Cook 1 Box Of Quinoa, Eat Healthy For The Whole Week
I'm always looking for ways to make eating healthy easy. And delicious and budget-friendly. That's why quinoa is one of my go-to ingredients. The gluten-free grain is simple to make and delivers five grams of fiber per cooked cup. It's also insanely versatile which makes it a great option for prepping a batch on Sunday and using it in healthy meals throughout the week. And I promise that you won't get bored of eating it—here's how:
Teleginatania, Getty1Sunday
I started by combining 1.5 cups of dry Ancient Harvest Organic Quinoa with 3 cups of water in a large pot and bringing it to a boil, reducing to a simmer, and cooking for about 15 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed. Tip: you know quinoa is done when you see a spiral string, which is the germ ring, coming out from each grain. This left me with three cups of cooked quinoa to use in a variety of ways throughout the work week.
Courtesy of Sarah-Jane Bedwell2Monday
I started the day with a breakfast quinoa. To make it I fluffed ½ cup of the cooked quinoa with a fork and added ½ cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk, 1 tablespoon chopped walnuts, 2 tablespoons dried cranberries, and 1/8 teaspoon each of fresh orange zest and ground cinnamon. This tasty, nutty breakfast has just 300 calories while providing 5 grams of fiber and 8 grams of protein. Tip: If you prefer a warm breakfast, simply heat all ingredients together, stirring constantly in a saucepan over low heat until warmed.
Lauri Patterson, Getty3Tuesday
The chilly winter weather has had me craving hot and hearty dinners, so tonight I used about ½ cup of the pre-cooked quinoa to make this quinoa veggie burger. The quinoa combined with cannellini beans, Panko bread crumbs, and egg produces the perfect texture, and the Italian herbs yield a yum-worthy flavor. Plus the patty has 8 grams of fiber and 11 grams of protein. Win!
Courtesy of Sarah-Jane Bedwell4Wednesday
Today's lunch is so satisfying that it is hard to believe that it only took a couple of minutes to throw together. It's my Mediterranean take on a burrito bowl that combines ½ cup of that cooked quinoa, 3 ounces tuna, ¼ cup artichoke hearts, 2 cups baby spinach, ¼ cup each diced cucumbers, feta cheese, and tomatoes, and 1/8 cup sliced Kalamata olives. Then you top it all off with a tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil and ½ tablespoon red wine vinegar. It's filling, tasty, and provides a whopping 30 grams of protein. Easy-Peasy.
manyakotic, Getty5Thursday
So, I've already enjoyed a breakfast, lunch, and dinner, all thanks to the batch of quinoa I made on Sunday. Now, I am going to put quinoa on snack-duty by using 1 cup of my cooked quinoa to make these super delicious Almond-Cranberry Quinoa Cookies. The sweet and chewy snacks have around 200 calories with 3 grams of fiber and 5 grams of protein per serving.
A_Lein, Getty6Friday
I'm using my final ½ cup of cooked quinoa to make a personal pizza using this recipe for quinoa pizza crust (I just cut the recipe into a fourth to make a single-serving size). The crust is the perfect combo of crispy-on-the-outside and fluffy-on-the-inside. Just throw on your favorite sauce and toppings, and you have the perfect Friday night dinner at home. I promise—it is waaaaaay better than delivery!
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