Despite the hype over quinoa, only 50 per cent of Australians have ever tried it and hardly anyone knows why it’s supposed to be good for one’s health, survey shows.
Quinoa & Co’s survey has shown that a small percentage of Australians know anything about the superfood. In fact half of Australia wrongly mistake it for a grain (when it’s actually a seed) and 50 per cent have no idea how to pronounce it.
As a result, Sandhurst Fine Foods have recognised an opportunity to make the super seed more accessible and convenient for the Australian market.
Teaming up with their supplier in Peru – the heartland of quinoa – they have created a ready to eat range called Quinoa & Co. The first of its kind, the product is now available on Woolworths’ shelves across the country for $4.99.
Quinoa, the 4000 year old crop grown for its seeds, is really a food for modern times, said the company.
In 2015, the Harvard Public School of Health said that eating a bowl of gluten-free whole grain or cereal fibre daily reduces the risk of cancer, heart disease and diabetes.
Whilst quinoa is not technically considered to be a grain, the Wholegrains Council has dubbed it a “pseudo-cereal”, a term given to foods that are cooked and eaten like grains and contain a similar nutrient profile. In fact, quinoa is one of the plant source in the world to be considered a complete protein as it contains all nine of the essential amino acids that cannot be created by the human body, and must therefore be consumed.
The high-protein, low-sugar and gluten-free profile of quinoa makes it the ideal food for anyone wanting to inject a dose of healthy eating into their diets.
The range will consist of four tastings, including a mixed quinoa with eggplant caponata, a white quinoa with artichoke, a red quinoa with piquillo pepper, cabbage & lentil and a plain option for those wanting to add their own toppings.
