Protein-Packed Quinoa

I have a box of quinoa that has been sitting in my cupboard for three years. I bought it because I read that it was good for you. I never opened it . . . until the other day. I was in the mood for chicken noodle soup. The only problem I have with chicken noodle soup is that it is so watery without enough substance to it. Of course, you have to add water to condensed soup, so my solution was not to cut back on the water, but add something to it. I thought the quinoa would be a great choice, and I was right! What I didn’t know was how beneficial the quinoa could be to me as a cyclist.

Quinoa is a pseudocereal – it is much like cereal grains except it isn’t a grass – from South America. It is of great value to cyclists because it is high in protein (about 5 grams per serving) and is a rich source in amino acids – it contains all the essential amino acids. This makes it a great post-ride food that can be readily available - cooked quinoa stores quite well in the refrigerator. It is also a gem for those trying to lose weight, especially while maintaining muscle mass.

The million dollar question for most of us is, “What do you do with it?” It is not something that is found in most American kitchens and some of us lack the creativity necessary to create delicious quinoa dishes because we don’t know how to tap into our inner chef. It’s a good thing we have the Internet!


Adding quinoa to soup is a great way to make a filling and complete meal.

My creativity stopped at chicken noodle soup. Adding quinoa made it an excellent, filling, post-ride meal. It doesn’t stop there:
• Treat it like rice. Make a pilaf.
• Have it for breakfast with fruit, honey, and almonds.
• Use it as breakfast porridge.
• Make soup with it.

To learn more about quinoa and find great recipes, use the following links:
Wikipedia: Quinoa
NPR: Kitchen Window – Quinoa: A Sacred, Super Crop
Epicurious: Quinoa Search Results