QUINOA FOR BREAKFAST

QUINOA TO THE RESCUE

Quinoa doesn’t grow here in Southern Manitoba, but a few years ago I had the privilege of tasting this seed in a date square while touring a Quinoa plant. Since this first introduction we have had it in the cupboard & served it in recipes from time to time.

Today research on healthy eating has suggested we should replace our high carb breakfasts with a protein and a healthy fat. Not long ago I read that Quinoa is a complete protein meaning it has all the 9 essential fatty acids. But besides that it is packed with an abundance of beneficial vitamins and minerals.

TO MANY CARBS

Our family has always loved carbs. Maybe it is my fault as I have always baked fresh whole grain bread. I was sure we were getting the best nutrition because it was made from the whole kernels of wheat with all of the vitamins and minerals. So breakfast was toast, lunch was usually sandwiches and a snack at any time was often a slice of fresh bread and peanut butter. Even though the wheat was very nutritious, we probably had too much of a good thing. I wonder if that is why people today have allergies to wheat. We still enjoy the fresh bread, but not as much!

I am now serving more vegetables and salads at meal time. I am also using healthier fats. We use avocado & coconut oil in baking. I use extra virgin olive oil in salads and I now make all of our salad dressings so I can include only ingredients that are healthy.

By filling up on these healthier foods, we aren’t eating as many carbs! So a few weeks ago I made this batch of porridge that I now store in the fridge for up to a week. Every morning I heat up 1/2 cup, top it with crushed flax and hemp seeds and enjoy it with my choice of beverage. I often do a final topping of fresh or thawed blueberries, strawberries or raspberries. It is so delicious and as well nutritious!                                  Winnie