Tagged with 'quinoa'

Eating cereal for breakfast is such an American thing to do, but many cereals are high in sugar and low in nutrients. Swapping your usual sugary cereal in the morning for a bowl of nutty quinoa will give you an extra boost of protein and fiber. I also love this because you can prep it all the night before.

For those who eat gluten-free, this quinoa bowl is a hardy, warming breakfast that might otherwise seem hard to find without gluten (ie: oatmeal, toast, pancakes, French toast, etc.).

The blueberries give this cereal a sweet zing, while the cinnamon brings out the natural flavors and turns our typically savory quinoa dish into a sweet one.

This might just become your new breakfast go-to! Enjoy!

½ cup uncooked quinoa

1½ cups water

A few pinches of cinnamon 

1 teaspoon honey, optional (You may substitute maple syrup, liquid stevia, or coconut sugar) 

½ cup almond milk

¼ cup blueberries

¼ cup slivered almonds or walnuts

Cook the quinoa in the water over medium-high heat until the quinoa has absorbed the water, about 15 to 20 minutes. Fluff with a fork and pour into a bowl. You can also cook quinoa in your rice cooker, which is extremely easy.

Stir in the cinnamon and the optional sweetener.

Pour in the almond milk and top with blueberries and slivered almonds.

Yield: 1 serving

Energy bars from a crockpot? Get out! Yes, it's true, and they're really easy to make. I love this bar recipe because it contains a great balance of carbohydrates, protein, and healthy fat. They also have a lot fiber and are fairly low in sugar, making them a perfect snack or breakfast. My kids really like them too, and I feel good about feeding the bars to them. 

Ingredients

2 Tbsp Almond butter

2 Tbsp pure maple syrup

1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

pinch of salt

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

2 large eggs

1/3 cup quinoa, uncooked

1/2 cup raisins

1/3 cup roasted almonds, roughly chopped*

1/3 cup dried apples, roughly chopped (I used dried mango because I didn't have dried apples) 

2 Tbsp chia seeds

Instructions

1. Spray a 5 Quart slow cooker with cooking spray and cut a piece of parchment to just fit in the bottom of it. I just traced my slow cooker on a large piece of parchment, cut it out and stuck it in. Spray the parchment with cooking spray, and press it down to adhere it to the slow cooker. **

2. In a large, microwave safe bowl, combine the almond butter and maple syrup and melt until the almond butter is creamy, about 30 seconds.

3. Whisk together the almond butter and maple syrup. Then, whisk in the almond milk, cinnamon and salt. Whisk until the milk is well incorporated with the almond butter.

4. Whisk in the eggs until well combined, then stir in all remaining ingredients thoroughly.

5. Pour the mixture into the prepared slow cooker and cook on LOW heat until the top of the bars just appear set, about 3 ½-4 hours.

6. Run a knife around the outside of the bars and remove the bowl from the slow cooker. Place into the refrigerate to cool completely.

7. Once cool, cut into bars and DEVOUR! 

Serves 8 bars. Store the bars in an air tight container in the refrigerator. 

Notes:

*if you can't find toasted almonds, just dry toast them in a 400 degree oven for about 5-10 minutes, until lightly golden brown.

**Don't skip this step. It makes the bars to much easier to get out of the crockpot.

Recipe courtesy of the lovely Taylor at FoodfaithFitness.com

I find if I start my day with a well-balanced, nutritious meal, I’m less likely to overeat later in the day or feel like I want to continuously snack between dinner and bedtime. Breakfast bowls are all the rage right now, and rightfully so--they're a delicious concept. This bowl is warm, satisfying, packed full of protein, healthy fats, and fiber, and keeps me full until lunch.

The sweet goji berries are not only delicious and add a cool texture, but also contain over 4g of protein, 21 essential minerals, 18 amino acids, and an impressive array of antioxidants.

Coconut is high in medium chain fatty acids, which are fats that lower the risk of both atherosclerosis and heart disease. A specific type of medium chain fatty acid is Lauric acid, which is shown to support immune function and have antiviral and antifungal properties. All that fat is important for adding satiety to your meal, and it also doesn’t spike your blood glucose levels.

Chia seeds are rich in omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants. Chia seeds provide 11g of fiber in 1 Tablespoon! One Tablespoon also provides 177mg of calcium, close to 20% of your daily calcium needs. Chia’s also provide phosphorus, manganese, and zinc.

The cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg mix is delightlful. Cinnamon is known for numerous health benefits, including helping stabilize and lower blood glucose levels.

This breakfast bowl maximizes nutrition in every bite!

Superfood Breakfast Bowl

*makes 2 servings

Ingredients

½ cup of quinoa

1½ cups water

½ cup coconut milk

2 dried merjool dates (more for added sweetness), seeds removed and chopped

1 teaspoon cinnamon  

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon cardamom

2 Tablespoons pepitas 

1 Tablespoon shredded coconut

1 Tablespoon golden raisins, or try these Himalayan monukka raisins    

To garnish: banana, goji berries, chia seeds, and coconut flakes

For more sweetness, add maple syrup or raw honey

Instructions

1. Rinse quinoa until water runs clear and combine in a medium-size sauce pan with water, coconut milk, and dates.

2. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes, or until quinoa has started to soften.

3. Add cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, pepitas, shredded coconut, and raisins.

4. Cook an additional five minutes, adding water if necessary, until quinoa is soft and fully cooked.

5. Serve hot and topped with banana, goji berries, chia seeds, and coconut flakes. Add maple syrup or honey to sweeten further if you’d like!

Enjoy!

In Health and Happiness,

Kelly Harrington, MS, RDN

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist for Healthy Goods

Recipe courtesy of Camille Styles 

This hearty yet refreshing salad is perfect for potlucks, picnics and backyard parties and BBQ’s. It can stand alone or as a great side dish with chicken or fish. All in one dish, the benefits of whole grains and lots of colorful vegetables, require no last-minute preparation. The base of the salad is quinoa, which although it is treated like a grain, is actually a seed. It is gluten-free and supplies a complete protein, as well as magnesium and fiber. Quinoa has a delicate, nutty flavor and cooks in less than 20 minutes.

You can totally adapt this to your taste, leave out what you don’t like, and add more of what you do like. Easy!

Ingredients

Yields 6 servings

1 cup uncooked quinoa

2 cups water

¼ cup lemon juice or ½-3/4 lemon, freshly squeezed

1/3 cup finely chopped shallot

Salt and pepper, to taste

2 Tbsp olive oil

¼ cup red onion, diced

1 cup cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes, halved

2 cups cucumber, peeled and diced (from 1 English)

1/3 cup Kalmata olives, coarsely chopped

1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

Instructions

Quinoa can be cooked in a saucepan or rice cooker, which is my preferred method. It’s a no brainer! In a saucepan, combine quinoa, water and 1/8 tsp salt in medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer over low heat until quinoa is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Transfer to large bowl and let cool.

While the quinoa cools, dice all the vegetables. Add the red onion, olives, cucumber, and cherry tomatoes to the cooled quinoa.

Whisk lemon zest, lemon juice, shallot, salt, pepper, and olive oil in a small bowl. Add to the quinoa; toss to coat. Add the feta last.

Taste the dish at this point. Does it need more lemon? Salt? Pepper? Adjust as needed.              

Enjoy!

In Health and Happiness,

Kelly Harrington, MS, RDN

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist for Healthy Goods