Healthy breakfast choice with quinoa

The following whole grains are also inherently gluten-free [1]:

• Quinoa

• Gluten-free oats*

• Brown, black, or red rice

• Buckwheat

• Amaranth

• Millet

• Corn

• Sorghum

• Teff

*Oats though naturally gluten free often contain gluten from cross-contamination when they are grown near, or processed in the same facilities they use non-gluten free products.

Warm Quinoa Breakfast bowl

serve 4

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup dry quinoa, soaked* overnight

1 (13.5-ounce) can full fat coconut milk or 400mls (alternative) milk you prefer

1 tablespoon honey or pure maple syrup

splash vanilla extract

pinch of sea salt

Toppings: blueberry compote/ your favourite fruits, nut butter and pumpkin/sunflower seeds

DIRECTIONS:

1. Drain soaked quinoa then rinse. Add to a pot along with coconut milk and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer then stir in maple syrup, vanilla and salt. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring intermittently.

2. After 15 minutes, most of the milk should be absorbed. Remove from heat, cover and leave the quinoa for 15 additional minutes.

3. Serve warm topped with fruits/compotes, nut butter and seeds. Pour in additional milk, if desired.

*When soaked, it’s easier to digest

Savoury Quinoa Breakfast Bowl

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup dry quinoa, soaked* overnight

400mls water

1/2 Avocado

Lightly cooked chopped spinach

1 egg (cook your way)

Lightly cooked chopped 1 tomato or 5 mini tomatoes

pinch of sea salt

Optional: nutritional yeast, coconut aminos

DIRECTIONS:

1. Drain soaked quinoa then rinse. Add to a pot along with 400mls water & salt and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer then intermittently stir for 15 min.

2. After 15 minutes, most of water should be absorbed. Remove from heat, cover and leave the quinoa for 15 additional minutes.

3. Serve warm topped with fried egg, chopped avocado, and slightly cooked spinach & tomatoes.

4. If you need more flavours, you can add nutritional yeast, coconut aminos which you can buy at the major supermarkets.

*When soaked, it’s easier to digest

Where to buy Quinoa

You can buy all major supermarkets these days i.e Woolworth and Coles. You can have either tri colour or white quinoa. I prefer white quinoa for porridge and tri colour for salad bowl. If you are trying for the first time, I recommend getting the white one.

Meal prep for beginners

Leftover cooked quinoa can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I usually cook extra portions to reduce cooking time. If you cook quinoa in water (not milk), you can pour milk or yogurt before you eat so you can have both sweet or savoury options from the same batch.

References

1. Havard School of Public Health (2023) Gluten: A Benefit or Harm to the Body?; [reviewed 2023 Oct 11]. Available from: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/gluten/

2. Image [Internet]. Six Ingredient Breakfast Quinoa; [cited 2023 Oct 11]. Available from: https://themodernproper.com/six-ingredient-breakfast-quinoa

3. Image [Internet]. Spinach Mushroom Quinoa Breakfast Bowl Recipe; [cited 2023 Oct 11]. Available from: https://cookinglsl.com/spinach-mushroom-quinoa-breakfast-bowl-recipe/