Quinoa: is it a high protein food?

Whether you’re a plant based eater, or simply working to incorporate more protein-rich foods into your diet, you may be under the impression that quinoa is the answer. But is it really? Today we’re going to walk through what quinoa is, its benefits, and whether you should be eating quinoa more often to help you reach your protein goals for the day.

What is quinoa?

Quinoa is a highly nutritious gluten-free grain that originated in the Andean region of South America. Quinoa is a complete protein, meaning it contains all nine essential amino acids necessary for human health. It is also a good source of fiber, iron, magnesium, and antioxidants. Quinoa has a nutty flavor and a slightly chewy texture, making it a versatile ingredient in various dishes such as salads, stir-fries, and pilafs. Additionally, quinoa is easy to cook and is a popular choice for individuals following a gluten-free or vegetarian diet.

Is quinoa good for me?

For 99% of my readers, YES! You should have quinoa regularly (unless you have an allergy, of course). It’s a whole grain, minimally processed, contains fiber and other minerals, all which form one big green light.

There’s a caveat… Though quinoa is wonderfully nutritious, it’s protein content is overhyped, and you should be aware when planning out your meals that quinoa may not be an ideal protein source, particularly for vegetarians and vegans. Let me explain why!

Have you seen the image above before? This is known as MyPlate, which replaced the food pyramid back in 2011. I’m confident that you’ll find MyPlate to be much easier to understand compared to the food pyramid, especially for the visual learners out there. The plate is simple; if you were to overlay your dinner plate onto this model, it should match. As a whole, your plate should be filled halfway with fruits and vegetables, a quarter with your protein choice, and a quarter with your grain choice (also called starch).

So where does quinoa fall under MyPlate?

Quinoa is unique in that it can fall under both the "grain" and "protein" category, but consider this: 1 cup of quinoa contains about 8 grams of protein. For reference, 1/2 cup of beans contains about 7 grams of protein, and 3 oz of chicken breast (the size of a deck of cards) has about 21 grams of protein. I recommend getting at least 20 grams of protein at each meal. If you were to try and reach your protein goal for your meal using quinoa alone, you’ll need to eat just under 3 cups of quinoa. That’s A LOT of quinoa for one sitting, don’t you think? For this very reason, I highly recommend not using quinoa as your only protein source, but instead using it in addition to another protein source, for instance including quinoa as the base of your Thai chicken bowl, or trying out a black bean and quinoa enchilada casserole.

Thus, I most often include quinoa under the “grain” category of MyPlate.

How do I prepare quinoa?

It’s actually VERY easy and is ready to go in 15 minutes. You’ll use a 1:2 ratio of quinoa:water, meaning that for every 1 cup of quinoa, you’ll add 2 cups of liquid. If you’d like to prepare a smaller amount of quinoa, say enough for 1-2 meals worth, you can prepare 1/2 cup of quinoa with 1 cup of liquid, and so on.

I like to prepare my quinoa with bone broth instead of water - for added protein - because after all, many people are reaching for quinoa for that very reason: MORE PROTEIN!

Instructions:

Rinse quinoa in a fine mesh strainer using cool running water (optional, but helps remove some of the bitterness). Heat quinoa and cooking liquid over medium heat, cover, bring to a boil, and reduce heat to a simmer for 15 minutes. You’ll know it’s finished cooking when the cooking liquid is absorbed and the quinoa seeds have a teeny white spiral coming out of them. Fluff with a fork, season, and serve!

Quinoa recipes, please!

Check out my Pinterest page, where I save TONS of recipes from amazing cooks and chefs across the world.

If you’re looking for dietitian recommended recipes only, check out this board, instead.

Keep in mind that for any recipe that is prepared with rice, you do have the option to replace the rice with quinoa to boost the protein a bit.

Still have questions?

I want to hear them! Navigate over to the contact page, leave a comment, or shoot me a DM on Instagram. I’d love to answer any questions you have about quinoa, or other topics (especially those of you that are new to nutrition, as it can be tough to navigate all the misinformation on the internet!)