Did you see the Wall Street Journal article, Quinoa Faces a Blacklash, on September 13th knocking the darling of healthful eating, quinoa? I did after a friend alerted me with a bit of a smile, which prompted me to immediately go look at what the mainstream media was now saying.  You see, in my opinion this was no surprise. Mainstream media has a tendency to jump on bandwagons of the latest trends and then hope their presentation, which often has roots in small, leading edge circles, shows how progressive their news is.  Then, as quickly as they were standing shoulder-to-shoulder with said miraculous item, they turn like a bored teen on a 3rd date, and espouse why it may not be that great after all.

If you read the article, you learned the cursory information, that “quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah), whose edible seeds are white, red, or black, is packed with protein, minerals and vitamins. It’s gluten-free. You can have it for breakfast (as a cereal), lunch (as a salad) and dinner (in a patty or as a side).” That aside, little more was offered to direct what exactly to do with quinoa since the theme of the article is to showcase the grumblings of many who don’t understand why quinoa has reached such levels of notoriety.  Further, there is an underlying subject, and that is, that the disheartened simply have had too many bad quinoa meals and they are sick and tired of hearing the hype.  I confess, I too am sick of the hype and would rather quinoa just be a pantry basic. Plus, I too have had some really bad quinoa concoctions – a particular horrific cookie from one of my favorite local haunts comes to mind, to name just one.

Regardless, for me quinoa is in my life to stay because it is so versatile and without a doubt can help lead to better health. ‘Help’ is the keyword here; not give you miraculous health by itself. A quinoa cookie, bowl of cereal or salad eaten here and there, will not, by itself, change your life much.  It is this reductionist approach, which mass media and society seems to always flirt with and then get disappointed by, that brews such discontent.  With less hype up front, expectations might be a little more realistic and people might move closer to the real benefit much like any long term relationship. The real message should be: Include more of all these healthier foods (plural) in your life to have overall better health.  Add quinoa in – move white rice out.  Add quinoa in – move wheat-based grains out. Add quinoa in – get more protein from plants instead of animals.  This is why quinoa is one of the darlings of healthier eating, not because it cures some incurable disease or is all-flavorful on its own. 

I personally am glad to have discovered quinoa and continue to look for ways to include it in my family’s meals.  Below is one of the most basic ways quinoa can be used. Tabouleh, the detoxing, parsley and lemon salad of the middle east, is a great vehicle for quinoa rather than the traditional (wheat) bulgar. Give it a try and let me know what you think (blog@gladforhealth.com) or if you have any questions about how you can use quinoa, just ask. I’ll be GLAD to help.

GLAD Quinoa Tabouleh

Prepare the quinoa:

1. quinoa raw, 3/4 cp
   

2. rinse well, discard water to remove bitterness from the dust
   

3. soak for 15 min-1 hr to start the sprout internally
   

4. cook al dente (pasta method) – it will double in volume
   

5. drain thoroughly, let sit in the fine mesh strainer
   

In a bowl, mix in order:

1. red onion, 1 small, diced finely
   

2. scallion (white and some green parts), 2-3 sliced on the diagonal
   

3. lemons, 2, zest and juice
   

4. red wine vinegar, 1 tbl. (may be omitted if using more lemon)
   

5. olive oil, 1 tbl. (omit for no oil eating)
   

6. cumin, 2 tsp, or to your taste
   

7. salt, ½ tsp, or to your taste (omit for no salt eating)
   

8. pepper, ¼ tsp, or to your taste
   

9. mix and let sit for a few minutes to lessen the bite of raw onions
   

Add in:

1. cucumber, kirby or hot house cucumbers, diced, 1 cp.
   

2. tomatoes , diced, 1 cp.
   

3. parsley, fresh flat leaf, ½-1 bunch, abt 1 cp. chopped fine (leaves and stems included); more parsley is best but may take some getting used to
   

4. mix together
   

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