If you are on a weight loss journey, one food you need to add into your daily diet is quinoa.
“Quinoa is typically lumped in with the other types of ancient grains on the shelf, but it’s technically not even a grain, it’s actually a seed!” says Roxana Ehsani, MS, RD, CSSD, LDN, registered dietitian nutritionist and National Media Spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Quinoa comes in many different colors: white, black or red, or all together, tri-color, which Ehsani notes all provide pretty much the same nutritional breakdown when cooked.
“It’s loaded with good-for-you nutrients like fiber, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. It specifically contains manganese, iron, folate, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, B6, copper and riboflavin,” she says.
One cup of cooked quinoa has 222 calories, eight grams of protein, four grams of total fat, 39 grams of carbs, and five grams of fiber.
Here are six ways that adding quinoa to your diet will help you lose weight, according to dietitians. And for more healthy eating tips, check out People Who Lost 20+ Pounds Swear by These 13 Weight Loss Tips.