Quinoa: Should I Eat This Grain?

If I were sent to a desert island with one type of food only to sustain me, I would choose quinoa. Like many people since quinoa began gaining visibility, I became a convert with my first spoonful. I love the satisfying pop of the tiny translucent beads in my mouth. I love the taste, so unique and yet so versatile as to provide the perfect stand-in for pasta, bread, rice, potatoes–you name it. And of course, I love the nutritious goodness of this gluten-free seed–its balance of essential amino-acids equals that of meat, its protein content surpasses any grain’s, to name but a few. Pregnant, I laughed when I realized that quinoa was the only food whose very evocation would nauseate me. Thankfully, I was able to make my peace with it as soon as breastfeeding became my new priority in life. And I gratefully incorporated it back in my diet several times a week.

That was over three months ago. Since then, I haven’t been able to stop pondering over all sorts of issues surrounding this staple food of mine, the bulk of which is imported from the high desert plateau (Altiplano) of Bolivia. Am I just a hypocrite for evangelizing the virtues of buying local while relying heavily on a food that is anything but local? A food whose exports have multiplied tenfold between 2000 and 2009, and whose price tripled over the last decade? A food that has become so expensive, in fact, that the people who’ve been living off it for millennia can barely afford it anymore, and must replace it with cheap commodities like noodles–or so I hear? Should I search for sources closer to home, and, barring local production, should I banish my favorite food from my table?

I decided to do some research. As it turns out, those questions have no straightforward answers.

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Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Past Member .

7:36PM PDT on Mar 30, 2012

I bought some quinoa but I can't seem to figure out how to cook it in a way that I like it. I'm a picky eater, but I try really hard to incorporate more natural and healthy foods into my diet. So far the only way I like it is with some italian seasoning, rosemary, and olive oil, and I eat it like rice with fish. Any suggestions?

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Melinda offline K.

7:25PM PDT on Mar 18, 2012

thanks for the interesting article, I just baked a pumpkin bread using Quinoa flour.

Eric M.

7:01PM PST on Dec 30, 2011

Thanks for the researching and the article.

Nicole B.

11:44AM PST on Dec 22, 2011

I eat it once to twice a week. red meat once a week, fish or chicken the other days.
When I found out how much protein is in it, I was so happy to have found a planet with that much protein i can eat

peggy p.

12:13AM PST on Dec 21, 2011

balance and juggling..to actions which require constant practice and attention. that's all we can do..balance and juggle...and pray

Grace F.

9:39AM PST on Dec 6, 2011

Interesting, thanks for the info.

Kim R.

6:03PM PST on Dec 4, 2011

Thanks for the info

Jo A.

2:22AM PST on Nov 29, 2011

Thanks for sharing.