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Keen on Quinoa
A Healthy Grain for Toddlers That's Making a Comeback
By Donna Smith
Dr. Carolyn Dean, nutritionist, author of The Magnesium Miracle (Ballantine Books, 2006) and medical director of The Nutritional Magnesium Association, agrees that it's a great choice for vegetarians, but that it also has benefits for children.
"Unlike wheat or rice (which are low in lysine), quinoa contains a balanced set of essential amino acids for humans, making it an unusually complete protein source," she says. "It is a good source of dietary fiber and phosphorus and is high in magnesium and iron. Magnesium is especially good for children because it helps metabolize protein as well as fats and carbohydrates. Magnesium is also a co-factor in energy production, which growing children need." She adds that quinoa is gluten-free and considered easy to digest.
O'Shea says quinoa can be cooked in a variety of liquids, from broth to milk to water, and generally the ratio is one part liquid to one part quinoa. "You may want to use a little more liquid when preparing the quinoa for younger children to make it softer," O'Shea says. "Make sure that for young children it is cooked to a soft consistency and that any additions such as herbs, seasoning, vegetables, etc. are also oft and safe from an age-appropriate standpoint. Quinoa can be made into a pilaf similar to any rice recipe. It is also great cooked with milk either alone or mixed with oatmeal for a great breakfast."
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Re: by mom of four on 02/20/2009 02:43AM
My family has been eating quinoa for years now. I used to have to go to the health food store for it, but it's so nice to see now that you can find it at almost any grocery store. My kids loves it, even my 3-year-old. Would love to see some more recipes here for using it.