2 Superfoods You Don't Know About

yeahright

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2 Superfoods You Don't Know About
By Adrienne Turner
Nutrition Correspondent


If you're like most Americans and made a New Year's resolution to eat healthier, then I have some tips for you. A healthy diet needn't be composed solely of spinach and salmon. That's right: There are many other lesser-known foods that can make your diet healthy, varied and delicious.

Quinoa

Looking for additional protein in your diet? Forget meat or protein shakes; quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) contains more protein than any other grain. Termed a "supergrain" by nutritionists and food gurus, quinoa is derived from the seed of a plant that is related to spinach. A main staple of the ancient Inca diet, quinoa has just recently made its debut in North America.

Quinoa's secret is that it contains an amino acid called lysine, which is lacking in most grains; lysine makes quinoa a complete protein. In addition to the protein you'll receive (the World Health Organization equates the protein levels in quinoa to the amount found in milk), you'll also get your daily doses of vitamin B6, thiamin, niacin, potassium, and riboflavin. Furthermore, quinoa is a great source of copper, zinc, magnesium, and folate.

The best way to consume quinoa is to toast the seeds in a dry skillet (after rinsing them thoroughly). Toasted quinoa can then be combined with oil, spices and water to create a pilaf-type dish. Incorporate fruit, nuts, cheese or fresh herbs into the pilaf to create a whole, well-balanced meal. Cooked quinoa can also be added to soups, stir-fries, casseroles or stews, and cold cooked quinoa is a great addition to salads.

Although quinoa has been around for centuries, it is relatively new to North America; therefore, it is more costly than other grains. However, it tends to triple in size after cooking, so you will get your money's worth.

Amaranth

Amaranth is another supergrain that is extremely high in protein. Amaranth seeds, derived from the amaranth plant, are similar to quinoa in that they contain lysine, the amino acid lacking in most other grains that is responsible for adding protein.

Amaranth contains three times more fiber and five times more iron than wheat, and has more protein than milk.

In addition to these benefits, amaranth also has high levels of vitamins A and C, calcium, potassium, and phosphorous.

Amaranth is a very versatile grain that can be used in a variety of different dishes. It is regularly made into flour and used to create breads, pastas or other baked goods (found primarily in health food stores). Unlike most other grains, amaranth does not contain gluten, which makes it a perfect choice for people with celiac disease or a gluten allergy.

This supergrain is found extensively in health-food or whole-food markets in the form of hot and cold cereals, ready-made bread and mixes for baked goods (such as pancakes and muffins). It can also be used as a breading substitute for meats, fish or chicken, and it can be added to soups or salads (it has a nutty flavor that complements cold and hot foods nicely).
 

tattoopierced1

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very cool. now to check the local health food store...
 
bioman

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I knew about them :D ...but I haven't used them yet.
 

tattoopierced1

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is the flavor/texture that of brown rice or is there even something you can compare?
 
rampage jackson

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does this mean that they are lower gi then?
 
yeahright

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does this mean that they are lower gi then?
Plant Foods Hum Nutr. 1997;50(2):171-8. Related Articles, Links

Glycemic index of grain amaranth, wheat and rice in NIDDM subjects.

Chaturvedi A, Sarojini G, Nirmala G, Nirmalamma N, Satyanarayana D.

Department of Foods and Nutrition, Andhra Pradesh Agricultural University, Hyderabad, Pakistan.

Glycemic index of grain amaranth, wheat and rice preparations was studied in non-insulin dependent diabetic subjects. Diets containing 50 g carbohydrate equivalent were given and post-prandial blood glucose estimated at different intervals. Glycemic index calculated for different experimental diets showed that GI of amaranth-wheat composite flour diet (25:75) was the least (65.6%) followed by wheat diet (65.7%), rice diet (69.2%), amaranth-wheat flour 50:50 (75.5%), and popped amaranth in milk (97.3%). Therefore 25:75 combination of amaranth and wheat, wheat and rice can be considered low GI food, 50:50 grain amaranth and wheat medium GI food and popped amaranth and milk combination high GI food.

PMID: 9201751 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
 

Cracker2

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I will research it my self but thought you may know off the top of your head... Is the Quinoa gluten free as well? I ask becuase I am pretty sure my wife has celiac, although we have yet to get a solid confirmation. Anyways, if you know please share, otherwise I will make an effort. :)
 
yeahright

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I will research it my self but thought you may know off the top of your head... Is the Quinoa gluten free as well? I ask becuase I am pretty sure my wife has celiac, although we have yet to get a solid confirmation. Anyways, if you know please share, otherwise I will make an effort. :)
This link seems to indicate that quinoa is fine for those with celiac. I'd always check with a doctor though:

http://www.netnutritionist.com/qa13.htm

EDIT: Also check out this Mayo clinic link on Celiac....it has info on diet and self-care options.

http://mayoclinic.com/health/celiac-disease/DS00319
 
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Scottyo

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ive been using quinoia for a few years now. love the stuff, much better than boring old brown rice and better for you. Ive used amaranth and like it as well, but I prefer quinoia and it seems a little easier to find. Stocking up again tomorrow actually.
also you'd be surprised how many people are sensitive to wheat. Im still not sure if I am allergic or not, but I seem to do much better without wheat products...its a shame because I like a lot of WW breads, pastas etc.
 

rocknroll

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Quinoa, to me, is very much like rice but more versatile. My wife cooks with it alot. She is mostly vegetarian and because she looks for ways to incorporate protein, she ran across quinoa years ago. Alot like rice, but much smaller.

Nice post yeahright!
 
WannaBeHulk

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ive been using amaranth lately and i like it. before bed, i add a cup of amaranth ceral to 1 cup cottage cheese blended with 1 tbsp almond butter with some splenda or stevia. the nutrition profile/ingredients look amazing, check it out:

http://nuworldfoods.com/cart/product.asp?product_id=92301010

what do you guys think of this product? very low calorie and i like the crunch it adds to my cottage cheese and almond butter mix.
 

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