Healthy Quinoa Recipes for Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

So we’ve all heard of the impressive health benefits of ‘superfood’ quinoa, but have you ever considered working it into traditional recipes which you’d otherwise have to avoid? I’m talking carb-laden pasta bakes, or bad-for-you chicken nuggets. Quinoa is also a great alternative if you’re totally not into carbs or don’t enjoy the gluten that comes in breadcrumbs or the bloating that comes from refined wheat.

Quinoa is super not only because it can be easily worked into easy old-fashionedrecipes, but also because of how much energy a small serving provides – packed full of iron and magnesium and as a healthy wholegrain keeps you fuller for longer – and BEST OF ALL you can work it into any recipe, whether it be breakfast, lunch or dinner (trust me – in the morning it can imitate oats, in the evening it can imitate rice, it’s fab!).

Related posts: Top 5 Best Quinoa Products On The Market

I use Quinola quinoa in all of these recipes because you can buy it pre-cooked or uncooked and has a distinct aromatic flavour that I’ve never experienced with other quinoa products. 🙂

Quinoa recipes for breakfast

Choc-Banana Quinoa Breakfast Bowl

Ingredients

• 60g uncooked quinoa
• 100ml almond milk
• 50ml water
• 1 banana, mashed
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. In a saucepan, boil the quinoa, almond milk, water and a dash of salt. If at the point of boiling you think it could use more liquid, add a little more milk or water until you’re satisfied. I prefer mine thicker, but it’s all down to preference.
2. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until all the liquid has been absorbed. This should takes between 5 and 10 minutes.
3. Transfer the mix to a bowl and mix in the banana, honey, cocoa powder and vanilla. Make sure all the cocoa powder and bananas are well distributed.
4. Add a little more almond milk in these final serving stages so you get that fantastic pudding texture.
5. Enjoy!

Quinoa recipes for lunch

Cauliflower Quinoa Bake

Ingredients

• 30 ounces cauliflower florets
• 150g uncooked quinoa
• 30 ounces tomato sauce (I use Mr Organic for a healthier version of this classic)
• 2 tbsp quality olive oil
• A handful of chopped fresh basil
• ½ tsp oregano
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 5 ounces grated hard cheese (I use hard cheese because it’s better for my IBS although it doesn’t melt as well as milk-based cheese like mozzarella so it’s all down to preference)
• Pinch of salt

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180c.
2. In a large baking dish, combine the cauliflower, oil, salt, oregano, basil and pepper. Roast the mix in the oven for about 20minutes until the cauliflower starts to brown on top.
3. In the meantime, cook the quinoa in a saucepan (or alternatively use Express Quinola. Once cooked, add the tomato sauce and a little salt to taste.
4. Remove the cauliflower from the oven and add the quinoa mixture to it. Top with the cheese and bake until the tomato sauce starts bubbling (around 20 minutes).
5. Serve up for a healthy pasta bake mock up!

Quinoa recipes for dinner

Chicken Strips with a Crunchy Quinoa Crust (or nuggets)

Ingredients

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into nuggets
• 100g plain flour
• 1 teaspoon salt + ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 3 eggs + 2 tablespoons water
• 200g cooked quinoa

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200c and grease and line a baking sheet.
2. In a bowl, whisk the flour, salt and pepper.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and water.
4. Dunk the chicken nuggets into the flour mixture, then the eggs and then coat in the cooked quinoa, over-compensating with the covering as some is likely to come off during baking – plus you want to retain that super crunch from the quinoa coating.
5. Place the prepared nuggets on the baking sheet and drizzle in cooking oil to get them crispy during the bake.
6. Bake for 20 minutes or until the nuggets are visibly browned.
7. Leave to cool and serve up like the healthiest McDonald’s meal you’ve ever had.

Also check out my quinoa beetroot burger recipe here https://mywellbeingjournal.com/2015/05/20/healthy-gluten-free-recipes-quinoa-beetroot-burger/