Week 9 of Nutrition Expedition: Questioning Quinoa! November 3-7, 2014

Questioning Quinoa!

This week in Nutrition Expedition, we were curious about quinoa! Unfortunately, I was out ill most of this week, so I was only able to explore this tasty treat with the toddlers and 3's classes.

Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) is technically not a grain, although some people refer to it as a grain. It is a chenopod, which is actually a close relative to beets, spinach, and chard. The leaves of a quinoa plant can even be eaten! It is high in protein, fiber, magnesium and iron, and pure quinoa is gluten-free. Check out this great online resource about quinoa and it's history:

Whole Grains Council- Quinoa

I cooked up a batch of quinoa for the children by boiling it in reduced-sodium chicken broth (for a little added flavor= 1 cup quinoa to 2 cups broth, bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until most liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and allow to stand, covered for 5 minutes). I gave each child a spoonful and allowed them to smell and taste the quinoa. Most of them really enjoyed it! It was also a "nibble tray" week. I brought trays of red bell peppers, fresh raspberries, cucumber, campari tomatoes, bananas, and baby carrots. The 3's class even got to try a persimmon (a fruit that resembles an orange tomato, is unique in flavor, and very popular in Asian culture). Try them at home; they can be found in the tropical fruit section at Meijer for 2/$1!

Stay tuned for next week's blog, when we make our very own quinoa salads!