Quinoa is the only grain that is protein. It is a pseudo-grain and can be consumed even when following a grain-free diet. As a vegetarian, to meet my daily protein intake, the addition of quinoa to white converted rice is a silent strategy to increase protein.
Rice is a staple in Asian culture and while it has nutrients, it also has lots of carbs for which one would feel guilty consuming routinely. I started with adding 1/4th cup quinoa to 1 cup rice. It was pretty unnoticeable. I was not caught until one day I increased it to ½ cup quinoa. Start slow to make it palatable. Now I routinely add quinoa to white converted rice and we enjoy it as a unique texture it gives to rice dishes. Quinoa salad is another dish where I routinely enjoy quinoa 🍽️
Organic quinoa that I purchase is pre-washed. Check your label and if it is not pre-washed, wash it thoroughly to eliminate anti-nutrient saponins present in quinoa.
