Kaniwa Giving Quinoa A Run For It's Money

The struggle is real when it comes to the holiday season, exercising, and finding ways to eat healthy when you just finished the last of the pumpkin pie leftovers. During the summer, eating a salad or smoothie is the perfect thing on a hot day. It’s not so easy when the sky is dark at 4:30 pm, and you want something warm inside of you. Maybe kaniwa can become your new friend.

This little South American seed is pronounced kah-nyee-wah, and you can liken it to quinoa. They are both amazing superfoods for you. Quite versatile, and are great staples if you’re living a plant based diet. When you start getting into the health benefits of kaniwa in comparison to quinoa, you might wan to add more kaniwa vs quinoa into your diet. 

Yes, seriously, kaniwa adds a lot more to your diet than quinoa. When the health food store carries an item in large quantities, you know something’s up with it. It’s how I discovered this gem giving quinoa a run for it’s money.

If you’re it health, eating foods high in antioxidants is a must. Kaniwa is a great source of flavonoids, which are the most intensively-studied antioxidants. In fact, kaniwa has been shown to contain even more flavonoids than quinoa. Besides providing anti-aging benefits for the skin, flavonoids may help prevent cardiovascular diseases, inhibit the growth of certain bacteria and viruses, and reduce the risk of certain inflammatory diseases. All this with a little reddish brown seed.

Kaniwa, like its cousin quinoa, is naturally gluten-free; yet, it is supercharged with B vitamins and a wide range of minerals, including calcium, iron and phosphorus, as shown in the Nutrition Facts for Kaniwa below.

Macronutrients

• Protein: 15.4 g 
• Crude fat:6.2 g
• Carbohydrates: 61 g 
• Crude fiber: 7.7 g 

Vitamins

• Thiamin (B1): 0.7 mg 
• Riboflavin (B2): 0.4 mg 
• Niacin (B3): 1.4 mg 

Minerals

• Calcium: 134 mg 
• Iron: 15 mg 
• Phosphorus: 424 mg 

As kaniwa is closely related to quinoa, it is not surprising that also kaniwa is loaded with high-quality protein that contains notable amounts of all essential amino acids, including lysine which is usually found only in small amounts in grains. In fact, kaniwa has been shown to contain even more protein than quinoa (around 16% compared with 13% reported for quinoa). Now I can see why kaniwa is sold by the barrel full.

So you get this amazing seed into your house, but what to do with it? My down and dirty secret I like to do is a tri blend of seeds. I do equal parts kaniwa, quinoa, and couscous, usually 2 cups, put it in a saucepan and boil with 4 cups water and chicken broth. Not too sexy, but it’s great to have on hand. Warm it up in the microwave after a long day, put a dollop of kiefir cheese on it, and settle down on the couch. Absolutely no time, taste yummy, and feels like you’re spoiling yourself. In reality, you’re filling yourself up with proteins, antioxidants, probiotics, and the list goes on.

If you’re looking for more than a couch sitting dish, how about one of these fancy recipes. A little extra effort makes for a family meal or why not take it along to a holiday gathering. Sneak a little health to a table overladen with lots of butter, sugar, and not so good stuff for you.

Kañiwa with Lemon, Basil and Tomatoes

• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup kañiwa, rinsed
• 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup chopped roma (plum) tomatoes
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (optional)

• Bring vegetable broth to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add rinsed kañiwa and reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook until all of the broth is absorbed, about 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and let stand covered for 2 minutes; fluff with a fork.
• Transfer kañiwa to a large serving bowl. Add lemon juice, tomatoes, basil, green onions and feta, if desired. Chill at least 1 hour before serving.

Kaniwa Farewell to Summer Salad

• 1/2 cup kaniwa 
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 2 ears fresh corn on the cob
• 1 small zucchini
• 1 bunch green beans
• quick pickled onions (optional)
• ghee or coconut oil
• olive oil to garnish
• salt and pepper
• goat’s feta, if desired

• Place kaniwa in a dry saucepan over medium heat and toast it until slightly fragrant. Add water and salt, cover, bring to a boil then reduce to simmer and cook until the water is absorbed and the seeds are tender. Remove from heat and set aside to let cool.
• While the kaniwa is cooking, prepare and grill the vegetables. Slice the zucchini into thin ribbons with a sharp knife or mandoline. Stem the green beans. Shuck the corn. Lightly coat the vegetables in melted coconut oil or ghee and sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper. Preheat the grill and cook until tender (times will vary greatly depending on the veggies!).
• In a large bowl place the grilled vegetables and drizzle with olive oil. Add cooled kaniwa, pickled onions, crumbled feta and salt and pepper to taste. Serve and enjoy.