Quinoa For Breakfast.

Quinoa, how I love thee.

One night when I was perusing and feverishly printing off recipes to try from 101 Cookbooks, I saw Heidi’s recipe for Warm and Nutty Cinnamon Quinoa.  Quinoa for breakfast?  Interesting…I thought to myself.  I tried it the next morning and was completely converted.  But then I eat quinoa almost every day anyway.

Last summer my daily breakfast became a big bowl of quinoa and fresh fruit, particularly raspberries I picked with Jen and local peaches.  I simply couldn’t imagine a day without it.  When I went to the Thermador blogger event last July, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the chef had prepared a quinoa fruit salad for the breakfast buffet.  And since then I’ve seen other blogs with quinoa breakfast recipes.  It’s a good thing, quinoa for breakfast.  Healthy too.
Here’s what I do when I make quinoa for breakfast:
Measure the desired amount of quinoa into a colander.  Rinse well.  Place in a saucepan with correct amount of water and a pinch of salt.  Cook until tender, about 20 minutes.  (A general rule of thumb is 1 cup quinoa to 2 cups water.  You can use other liquids in place of the water, if you choose, like milk, non-dairy milks, juices, and stock/broth.)
In the bowl clockwise from left to right:  ground chia seeds, ground cinnamon, chopped almonds, ground flaxseed.
I scoop a bit of quinoa into a bowl, maybe 1/2 cup or so, top it with 1 tsp. ground flax seed, 1/2 tsp. ground chia seeds, 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon, a sliced banana, berries (or another fruit), some chopped almonds, and a splash of Silk Almond Milk.
(Silk is my preferred brand though Blue Diamond makes a good almond milk too.) If I want it a little sweeter, then I add a drizzle of agave or a sprinkle of sucanat (a natural sugar).
It gives me energy all morning long.  Quinoa is one of the healthiest foods on Earth.  It’s full of nine amino acids, meaning it is a complete protein.  It’s also full of other vitamins, minerals, and fiber.  (Read more about the health benefits here.)  Add some antioxidant-rich wild blueberries, almonds, almond milk, ground flax and chia seeds with healthy omega-3 fatty acids.  It’s a power breakfast if there ever was one.

Maybe you want something more savory for breakfast?  Okay.  Quinoa is perfect for that too.  I will sometimes mix quinoa with some salsa and black beans.  I eat it with homemade corn tortillas or with a spoon.  Sometimes I add avocado or corn.  It’s great for breakfast or lunch.

I’ve had my eye on these quinoa recipes to try:

Almond Quinoa Muffins from Meet Me in the Kitchen
Breakfast Quinoa from Martha Stewart
Quinoa Breakfast Bars with Blueberries from Gluten Free Goddess
Quinoa Skillet Bread from 101 CookbooksWhat about you?  Do you like quinoa?  What are you eating for breakfast to get your day going?

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13 Comments

  1. it’s like you’re inside my brain! i’ve been wanting to try quinoa for such a long time, and i’ve made long pauses in front of it in the bulk aisle lately, but then i thought, i’ll buy it later. i’ll get to it later.
    and now i’m going to try it! thanks!
    back when i was having healthy breakfasts all the time, i usually made myself a green smoothie. tons and tons of spinach (sometimes kale), chia seeds, ground flaxseed, hemp oil, a really ripe banana, almond milk, sometimes some frozen blueberries to sweeten it up. i don’t know why i stopped, i need to start doing that again. maybe quinoa one day and green smoothie the next?

  2. I used it for the first time a few weeks ago and really enjoyed it. I want to incorporate it more into my diet and Addie’s. I will definitely try this breakfast!

  3. I just started using it as well. Have you read the Eat to Live book? I am doing that right now, and I really like it. So, quinoa is definitely more in my repitoire. Thanks so much for some more recipes!

  4. I made one dinner quinoa recipe that wasn’t too great so I’ve been a little gunshy to try it again…I’m going to have to try it this way and see if we like it better. Where do you get chia seeds?–I keep hearing about them lately, but have never seen them.

  5. Yeah!! “Lindsey” likes Quinoa!! :-) I like cooked Quina served with, or topped with steamed or sauteed veggies, like yellow squash, or zucchini, onions, red bell pepper, carrots, etc. whatever you prefer. For me Quiona is a “rice” replacement. If you are a rice lover you’ll like Quinoa too!

    Thanks Lindsey!! that breakfast looks soooo good with the banana’s and berries….how luscious, and pretty! XO JennyKY

  6. isn’t it fabulous? quinoa is one of my favorite “grains” too. We also like millet, amaranth, and polenta the same way in the morn. i love the heart around the almond milk!

    it seems breakfast in our homes are identical, I’m not the same without my flax and chia! :)

    aren’t grains wonderful?

  7. Eating quinoa for breakfast is absolutely yummy and healthy too. I think Warm and Nutty Cinnamon Quinoa sounds really delicious. I bet you’re enjoying your everyday quinoa breakfast, and by the way, I agree that you should try adding some salsa and black beans in quinoa one of these days, because I’m sure that you’ll love it!

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