Maple-Cinnamon Crunchy Quinoa

Taste.  Texture.  Appearance.  Even if you’re not thinking about it when you’re eating that voluptuous bowl of oatmeal you prepared, these are all qualities that come into play when deciding if you like a food or not.  We all have our preferences and for some taste might be king, while another person might be more interested in how their food looks.

For toddlers and kids, texture tends to be extremely important.  And one particular texture seems to be a favorite:  crunch.  Meghan likes almost anything that goes crunch when she bites down her little teeth.  I’m always looking for ways to bring crunch to her foods because I know my odds of getting her to eat it will grow exponentially.

Unfortunately, a lot of crispy foods aren’t the healthiest.  In comes crunchy quinoa.  Why didn’t I think of this before?  Raw quinoa toasted in the oven with a little oil and maple syrup becomes a delicious, tasty topping that can be used in a variety of ways.  You know I like quinoa for breakfast, and this is another way to incorporate it into your morning meal.

In the picture above, it’s shown as a topper for plain yogurt and fresh strawberries.  I added some to our pancakes this morning a fun, crunchy topping.

This would be wonderful mixed with dried fruit for a healthy snack.  You can mix this mildly sweet topping with savory dishes as well.  I think this crunchy quinoa would be delicious added to a green salad or vegetable medley.

By adding 2 tablespoons crunchy quinoa, take a look at what you’re adding to your day nutritionally:

Calories:  100

Fat:  3 g

Fiber:  2 g

Protein:  4 g (complete protein!)

Sugar:  2 g

Iron:  2.14 mg

Calcium:  10 mg

You are also getting magnesium, potassium, selenium, and more.

Adding this to your meal is a great way to boost the nutrients, especially some that can be difficult to get enough of, like iron.

Kids ages 1-10 need 10 mg of iron each day, women and teen girls need 18 mg a day, men and teen boys need 10-12 mg a day, and pregnant women need 30 mg a day.

Unless you are eating a lot of red meat, those numbers aren’t easy to attain.  So reach for some crunchy quinoa to help you get there!

It’s really quick to prepare and you can keep it in an airtight container in your pantry for when you need it.  So what are you waiting for?

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Enjoy!  If you are anything like me, you will have trouble not eating this straight from the container with a spoon.  I hope everyone is having a fabulous weekend!