What makes Quinoa a Quin”woah”?

Everyone is queuing for quinoa these days. What makes this ancient pseudo-cereal a go-to for people on plant-based diet? At Amino Mantra, we dived deeper into this topic, even deeper than your favourite rainbow buddha bowl.

Quinoa is now a main source of nutrition for vegan and vegetarians as it contains all 10 essential amino acids (histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, tyrosine, and valine). The bioavailability of quinoa proteins is 95.3% which makes it easier to digest and absorb nutrients. Now don’t get me started on benefits of proteins, just look at Arnie’s guns!

Quinoa stores its proteins in globulin & albumin unlike many cereals which use group of proteins collectively called “glutens”. Quinoa proteins don’t trigger auto-immune response in the intestines which makes it a safe gluten-free staple for coeliac patients.

Quinoa has become popular for being a prebiotic as it has 22% soluble dietary fibre which is higher than that of wheat or corn. This soluble dietary fibre helps gut microbes (let’s call them the “good guys”) to break it down into short-chain fatty acids through fermentation. These fatty-acids in turn help create a happy environment which promotes increase in level of “good guys”. These “good guys” help keep our gut functioning smoothly.

If you are still doubting quinoa, how about this - Incans used quinoa to make “war balls” when going for battles, marching for months over the mountains in extreme weather. Geez, these tough guys never heard about chatting over a hipster quinoa salad & turmeric chai lattes.

Quinoa carries good fatty acids which are crucial for our brain development, boosting immunity, fighting inflammation, regulating cardiovascular health and membrane functions. Quinoa also has high amount of minerals compared to rice, wheat & other cereals like calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and zinc, which makes it essential part of a balanced diet.

That’s why at Amino Mantra, we say Quino”yeah” to this little guy. Our plant-patties incorporate white, red and black quinoa with different flavour combinations to give your health a good boost. Whether you are plant-based every day or few times a week, Amino Mantra patties can bring smile to your soul.

If “Netflix & chill” is too boring for you, you can pump your knowledge by reading these articles -

Graf, B. L., Rojas‐Silva, P., Rojo, L. E., Delatorre‐Herrera, J., Baldeón, M. E., & Raskin, I. (2015). Innovations in Health Value and Functional Food Development of Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.). Comprehensive Reviews In Food Science & Food Safety, 14(4), 431. doi:10.1111/1541-4337.12135

Gullon, B., Gullon, P., Tavaria, F. K., & Yanez, R. (2016). Assessment of the prebiotic effect of quinoa and amaranth in the human intestinal ecosystem. Food & Function, 7(9), 3782-3788.