5 Quinoa Recipes for a Healthy Breakfast

Quinoa - the mother of all grains!

Posted on

2 April 2015

Posted by

ewfood

Quinoa is one of the superfoods. It ranks among the healthiest foods that you can incorporate to your daily diet. It is packed with antioxidant phytonutrients flavonoids-- quercetin and kaempferol. Quinoa is also rich in anti-inflammatory compounds. Known as "mother of all grains", it was first cultivated over 5000 years ago.

The most common store-type quinoas are the white, red and black quinoa.

Quinoa is gluten-free naturally and is packed with nutrients such as B-vitamins, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, calcium, vitamin E and fiber. It is considered as a power food with complete protein. It is so complete that even NASA agrees-- it made quinoa an ideal food during long duration flights.

Regular consumption of quinoa can curb lifestyle diseases such as:

Cardiovascular Disease
Type 2 Diabetes
High Blood Pressure
Colon Cancer
Obesity

One does not have to be intimidated by how to prepare quinoa because there are many ways to incorporate quinoa to your diet. Below are our favorite healthy breakfast recipes that incorporate quinoa.

Fruity Breakfast Quinoa

Cooking quinoa in milk (cow, soy, or almond) and adding some sweet spices and fruit makes for a great substitute for classic hot breakfast cereals. Plus, it’s high in protein and essential amino acids like lysine, which is essential for tissue growth and repair. Simply cook quinoa according to package instructions, but substitute milk for water, and add some cinnamon or nutmeg instead of salt and pepper. Top with fresh berries and chopped roasted nuts.

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Quinoa Fruit Salad

Spice up a plain old fruit cup with a scoop of quinoa. Toss the whole shebang around until the quinoa is evenly distributed through the fruit. Add a scoop of plain yogurt and a drizzle of honey for a little extra body.

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Apple and Banana Quinoa Cups

Ingredients
½ cup applesauce
1 cup mashed banana (about 3 bananas)
1 banana for slicing
1 cup cooked quinoa (about ½ cup dry)
2 ½ cups old-fashioned oats
½ cup almond milk
¼ cup honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
1 apple, peeled and chopped

Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a muffin tin (I use olive oil).
Cook the quinoa. Bring ¾ up water to a boil, pour in ½ cup dry quinoa, reduce to a simmer until fluffy—about 12 minutes.
Mix applesauce, mashed banana, almond milk, honey and vanilla in a bowl.
Mix dry ingredients (quinoa, oats, cinnamon) in a separate bowl. Slowly stir the wet into the dry until fully combined.
Peel core and chop up an apple. Mix the apple chunks into the bowl.
Fill each of the muffin cups to the top with the quinoa mixture. Add a banana slice or two to the top of each.
Bake for 20-25 minutes.
Let cool for 5 minutes, then enjoy one warm!
Notes
Store in an airtight container in the fridge. Reheat leftovers in the microwave before eating. You can also add some crushed pecans or walnuts to these--experiment!

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Quinoa Granola Bars

Ingredients

2/3 cup PB2 powder*
1/3 cup water
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup quinoa flakes or gluten-free quick oats
1/3 cup unsweetened flaked coconut
2 tablespoons mini chocolate chips (Enjoy Life for dairy-free)

Directions

1. Mix the PB2 powder and water together until creamy. Stir in the maple syrup, vanilla and cinnamon. Add the quinoa flakes or oats, coconut and chocolate chips. Stir until well-combined, using your hands if you need to. The mixture will be a little dry, but should ultimately sick together.
2. Line a 4"x 8" loaf pan with parchment paper. Press mixture evenly into pan. Chill in the refrigerator a couple of hours. Remove from pan and cut across into bars. Store in the fridge.

*Instead of PB2 and water, you can try a generous 1/2 cup of regular peanut butter. You can also try sunflower seed butter for a peanut-free option.

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Cinnamon Apple Quinoa Parfaits

Ingredients:

OAT CRUMBLE
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
2 tsp granulated sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp finely chopped walnuts (optional)

CINNAMON APPLE COMPOTE
4 apples, peeled, cored, and coarsely chopped
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp sugar
1-2 Tbsp water + more, if needed

OTHER
1 cup uncooked quinoa
1-1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 cups nonfat vanilla Greek yogurt (such as 0% vanilla Chobani)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.
Combine all ingredients for the crumble in a small bowl. Spread evenly on a baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 7-10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine all ingredients for the apple compote, mixing well. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Partially cover and cook until apples are softened and liquid is syrupy, about 10 minutes. Add more water if needed in the cooking process. Take off heat and let cool completely.
Meanwhile, cook quinoa according to package directions. Stir in cinnamon. Set aside to cool.
To assemble, spoon 1/4 cup yogurt in bottom of a bowl, 1/4 cup quinoa, 1/4 cup cinnamon apple compote into each of 4 bowls. Repeat the layering and top with oat crumble.

No matter how you eat it, you can practically sprinkle quinoa or replace bad carbohydrates with it. Eat as sides or mix with some greens, the possibilities are endless.