinoa into your diet? Leave a comment and let me know!
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I make a quinoa, flourless chocolate cake yesterday it is so moist, rich chocolate & incredibly full of nutrients! Trying to incorporate quinoa in my overall diet!
Do you have to rinse quinoa before cooking it?
I don’t personally rinse my quinoa!
[…] Simply quinoa, https://www.simplyquinoa.com/quinoa-nutrition-facts/ […]
Thanks for the lovely article. I must say a very useful post. You have explained in details. I’m happy that you wrote health nutrition and attached recipes. I was searching for good recipes. I liked some recipes. I’m going to try some recipes. I will let you know and will share my experience. ☺
So glad you found it helpful!
Thankyou for sharing such a nice article. This was really helpful.Nutrition is essential for growth and development, health and wellbeing. Eating a healthy diet contributes to preventing future illness and improving quality and length of life. Your nutritional status is the state of your health as determined by what you eat. There are several ways of assessing nutritional status, including anthropometric (i.e. physical body measurement), food intake and biochemical measuremen
[…] score of 53, which means that after eating it should not cause rapid spikes in blood sugar. The complex carbohydrates in quinoa keeps you feeling full longer and digest fairly slowly to provide energy and […]
I have told by my urologist to reduce the oxalate level in my meals. Quinoa is not listed on the handouts the doctor gave me. Do you know the oxalate level of a 1/2 cup of cooked quinoa? Research has shown that a high oxalate level in the body can contribute to the recurrence of kidney stones.
I’m so sorry but I don’t!
[…] It’s also a great choice for chili, because it’s high in fiber and protein, so it really fills you up. Quinoa is also a good source of magnesium and maganese. You can learn more about the nutritional value of quinoa here. […]
I have early stage macular degeneration, and I needed to change my diet radically. In addition to having a colorful diet (greens, reds, yellows etc.) I have added quinoa, pumpkin seeds and other natural nutrients to my diet. I love a kale, quinoa, cranberries broccoli and cabbage salad with light Ranch dressing
It is so delicious that I wish I had started much earlier in my life.
I’m thrilled you’re finding things to try and am excited to hear how they help you get better!! xx
Thank you for responding about Quinoa. I really like it. Also like your email about quinoa. Thank you.
Quinoa is occasionally an ingredient in granola. In this case, it is not washed or cooked, just roasted/toasted. Does the body still benefit from all of the quinoa nutrition is the quinoa isn’t cooked or sported?
Definitely! It also adds a nice little crunch which is lovely in granola 🙂
[…] two sites that I’d recommend are Simply Quinoa’s “Quinoa Nutrition Facts” (https://www.simplyquinoa.com/quinoa-nutrition-facts/) and Eating Well’s “5 Facts About Quinoa Nutrition and Cooking Quinoa” […]
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