What's for breakfast?

Quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) is in my opinion a great gluten free option for breakfast. Men's Health Magazine calls it "The Top-Secret Superfood". Packed with protein, loaded with fiber quinoa is one the most nutritious foods on the planet.

It wasn't too long ago that I didn't know what Quinoa was, where it came from and how versatile it is to cook with. About 3 years ago (right before going gluten free) I was sitting in the lunch room where I used to work with two fellow co-workers eating lunch. Coworker #1, he was already gluten free and  had chicken for lunch. Coworker #2 is a pescatarian on a gluten reduced diet, meaning he wasn't allergic but chose not to eat an abundant amount of gluten. CW #2 was eating a spinach salad with Quinoa in it. CW #1 looked over and asked "What was that brown stuff in his salad?" CW #2 replied it's "Quinoa". CW#1 "What's Quinoa". I should probably tell you now that we worked at a Health Care Facility that specialized in gluten intolerance amongst other health concerns. CW #2 explained to both of us that Quinoa is an ancient South American grain that is naturally gluten free. I was very intrigued about this new food (to me).  A few weeks later I was shopping at Trader Joe's and saw a box of Quinoa, I grabbed it and thought that I can find some use for it. Coincidentally I picked up a Men's Health magazine and it had this article. After reading it I was determined to use it in my new diet.

I learned later on about the nutritional facts of Quinoa. I was shocked to learn that a bowl of oatmeal boiled in water was 20g higher in carbohydrates than quinoa which has only 39g per cup.  When the article said it was "loaded with fiber" they weren't kidding 5g per cup. The best part about being gluten free is that when you have to find an alternative to certain foods you often find something that is healthier than what you were eating, in some cases a sugar free or lite version is not necessarily healthier.  Well look no further for your "lite" breakfast meal. It is a cup of Quinoa which has 85 calories less than a cup of plain oatmeal. I could not find nutrition facts for a gluten free oatmeal but I am sure it is close to the same. I obtained the nutritional information at http://nutritiondata.self.com/. Here is an exerpt from that article:

"Quinoa is a true wonder food," says Daniel Fairbanks, Ph.D., a professor of plant and animal science at Brigham Young University. "It has about twice the protein of regular cereal grains, fewer carbohydrates, and even a dose of healthy fats." Plus, it's considered a "complete" protein, which means that, like meat, eggs, and dairy, it packs all of the essential amino acids your body needs to build muscle.

Last week on my facebook page I posted "Quinoa the best alternative breakfast you can have". I figured a lot of the gluten free community was already aware of Quinoa but are they aware of how healthy it is for you? I put a few messages out there to see if any of the gluten free bloggers (the one's with cookbooks) used it as a breakfast meal. I didn't receive anything back other than the option to use quinoa flakes (like cold cereal).

Quinoa is simple to make especially for those rushing around in the morning. You can boil it in juice, water or milk. Add some fruit, cinnamon or if you would like some brown sugar. Depending on how many people you are making this for you only need about a 1/2 cup per person. At first you might look at it and say "this is going to fill me up?". Yes, this will fill you up. I boiled some organic apple juice (no sugar added) tossed in the quinoa and as I brought it down to a simmer for 20 minutes I tossed some fresh cranberries so they would burst open allowing the juices to flow throughout the Quinoa. After about 20 minutes with some light stirring I let cool, poured into a bowl and sprinkled some cinnamon on top. For added extra flavor you can  peel and dice some gala apples or bananas. I am a berry fan, so naturally I took some fresh organic blackberries and put them on top.