Quinoa, pronounced keen-wa, was called the Mother Grain by ancient Aztecs. The seeds have a bitter coating which much be removed by washing or polishing in order to make it ready to cook. The leaves are also nutritious food, but are only locally available, of course. It can be substituted for rice on many recipes.
Quinoa was introduced to the western world in 1984 when it was considered to be a crop suitable for cultivation in the United States.
(R.D.)
Quinoa, 1/2 cup
| Nutrient | Units | .50 X 1 cup ——- 85g |
|---|---|---|
| Proximates | ||
| Water |
g
|
7.91
|
| Energy |
kcal
|
318
|
| Energy |
kj
|
1330
|
| Protein |
g
|
11.13
|
| Total lipid (fat) |
g
|
4.93
|
| Ash |
g
|
2.46
|
| Carbohydrate, by difference |
g
|
58.57
|
| Fiber, total dietary |
g
|
5.0
|
| Minerals | ||
| Calcium, Ca |
mg
|
51
|
| Iron, Fe |
mg
|
7.86
|
| Magnesium, Mg |
mg
|
178
|
| Phosphorus, P |
mg
|
348
|
| Potassium, K |
mg
|
629
|
| Sodium, Na |
mg
|
18
|
| Zinc, Zn |
mg
|
2.81
|
| Copper, Cu |
mg
|
0.697
|
| Manganese, Mn |
mg
|
1.921
|
| Vitamins | ||
| Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid |
mg
|
0.0
|
| Thiamin |
mg
|
0.168
|
| Riboflavin |
mg
|
0.337
|
| Niacin |
mg
|
2.490
|
| Pantothenic acid |
mg
|
0.890
|
| Vitamin B-6 |
mg
|
0.190
|
| Folate, total |
mcg
|
42
|
| Folic acid |
mcg
|
0
|
| Folate, food |
mcg
|
42
|
| Folate, DFE |
mcg_DFE
|
42
|
| Vitamin B-12 |
mcg
|
0.00
|
| Vitamin A, IU |
IU
|
0
|
| Vitamin A, RAE |
mcg_RAE
|
0
|
| Retinol |
mcg
|
0
|
| Lipids | ||
| Fatty acids, total saturated |
g
|
0.501
|
| 16:0 |
g
|
0.460
|
| 18:0 |
g
|
0.042
|
| Fatty acids, total monounsaturated |
g
|
1.305
|
| 16:1 undifferentiated |
g
|
0.009
|
| 18:1 undifferentiated |
g
|
1.296
|
| Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated |
g
|
1.995
|
| 18:2 undifferentiated |
g
|
1.882
|
| 18:3 undifferentiated |
g
|
0.113
|
| Cholesterol |
mg
|
0
|
| Amino acids | ||
| Threonine |
g
|
0.390
|
| Isoleucine |
g
|
0.401
|
| Leucine |
g
|
0.668
|
| Lysine |
g
|
0.624
|
| Methionine |
g
|
0.223
|
| Phenylalanine |
g
|
0.456
|
| Tyrosine |
g
|
0.312
|
| Valine |
g
|
0.501
|
| Arginine |
g
|
0.780
|
| Histidine |
g
|
0.267
|
| Alanine |
g
|
0.524
|
| Aspartic acid |
g
|
0.813
|
| Glutamic acid |
g
|
1.325
|
| Glycine |
g
|
0.579
|
| Proline |
g
|
0.346
|
| Serine |
g
|
0.411
|
USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 18 (2005)
