quinoa

,

Quinoa, pronounced keen-wah, is not a grain but a seed. The plant is called Chenopodium, "goose foot", due to the  resemblance of the  leaves to the webbed goose foot and is closely related to spinach ,chard and beets. It grows in semi-arid areas were the rainfall doesn't exceed 2 inches. The plant thrives at altitudes of 9,000 to 13,000 feet above sea level. The Incas called it "the mother of grains", they used to make a mixture of quinoa and fat, known as "war balls", their armies were able to endure the arduous walks through the Andes mountains for days, just eating war balls. The Incas had three staples: corn, potatoes and quinoa. Around the 1,500's when the Spaniards arrived, the cultivation of this crop was discontinued except for isolated areas where the indians were free to follow their traditions.

Benefits

• Quinoa is high in iron, half a cup contains about 8mg of it.
• It has a high fiber content.
• It contains more calcium, potassium manganese, copper, magnesium and zinc that wheat.
• It is gluten free.
• It is an excellent source of protein.
• Quinoa is very versatile, it could be used as a main meal or snack.