Quinoa is a nutritious grain with high levels of iron, zinc, and calcium. It has a wonderful flavor and is versatile as a side dish or main entree. Quinoa is actually a seed (not a grain), but you can prepare it just as you would any grain. To get the most mineral value out of your quinoa, soak it before cooking it.
Quinoa is high in a substance called phytic acid which inhibits your mineral absorption. Quinoa on its face is high in minerals but the fact is that you need to take measures preparing quinoa to benefit from them. Soak it in advance both the remove the phytic acid and to cut your cooking time in half.
Steps to Reduce Phytic Acid
Rinse the quinoa and prepare to soak it for about twelve hours, give or take. Soak the quinoa in the amount of water called for in your recipe, normally about two parts water for one part quinoa. Soak it overnight. Put the quinoa on to soak in the morning if it is a dinner dish. Soak the quinoa in warm water — over 100 degrees — and place it in a warm area of your kitchen. Cover it with a towel to keep the bugs out as it soaks. You can also add a tablespoon of lemon juice or yogurt to it to improve the pH levels and reudce the phytic acid further. Skip this optional step if the flavor does not appeal to you.
After soaking, simply transfer the quinoa to a suitable saucepan. Because you soaked it for hours, the quinoa will cook about twice as fast as it usually does (in ten minutes or less depending on your altitude). Consider soaking the quinoa in a stainless saucepan and simply putting the pan on the stove when you are ready to cook it.
As you cook it, you can appreciate the minerals you will be getting from it because of the steps to improve mineral digestion (such as magnesium taurate).
Quinoa is a versatile and simple food. A few simple ideas include:
- Quinoa is a great hot cereal in the morning, topped with brown sugar.
- Use it to make a salad like tabouli with olive oil and summer vegetables.
- Add it to soup for extra minerals and fiber.
- Enjoy it as a side dish with salt and olive oil for flavor.
Quinoa is nutritious, flavorful, and versatile, but it also contains phytic acid. Take these simple measures to reduce the phytic acid and enjoy all of its benefits.
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