Do you want to eat quinoa but don’t know how to incorporate it into your diet? Do you need a quick and easy quinoa recipe? This is your go-to quinoa recipe. It’s easy, quick and its taste is delicious! Quinoa is gluten-free and if you leave the almonds and replace them with baked chickpeas this salad is nut free. Follow me in this blog on how to make your favourite quinoa salad.

Facts about quinoa:

Quinoa is a seed
Quinoa should be washed before use
Quinoa is a complete protein
Quinoa is glutenfree
Quinoa is very nutritious
Quinoa is high in antioxidants
Quinoa contains lots of fiber
The Inca’s call it “the mother grain”

Can’t wait to make this quinoa salad recipe? I’ve made an easy and quick recipe guide so you can make it even quicker. For more information about the recipe scroll down.

A Quick Guide to Make Cool Vegan Quinoa Salad

Why Should I Eat Quinoa?

Quinoa is a pseudo grain which means that it’s not a conventional grain such as for example wheat, and it is actually a seed. The other big pseudo grains are amaranth and buckwheat. There are as many as 3000 sorts of quinoa, the most well known are the white, black and red variant.

Quinoa has been cultivated for over 7000 years by native peoples from the Andes Mountains in South America. Only in recent years it has become popular in the West. The Inca’s call it the “mother grain” and is it seen as a sacred food.

Quinoa is very nutritious, it contains all amino acids and therefore it is a complete protein source. It is so nutritious that even astronauts from NASA get quinoa for dinner during long-term space missions. A study has found that quinoa has a 86% capacity of antioxidants, higher than any other grain that was analysed.

It also contains lots of protein. One serving of one cup (185 gr) cooked quinoa contains 8 grams of protein! It is an easy source to boost up your protein needs per day.

Another interesting fact is that quinoa contains all 9 of the essential amino acids. A protein is formed out of 20 amino acids of which 11 can be made by your body. The other 9 amino acids are called essential amino acids and should be taken out of your diet. Quinoa contains all these 9 essential amino acids.

Per cup cooked quinoa contains:

Carbohydrates 40 gr
Protein 8 gr
Fat 4 gr
Fiber 6 gr

In quinoa you’ll also find the following vitamins and minerals per cup (185 gr) cooked quinoa:

Manganese 58% of RDI
Magnesium 30% of RDI
Folate 19% of RDI
Iron 15% of RDI
Zinc 13% of RDI
Thiamin 13% of RDI
Riboflavin 12% of RDI
Vitmain B6 11% of RDI

Fiber: Your Helper When Pregnant and Constipated

Your body needs fiber to help your bowel movements up and running during the day among other things. When you’re pregnant you can get constipated because of your growing belly and its pressure on your bowel. Constipation is the most likely to occur during your third trimester but can happen in the first and second trimester as well.

Somewhere between 16% to 39% of pregnant women will deal with constipation. The BEST thing you can do for constipation is eating lots and lots of fiber. A whole foods plant-based diet is very rich in fiber and so is this quinoa salad recipe.

A Quick Look at all Ingredients

Spinach

Rich in Iron, Vitamin K, C and Potassium.

Quinoa

Lots of protein, all 9 essential amino acids. Rich in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals as listed above.

Celery

Rich in Sodium and Potassium.

Almonds

Rich in Vitamin E and Magnesium.

Cherry Tomatoes

Rich in Vitamin C, Potassium and Vitamin A.

Mint

Are anti-inflammatory and help with indigestion. Rich in Vitamin C, D, E and A.

Red Onion

Rich in antioxidants and Manganese, Vitamin B6, and C.