Quinoa Salad with Artichokes and Parsley Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why is quinoa salad healthy? ›

Quinoa, an ancient grain from South America, is rich in B vitamins and minerals. It also has antioxidants and heart-healthy monounsaturated fat.

1 cup of quinoa salad (Costco) contains 280 Calories. The macronutrient breakdown is 55% carbs, 28% fat, and 17% protein. This is a good source of proteins (21% of your Daily Value) and fiber (25% of your Daily Value).

Compared to other popular carbs, such as corn or rice, quinoa has more protein and fiber. These nutrients can help you lose weight and are critical for weight loss and weight maintenance. Quinoa has a lower GI score and is expected to have less impact on your blood sugars than other similar carbs.

You can eat quinoa as often as you like. Quinoa is a healthy, nutrient-dense food that provides a wide variety of minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants.

Quinoa and Carbs

It's not a low-carb food. A cup of cooked quinoa has more than 39 grams of carbohydrates. That's 50% more than in the same amount of brown rice and almost as many carbs as in white rice.

Quinoa is a nutrient-dense food, meaning ounce for ounce, you get high amounts of vitamins and minerals. By contrast, foods that are considered nutrient-poor, like fried foods or processed snacks, tend to be high in calories without a lot of nutritional value. One cup of cooked quinoa contains: 222 calories.

White, red, or black? They're pretty much all the same nutritionally—so go with what tastes best to you, says Lauren Harris-Pincus, MS, RDN, owner of Nutrition Starring You, LCC. White quinoa is the least bitter of the three, while red and black have a chewier texture that holds up better in cold dishes like salads.

Quinoa can be consumed anytime – at breakfast, lunch or dinner. But it is best to eat healthy food like quinoa before going to bed. It induces sleep, because it relaxes the muscles, due to its high magnesium and protein content. “One can eat one-two cups of cooked quinoa in a day.

Registered dietitian Zannat Reza says the quinoa salad is a “good start” for a lunch with its reasonable fat content and 12 grams of protein. A one-cup portion (about 200 grams) has 296 calories, 12 grams of fat and 900 mg of sodium. However — and yet again — the saltiness is a bit of a concern.

What is quinoa and why is it healthy? ›

Quinoa and Health

Though technically a seed, Quinoa is classified as a whole grain and is a good source of plant protein and fiber. One cup cooked provides about 8 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber.

Beyond being a delicious, satisfying, and versatile addition to both savory and sweet dishes, quinoa is a nutritional powerhouse that's rightly earned its spot in the superfood hall of fame. “Quinoa is in a league of its own when it comes to whole grains.

Often considered one of the world's healthiest foods, quinoa is a powerhouse of nutrition that offers an array of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals in every serving. Interestingly enough, the quinoa pronunciation (keen-wah) isn't the only source of confusion when it comes to this incredible ingredient.

Quinoa is rich in both fiber and protein, contains a much higher amount of other nutrients, and has a similar fluffy texture to the rice. A cup of quinoa contains twice more protein and about 5 g more fiber than white rice. Quinoa contains fewer calories and carbohydrates than white rice.