10 healthy quinoa recipes that take 30 minutes or

If you want to start eating healthier add quinoa to your diet! It is an simple change that can have tremendous benefits – quinoa can help you lose weight, improve your digestion and even reduce inflammation. Here we're sharing 10 simple and healthy quinoa recipes you can start with.

We wasn’t the biggest fan of quinoa 3 years ago. Everybody was raving about it and we hated it. But here’s the thing: we hadn’t even tried it before we judged this angel disguised as a tiny grain. Once we had it, we started loving it.

Health Benefits Of Quinoa

Quinoa is a highly nutritious food that isn’t high in calories. This is the one quality we’re looking for in a food: more nutrients for less calories. This way you can feed your immune system, your brain, your skin, every single healthy cell in your body, so they can do their job and we can live a long and happy life. Now here are some of the health benefits of quinoa:

contains high amounts of magnesium, manganese, protein, folate, fiber, and iron
can help you lose weight due to its high fiber and protein content
gluten-free, so also suitable for those with sensitivities
might have anti-inflammatory properties due to its antioxidant content

Quinoa Nutrition

Quinoa is not a cereal, it’s a seed and it’s more nutritious than most grains. Our search in the USDA National Nutrient Database delivered this result for 1 cup of cooked quinoa:

222 kcal
8.4g Protein
3.55g Total fat
39.4g Carbohydrate (30%)
5.2g Fiber (21%)
2.8mg Iron (16%)
118mg Magnesium (37%)
281mg Phosphorus (40%)
318mg Potassium (7%)
2mg Zinc (25%)
0.198mg Thiamin (18%)
0.204mg Riboflavin (18%)
0.228mg vitamin B-6 (18%)
78µg Folate (20%)

Note that the daily value percentages (%) are rough estimates made using the US recommendations for females, 19 years or older. They vary and depend on multiple factors (among others your weight).

How To Cook Quinoa

Quinoa cooks quickly. We’re talking around 10 minutes.

One thing you need to do before you start is to, please, make sure to rinse the quinoa good. It contains saponins that give it a bitter taste, but washing will get rid of them. For that purpose, we actually boil some water using our electric kettle and wash the quinoa with the hot boiled water 2-3 times inside the pot we will be cooking it in.
Now that your quinoa is clean, add water to the cooking pot in 1:2 ratio. Means, 1 cup quinoa + 2 cups water. Then cover with a lid and cook at medium to medium-high heat. To speed things up, we usually use the rest of the hot water.
Once the water is boiling and you see most of it is absorbed by the quinoa, reduce the heat (this could take around 4-5 minutes). Let simmer at the lower temperature for about 5-10 minutes, covered with the lid.
Then turn off the heat and let quinoa sit covered for 5 minutes.

How To Use Quinoa In Meals

Quinoa is more nutritious, therefore healthier than rice and for us, definitely, easier to cook than brown rice. So, wherever we would usually use rice, we add quinoa instead. On the side of curries, to make fried rice, risottos and our favorite way: in salads. We sometimes also like to use it instead of pasta – it’s definitely the healthier, less processed option.

Adding quinoa to your salads will make them more filling and satisfying, which will reduce cravings and will prevent overeating (which is the biggest reason we gain weight).

10 Healthy Quinoa Recipes Ready in Less Than 30 Minutes

Most of these recipes require only one pan or are bowls that can be put together in less than 15 minutes. To speed things up, we highly recommend pre-cooking the quinoa whenever you have the time, on the weekend or in the evening. You can then store the cooked quinoa in the fridge for 3-4 days.

1. Tomato and Basil Quinoa Risotto

This satisfying tomato and basil quinoa risotto is a 10-minute meal we made pretty spontaneously before we had to head out to an event one evening. Since then, it’s been one of our go-to fast and simple meals. With sun-dried and fresh tomatoes, a little bit of garlic, some basil, and zucchini this quinoa dinner recipe is healthy, fresh and comforting. It’s also vegetarian and gluten-free. You’ll find the recipe below.

2. Quinoa, Tomato And Avocado Salad

Turn a simple tomato and cucumber salad into something more filling and satisfying by adding not only quinoa but basil, feta cheese, and avocado. You will find the recipe here.

3. Quinoa Fried Rice

Our sister made this healthier version of fried rice in an effort to feed her toddler something different than bread and olives. We don’t know about him, but we couldn’t stop eating this, and we’ve been making it ever since because it’s satisfying and takes 10 minutes. It’s similar to our vegetable fried millet recipe, you can find the recipe on her (new) blog here.

4. Quinoa, Chickpea & Green Bean

If you want to cut down on animal products and eat a little bit healthier, meals like this one will make you feel like you can do it. This is a simple vegan dinner recipe with quinoa, chickpeas, green beans and vegetables. It’s highly nutritious, tasty and our mom loved it, even though she was expecting grilled chicken for dinner. You can find the recipe here.

5. Avocado, Chicken And Quinoa Salad

A healthy quinoa salad recipe with chicken, avocado and roasted red peppers. A nutritious, filling and tasty salad recipe that is great for lunch! Or dinner. You can find the recipe here.

6. Meal Prep Tuna & Quinoa Salad

If you’ve got some canned tuna, make this satisfying salad. Whether you actually meal prep it or not doesn’t matter – it’s nourishing, full of flavor and beyond simple to make. You can find the recipe here.

7. Lentil Quinoa Soup Recipe

Another way to use quinoa is to simply add it to soups! Try this one with lentils and broccoli, the recipe is here.

8. Bean and Quinoa Lettuce Wraps

We don’t want to say we like one of our kids, ahem recipes, more than the others, but this lettuce wrap recipe as unsatisfying as it might sound is our favorite. It’s light, but it’s also FULL OF FLAVOR – the spicy bean dip, the salad, the creamy avocado sauce…you just can’t go wrong with these satisfying vegan lettuce wraps. The recipe is here.

9. Avocado, Cucumber And Quinoa Salad

This avocado, cucumber and quinoa salad has a more Asian flavor and is great if you’re craving sushi or something lighter. The recipe is here.

10. 5-Minute Mediterranean Bowl

You can make this satisfying vegan Mediterranean bowl in around 5 minutes if you have cooked quinoa, hummus and tzatziki at home. It’s simple to put together and makes a healthy tasty lunch or dinner. You can find the recipe here.

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10 healthy quinoa recipes that take 30 minutes or less