Quinoa Nutrition Facts & Health Benefits

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!