Lose Weight with Quinoa Nutrition

Quinoa is a great food to include in your diet when you are trying to lose some weight since these nutrients help keep you feel ‘full’ for longer periods. Depending on what it is cooked or eaten with, quinoa nutrition is very low in Cholesterol and Sodium. It is also a good source of dietary fiber as well as Iron, Magnesium, and Phosphorus, and Manganese.

At around 222 calories, a cup of Quinoa by itself yields around 11% of the DV in a 2,000-calorie diet. Note that almost 160 of those calories are from carbohydrates. Quinoa has a considerably low fat content with less than 5% to 6% of the DV.

Following is a truly delicious quinoa recipe that you'll probably enjoy:

Crab Cakes with Quinoa

2 cups quinoa
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow onion, small dice
1 carrot, small dice
2 stalks celery, small dice
5 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup dry arame, soaked and rinsed
1/2 cup spelt flour
2 sheets nori, toasted until dry
1 teaspoon dry thyme
salt and pepper

1 1/2 cups sunflower, grapeseed, or other light oil
1 cup unsweetened plain soy milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon agave or maple syrup
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon minced dill herb
2 tablespoons minced shallot
3 tablespoons minced kosher dill pickle
lemon juice to taste

Rinse the quinoa well and let it drain for several minutes. Combine the quinoa with 3 cups water, the salt and the yeast. Cover well and bring to a boil, stirring once or twice to prevent sticking. When it reaches a boil secure the lid, turn the flame on low and let cook for 10 minutes. Turn the flame off and leave, undisturbed, for an additional 10 minutes. Uncover, fluff and let cool. This can be done well in advance.

While the quinoa is cooking saute the yellow onion in the olive oil with 1 teaspoon salt. When the onion softens, add the garlic, followed by the carrots and celery a minute later. Turn the heat to low and stir to prevent browning. When the carrots begin to soften, 6 or 7 minutes, add the thyme, arame, several grinds of pepper and then crumble the nori into the saute. Mix and let cool. Drain any excess liquid and then combine with the quinoa.

Blend oil, soymilk, salt, Dijon mustard, agave (or maple syrup) and vinegar in a high speed blender. Make sure the mixture emulsifies. In to the cooled quinoa mixture stir one cup of this vegan spread. Then fold in enough flour to stiffen the mix, about 1/2 cup. of whole spelt flour should work well. Place the rest of the spread in a bowl and adjust to form a tartar sauce to your taste. I recommend adding 1 Tbl. minced dill, 2 Tbl. minced shallot, 3 Tbl. minced kosher dill, and lemon juice to taste, about one lemon. Some people will prefer to add sweetener, as well.

Finally, form the quinoa mix into small cakes and lightly pan fry them or brush them with oil and bake them in a high oven until lightly brown, 8-10 minutes. Serve on a bed of mixed greens in a light vinaigrette with a dollop of the tartar sauce.

Serves: 4-6

Preparation time: 20 min prep, 30 minute cook