Quinoa is a pseudocereal that has become very fashionable and due to its valuable properties as well as its great versatility in the kitchen, today it is considered a superfood within our reach. However, if you are looking for other options with similar characteristics, we show you seven alternative superfoods to quinoa that you can use at home.
Amaranth
Amaranth is another pseudocereal that has complex hydrates with lots of protein and fiber, as well as good fats, vitamins and various minerals. In addition, amaranth is a source of phytosterols that can benefit cardiovascular health by lowering bad cholesterol and increasing good cholesterol.
It can be consumed as such, like other seeds to enrich preparations, or we can cook it just like corn to create amaranth popcorn of a smaller size than traditional popcorn.
So with amaranth We can make from a milkshake or smoothie, to bars, pancakes or other preparations.
Kañiwa
Like quinoa, kañiwa is native to the South American Andes and shares with it its pseudocereal quality, as well as different nutritional properties.
It is rich in complex carbohydrates, proteins and fiber, as well as providing calcium, vegetable iron, B-complex vitamins, potassium and antioxidants to the body that can enrich the diet as well as benefit health by keeping us away from diseases.
It is cooked just like quinoa, with previous washing of its coffee-colored grains and of small size and later boiling them for approximately 20 minutes. With it we can prepare different dishes just as we would with quinoa: salads, stews, stir-fries, hamburgers and others.
wheat germ
It is a derivative of a widely used cereal such as wheat and has, like quinoa and the other superfoods shown before, a high protein intake of vegetable origin as well as healthy fats and a variety of vitamins, minerals, among which folic acid, iron, calcium and potassium stand out.
It is also a source of antioxidants and very versatile in the kitchen, since we can enrich a variety of preparations with wheat germ such as a bowl of milk, a cake, a pie, pancakes or others.
Son
It is a cereal with a different nutritional composition than others and with a much smaller grain, which is why it is very similar to quinoa with carbohydrates but high protein content, healthy fats, fiber and variety of vitamins and minerals.
Although the Son does not have a large amount of calcium and provides much less iron than quinoa is a source of magnesium, potassium and B vitamins within which folic acid or folate stands out.
In the kitchen we must also boil it for approximately 20 minutes having previously washed it at least two or three times. And we can include it in a garnish with pumpkin, in a salad or, combined with lentils.
Wheat semolina or cous cous
The cous cous It is a derivative of wheat, a very popular cereal that, although it has much less fat and fiber than quinoa, has a caloric intake and a protein content as well as carbohydrates very similar to it.
On the other hand, it provides less iron and calcium than quinoa but it also offers minerals and vitamins that our body needs while also being very versatile when cooking.
With cous cous we can prepare from a salad or a stir-fry to a full breakfast or a taboulé with a large number of variants.
Rye
It is a cereal that contains gluten and is harder than wheat, so unlike wheat, it contains a greater supply of protein and fiber, as well as a minimum of healthy fats.
Unlike quinoa, it has a higher proportion of carbohydrates, and although it is not rich in iron like this one, it has magnesium, B vitamins and potassium.
The rye It is used mostly in the form of flour to make a variety of baked goods such as mini rolls, a sponge cake, or a whole wheat bread.
Oatmeal
It is one of the best known cereals that shares with quinoa its minimum content in healthy fats as well as its large amount of fiber. Likewise, it has less protein than quinoa and is also lower in terms of its iron content.
It is very useful when cooking with easily available ingredients, since with it we can make, in addition to variety of recipes for breakfast like cookies or porridge with milk, other savory preparations or for other times of the day.
We already see that beyond quinoa we can use other foods in its replacement such as these seven alternative superfoods that can offer variety and good nutrients to the diet.
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