Quinoa is one of those incredibly healthy foods you don't hear everyday. While no single food can supply all the essential life sustaining nutrients, quinoa comes as close as any other in the planet or animal kingdom (1). Their visual appearance closely resembles the grain family, however it might be a good idea to keep in mind that they are more of the vegetable type rather than a grain (1). They are also closely related to spinach, kale and Swiss chard. If you are wondering if it was a good choice to pick up quinoa in your diet plan, you might be relieved to find that they can help you lose weight in a variety of ways. They are rich in minerals, protein and vitamins, and it leaves you feeling satisfied instead of depriving yourself. Here are 3 reasons quinoa can help expedite your weight loss efforts:

QUINOA IS LOW ON THE GLYCEMIC INDEX

The glycemic index indicates how carbohydrates affect your blood glucose. Because quinoa has a low glycemic index, it means that quinoa is safe for diabetics and it won't spike your blood sugar. When your blood glucose is significantly elevated it crashes, causing you to crave more sugar or simple carbohydrates. When your blood sugar is unbalanced, staying on a diet and making healthy eating choices is difficult because you crave sweets and refined breads. Quinoa is 35 on the glycemic index, which is relatively low and similar to most vegetables. A study from Europe found that a moderately high protein, low GI diet is the healthiest choice for achieving weight loss in the long term (1).

QUINOA IS LOW ON CALORIES

Did you know that quinoa is low in calories? They make a great companion to weight loss achievers. One serving of cookied quinoa contains approximately 172 calories. Even if you ate two or three servings of quinoa, you would get a much larger quantity of food for fewer calories than you would eating a plate of pasta, for example. However it is important to practice portion control as it is easy to grab over the amount of recommended servings of quinoa in a meal. Therefore if you are not practicing mindful eating you might find it slightly harder to shed those extra pounds, as it may be easy accidentally overeat. For a low calorie quinoa meal you can combine quinoa with salad or add vegetables and beans.

QUINOA IS RICH IN NUTRIENTS

Quinoa seeds are rich in eight essential amino acids and vitamins such as magnesium and calcium. Quinoa is also high in iron and vitamin B 12. Both iron and vitamin B 12 are essential for energy production and weight loss. If you are lacking B vitamins, your progress in losing weight can become slower than usual because your body won't be able to synthesize nutrients as efficiently.