What is quinoa?
Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah), a once exotic whole grain, has found its way onto mainstream American menus. The fast-casual chain Panera Bread sells warm grain bowls made with quinoa, and you’ll find it in most supermarkets.
Thanks to quinoa’s notable nutrient profile, research-backed benefits, and gluten-free status, its popularity is projected to grow.
Here’s a look at what quinoa is, why it’s a nutritional powerhouse, how it may benefit your health, and healthful ways to incorporate quinoa into your usual eating routine.
According to the Oldways Whole Grains Council, quinoa is native to the Andean region of South America. While Peru and Bolivia produce the vast majority of the world’s quinoa, it’s grown in over 50 countries.
Quinoa is in the same plant family as beets, Swiss chard, and spinach, but it’s very different from these veggies. Technically, quinoa is what’s referred to as a pseudo grain, or pseudocereal. These plants are botanically different than cereal grains like oats and rice but treated as members of the whole grain family because they’re so similar, both nutritionally and in their culinary uses.
The United Nations declared 2013 the International Year of Quinoa, in part because of its nutritional value,
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