Quinoa Sushi recipe. Delicious and nutritious for the whole family!

Dorit Palvanov is a nutritionist and an explorer of healthy foods that are  smart and easy for moms to make but fun for kids to eat. She is a busy  mom of two toddler girls and enjoys playing, reading and traveling with  them as much as possible. As a young mom there are so many things we  have to do and preparing a nutritious meal can sometimes just take way  too long. So her time in the kitchen is spent developing recipes that  usually are made in less than half an hour but are delicious and  nutritious for the entire family! Check out her blog smartsalad for more interesting ideas and recipes. For questions or inquires related kids’ nutrition you can reach her at dorit@smartsalad.com.

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I get asked a lot about quinoa as many moms are super curious about this  superfood. Quinoa is not a grain, It’s a seed that originates in the  regions of Ecuador, Bolivia, Colombia and Peru. It has numerous health and beauty benefits, I’ve prepared a list for you with the top 6 health  benefits of quinoa:

1) Quinoa is a complete protein, which means your body gets all the  essential amino-acids it needs to build things like antibodies, enzymes, neurotransmitters, etc. Many people think we must eat meat or chicken  in order to get enough protein in our diet, which is simply not true.

2) Quinoa is great for energy and wound healing. In fact, historically  quinoa was eaten by the Inca warriors to boost stamina and quicken recovery time. It is also an anti-inflammatory food which helps your  joints heal better from injuries. Quinoa will also help you to get rid  of toxins which accumulate in our bodies and if not eliminated might  cause illness.

3) The saying “you become what you eat” is true regarding Quinoa as well.  It is a high endurance food, and when we eat lively foods eventually we  become like that food. If you experience energy crashes during the day,  notice what you have on your plate next time you eat. Are the foods  natural, alive and good quality? If not, then this might be the reason  behind your energy crashes. I recommend eating quinoa at least twice a  week, your energy levels will eventually go up for good!

4) Quinoa is GLUTEN FREE! The less wheat in your diet the smaller tooshies you’ll have! The less wheat in your diet the less inflammation, fat and  unnecessary weight you will have.

5) Quinoa has a high dietary fibre content, which helps to stabilize bowel movements. We need tons of soluble fibre in our diets so that our bowel movements are regular and toxins are eliminated from our systems as  opposed to accumulating. A toxic body might get a sickness or disease, so make sure you eliminate on a regular basis.

6) Quinoa is super healthy for baby! Add it to their soups, fruit, veggies, milk or formula. It is a great first food, instead of processed white rice, barley or oats. By choosing quinoa as baby’s first food you teach him/her to get used to healthy foods, which will make your life much easier down the road.

If you have bloating issues soak your quinoa 2-4 hours prior to cooking it and make sure to wash it thoroughly before you cook it. Soaking makes the quinoa more digestible and easier to break down in your stomach.

In my household we often have cooked quinoa in the fridge. It is a  lifesaver for me when I simply don’t have the time to make something else. I make cakes, veggie burgers, pancakes, and even sushi with this amazing seed! A few weeks ago I shared a recipe for quinoa sushi on my  blog and it was a big hit, so Maya asked me to share it with you all as well.

My kids absolutely loved it, I don’t think they ever noticed that I put quinoa instead of white sushi rice 🙂

Quinoa Sushi Recipe

Ingredients

For quinoa base:

1 cup quinoa cooked

1 tbsp mayonnaise (preferably homemade)

1 package of sushi wraps (nori)

For stuffing:

Cucumbers

Zucchini

Avocado

Pepper (red, yellow, green)

* You can put whatever you or your kids like! This is where you hide those veggies if your kids refuse to eat them raw, so be creative!

Directions:

Spread the quinoa on the sushi wrap, put veggies on the edge of the wrap and  roll. The process is exactly the same as you make sushi, just substitute rice with quinoa.

Enjoy!