Quinoa

So called super foods are finding themselves making appearances in our shopping trollies more and more. Not so long ago quinoa was as difficult to get hold of as it is to pronounce, but not anymore. Its rise in popularity has meant that you can find it in most supermarkets now and plenty of us are giving it a try.

So what is it about this grain that we as humans have decided is so good for us. Well for starters compared to other similar foods it is extraordinarily high in protein, with around 14g per every 100g serving. That being said, this still isn’t quite as protein-rich as most types of beans and legumes.

Gluten-free is another thing that people are trying to look put for when they shop and quinoa conforms to this perfectly. Admittedly the supposed benefits of eliminating gluten from our diets is disputed but quinoa is great if you are aboard.

As with a lot of grains, it is also relatively high in fibre, making it great for helping to aid digestion. Good sources of carbs are sometimes hard to come by and there is sometimes a tendancy to rely to heavily on bread and potatoes. Being a good source of carbs, quinoa is a great food that can provide a different aspect to your nutrition.

It is also packed full of a lot of the minerals that we often overlook as part of our diet, including magnesium, zinc and iron. Often we don’t even realise that we are missing out on these nutrients and as a result we don’t do anything to combat it. Just simple additions like introducing nutriet-dense foods can make a whole world of difference for us in the long run.

There is always a danger that people can just jump aboard the band wagon with things like this and not consider everything that they should. This is why you have to be careful with words like superfoods, which make people think these foods are brilliant and you can eat them all day long! The truth is you shouldn’t be doing things to excess, we all know that. Even if these foods are here to stay, they have acquired a fad-like reputation and that can be dangerous too.

Varying what you eat is important, but constantly changing your diet is not the best idea. Getting in certain routines is crucial to success. At the end of the day humans are programmed to follow a routine. As much as you might want to seem spontaneous you will always have an aspect of consistency. I’m not saying for one moment that this means you shouldn’t try new things, of course you should. Just don’t be fooled into thinking that because something is becoming popular that it is guaranteed to work wonders for you.

Whenever you make changes to your lifestyle just make sure you do the necessary research, Just spending five minutes on a Google search can help you to identify what you might need to start doing.

As for quinoa? It’s flavoursome, versatile and relatively inexpensive. So don’t be afraid to give it a try!