Quinoa has made its name lately as a “super food” ancient grain. What’s the deal with quinoa anyway, is it even a grain, and what health benefits does it have, if any?
Is quinoa gluten-free
Yes! Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye. Quinoa doesn’t contain any of these products, and therefore is naturally gluten-free.
Is quinoa Whole 30 compliant
According to the Whole 30 website, no, it’s not Whole 30 compliant. Not sure why, but there you have it I guess!
Is quinoa a grain
Technically, no, it’s a seed. Nutritionally though, it’s classified as a whole grain.
Is quinoa keto
Probably not. Again, keto is based on a very low carbohydrate intake. While quinoa could fit into a keto diet, it contains primarily carbohydrates. Therefore, you couldn’t eat very much of it. So realistically, it probably wouldn’t fit very well in a keto diet.
Is quinoa healthy
If you’ve been around for a while, you know I don’t really believe in labeling food. Quinoa is a whole grain, however, which is notoriously lacking in the average American’s diet. So let’s talk about the nutrition in quinoa! Quinoa is a good source of plant-based protein. Unlike many other sources of plant-based protein, it’s a complete protein. This means that it contains all the essential amino acids. As a whole grain, it’s also a great source of fiber. Plus, it contains a wide variety of vitamins and minerals. It’s a good source of iron, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, zinc, and folate. Essentially, it’s full of nutrition and a great addition to your diet.
Is quinoa good for you
Again, I don’t believe in food labels like “good” or “bad”. If you want to know about quinoa nutrition, however, we just covered that above.
Is quinoa a carb
It does contain carbohydrates, yes. It also contains protein and a small amount of fat as well, though it’s primarily composed of carbohydrates.
Is quinoa paleo
Nope. According to the Ultimate Paleo Guide, quinoa is not allowed on the paleo diet since it’s classified by them as a grain.
Is quinoa a complete protein
Yes! A complete protein is one that contains all nine essential amino acids. Most grains are incomplete proteins, meaning that they don’t contain all nine essential amino acids. Quinoa, however, does, which makes it a complete protein.
Is quinoa low carb
No. Quinoa is primarily composed of carbohydrates with some protein and a little fat. So it’s definitely not “low” carb.
Does quinoa have gluten
We’ve already touched on this, but no, it does not have gluten. This makes it a great grain option for somebody who needs to be gluten-free!
Does quinoa have carbs
This has been answered as well. Yes, quinoa is primarily composed of carbohydrates with some protein and a little fat.
Does quinoa have protein
Yes it does! It has about 8 grams of protein per cup, cooked. As we’ve touched on, it’s also a complete protein, meaning that it contains all nine essential amino acids.
Does quinoa go bad
Yes and no. So, technically, quinoa will spoil, especially if moisture or other things get into the packaging. If stored properly, however, it can last for years. You can even freeze cooked quinoa and store it for about a year. Cooked quinoa will last 3-5 days in the fridge as well.
Does quinoa expire
Again, yes and no. It does have an expiration date for safety purposes. However, if it’s stored correctly, quinoa can still be good to eat well after the expiration date. Use your best judgment!
Does quinoa cause gas
Honestly, gas comes up for every single one of these Dietitian Answers posts which is making me think I should write a post just about gas?! Anyway, technically yes, quinoa could cause gas. Once again, however, it isn’t the most likely culprit out there. It does contain a fair amount of fiber, and consuming a lot of fiber if your body isn’t used to it can cause an increase in gas production. If you ease your way into it, however, you should be fine.
Does quinoa have lectins
Yes. Lectins are a protein found in basically every plant-based food. Quinoa, as a plant-based food, contains lectins. However, quinoa is generally cooked before eating which destroys essentially all of the lectins in it. So yes, they exist in quinoa, but don’t generally make it into your body since they’re destroyed in the cooking process.
Does quinoa have iron
Yes. It has just under 3 grams of iron per cup. So it’s not a particularly great source of iron, but there’s some in there.
Does quinoa digest
Is this a trick question? All foods digest… So yes, it also digests. The insoluble fiber found in quinoa, however, is indigestible, so it passes through the body without being absorbed.
Does quinoa have starch
Yes! The carbohydrate content of quinoa is made up of resistant starch, sugar, and fiber. Resistant starch has a lot of benefits, and quinoa is a good source of it.
Can quinoa give you gas
See? I knew we’d have at least one more question about gas. Once again, yes, technically it can, but it isn’t the most likely culprit.
Can quinoa be frozen
Yes! Cooked quinoa can be frozen for up to a year. It actually freezes pretty well, so this is a great option for easier meal prep.
Can quinoa go bad
We’ve already touched on this, but yes, it can. Dry quinoa has a very long shelf-life, however, if stored properly.
Can quinoa be eaten raw
Um… You know, I’ve never even thought about eating quinoa raw… Personally, I wouldn’t recommend it, primarily because cooking quinoa makes the nutrients in it more available to your body. I have heard of people sprouting it though, where it’s still uncooked. And quinoa flour exists which is made from uncooked quinoa (though then, presumably cooked anyway since few people eat raw flour). I’m not entirely sure why you’d want to eat it raw, but you do you.
Can quinoa cause gas
The gas questions strike again! See the other gas questions above that I answered.
Can quinoa make you fat
To make a long story short, no. Just eating some quinoa isn’t going to magically make you gain fat tissue. Now, if you ate more quinoa than your body needed energy-wise, it could potentially cause an increase in fat mass. This could happen with any food though. And honestly, the volume of quinoa you’d need to consume in order to exceed your body’s needs is pretty extensive. This makes it pretty unlikely that you’d physically be able to eat enough quinoa to cause an increase in fat mass. So it’s possible, but not particularly likely.
Can quinoa upset your stomach
This doesn’t really have a yes or no answer. For most people, quinoa shouldn’t cause stomach upset. Some people are sensitive to saponin, however, which coats the outside of quinoa. The actual amount of saponin found on quinoa is pretty low though. Rinsing quinoa before cooking dramatically reduces the amount of saponin as well to negligible amounts. Most people shouldn’t be affected by it, but there are some who are sensitive to saponin and may experience stomach upset, among other things, as a result.
Can quinoa make you sick
As we just touched on, for people who are saponin-sensitive, it could make them feel sick. The majority of people won’t get sick by eating quinoa, but a few may. There are also people who are allergic to quinoa, so eating it would definitely make them sick.
Can quinoa replace rice
A lot of people use quinoa in place of rice in various dishes. It adds a different texture, more protein, and some extra variety. I certainly wouldn’t say that quinoa should always replace rice, but I for one love a good quinoa fried “rice”. It’s just a nice change every once in a while.
Can quinoa cause inflammation
I think I’ll need to dedicate a whole blog post to inflammation at some point because there’s a lot I could say. Whole grains are anti-inflammatory which makes quinoa anti-inflammatory as well. So no, it shouldn’t cause inflammation.
And there you have it, all your burning questions about quinoa, answered. What’s your favorite way to enjoy this whole grain? And which food should I do a google deep-dive on next?