Have you tried quinoa?

[rosacrux]

Quinoa is a pseudocereal from Los Andes. It can be a little tricky to cook but its nutritional value is amazing: its protein content is high (and the protein is good quality), it has lots of fiber and is gluten-free. I loved it in a salad.

 

[Fiorabelle]

I've yet to try cooking it but I tried it once on the plane to Hawaii, once on a pizza at a vegan cafe in Hawaii (yes, it tasted delicious) and once back in New Zealand as my mom decided to experiment with it. I'm a huge fan of Quinoa, I'll have to be honest before I tried it, I thought it was just another fad but it's delicious and extremely handy for those who have a vegetarian diet like me. I almost forgot, the bread I've been purchasing a lot recently has Quinoa in it too, although you can't really taste it.

 

[True2marie]

I have tried quinoa. Although I am sold on this food's nutritional value, I am not sold on the taste. I still crave regular white rice. As a result, I am searching for recipes of quinoa that better suit my taste buds.

 

[ReadmeByAmy]

I had heard already about this Quinoa and they said it is a healthy food. I had also seen recipes for this but not yet tried any of them. Maybe one time I will try one recipe of Quinoa and will search one that will suit my taste.

 

[OhioTom76]

There is some debate as to how healthy it is. Particularly for people with wheat/gluten allergies. I've read that even though it's technically a seed and not a grain, it contains many of the chemicals/components on it that will irritate people sensitive to wheat and gluten in a similar fashion.

Personally I'm not a huge fan of it. There is something about the texture I don't care for, and the assertive nutty taste often interferes with the rest of the ingredients. I feel like I'm eating bird feed when it's in one of my meals.

Minute Rice makes a pre cooked medley that has Quinoa in it (along with wild rice and other stuff), which isn't too bad. More tolerable than on its own in my opinion.

 

[sillylucy]

I love quinoa too and it is so healthy! I first had it at my friend Julia's house. She made it warm with some chicken stock, onions and celery. I almost died by how yummy it was. Vegetarians can use veggie stock and it still tastes the same!

 

[Caffajake]

Quinoa is great! I've had it in place of bulgur wheat in tabbouleh. I've been meaning to start cooking with it more often as I have a mostly-full packet in my cupboard. It's great with chicken stock

 

[isabbbela]

I have tried it and hated it! I even tried it again, but it makes no difference I still hate it. It tastes really bad in my opinion, I cannot bring myself to eat anything that contains quinoa. I tried it in my salad, in my soup and mixed in a smoothie...... they are taste horrible! I wish I could like it, since it's so good for your health, but eating it is torture!

 

[Jessi]

I have tried quinoa. Although I am sold on this food's nutritional value, I am not sold on the taste. I still crave regular white rice. As a result, I am searching for recipes of quinoa that better suit my taste buds.

Same here. I actually didn't try it as a rice replacement, but rather, in dishes that were specifically built for using quinoa. I don't really like the texture, though, and I can eat very little of it before wanting to eat something else. This means that I can tolerate it as a side dish, but not a main dish, and I don't think I'll ever have a real craving for it.

 

[clairebeautiful]

Personally I'm not a huge fan of it. There is something about the texture I don't care for, and the assertive nutty taste often interferes with the rest of the ingredients. I feel like I'm eating bird feed when it's in one of my meals.

I'm in the same boat. When in the first trimester of pregnancy, I am always looking for more creative ways to incorporate protein into my day, as I need to eat it about every two hours to keep headaches and nausea away. I was introduced to quinoa two years ago at a dinner party and thought I'd give it a try. My first experience was a cold quinoa fruit salad, and actually, I really liked it.

Perhaps because someone else made it, or perhaps because I had a small portion.

Anyway, I bought a big bag of it at Costco (same price as a 10th of the amount at Whole Foods) and I just could not find a way to prepare it that didn't leave me with half a bowl and an inability to choke it down. I even tried it like oatmeal, hot with brown sugar, nuts, Craisins, and a little milk.

I ended up blending into baby food most of the time.

But then this pregnancy (I am about 14 weeks and have a 14 month old son) I tried it again, but this time I blended it smooth in the Ninja and baked it into pancakes.

I have to admit, it saved it for me, and the pancakes were far heartier than anything else I tried. They were good with fruit topping, syrup, and even just popped in the toaster and topped with peanut butter. I too think it is the texture that gets to me. I'm not a huge fan of couscous either, and it reminds me of that.

I will also say this. When I eat it too much, I get really gassy. My son does as well, and it really changes the stench of his diapers. I think that despite the health benefits, such a thing as "too much of a good thing."