There are 3 main reasons you should be swapping out rice with quinoa; for your health, the environmental and let’s not forget, for those taste buds. Lets look at each in turn and see if I can persuade you to swap that Uncle Bens rice pack for some quinola grains.
Health
Quinoa is amazing for those watching their waistlines with weight loss as a goal. This is for three main reasons.
- It keeps you feeling fuller for longer. Quinoa is a slow-release carb, compared to carbs like white rice, it is digested a lot slower; releasing sugars into the blood at a much more consistent rate over a longer period of time. This means it maintains that feeling of fullness for longer so you don’t feel the need to snack between meals.
- Rich in protein. Unlike rice, Quinoa is a complete plant protein containing all nine essential amino acids needed for the body. This is great for the vegans and veggies out there.
- It is full of fibre. In fact for every 100g serving of quinoa, you get 7.5g of fibre compared to 1.4g of fibre contained in white rice. Fibre is amazing for your gut health, ensuring you have healthy bowel movements and promotes good intestinal health. A healthy bowel movement = a healthy body!
Environment
Quinoa has only 40% of the carbon footprint of rice. What is already know and repeatedly talked about in the news is the impact of meat consumption on the acceleration of climate change because it requires large consumption of water, intensive waste-management, and large amounts of deforested land for grazing. Plant foods use less resources and therefore have a lower carbon footprint. Quinoa, unlike rice is a protein rich plant food that help us get the nutrition we need and reduce our meat consumption at the same time. Another important comparison is that quinoa is a non-irrigated crop and therefore uses much less water than rice which requires heavy irrigation.
Taste
There are so any different types of quinoa all adding their own unique flavours and textures. From nutty and earthy to fluffy and light. Swap out sushi rice for organic white quinoa, white rice in a burrito for some wholegrain quinoa to add depth and texture, basmati for a red and white quinoa combo to add some texture and nutty flavour to accompany a curry. The options are endless.
(And are all available on our recipe page…).
Have a go this week at swapping out rice for quinoa and see how you get on!