Quinoa (pronounced keen-wa), is a grain that originally comes from the Andes  Mountains of South America. Quinoa's origins are truly ancient. It was one of  the three staple foods, along with corn and potatoes, of the Inca civilization.

Quinoa contains more protein than any other grain; an average of 16.2  percent, compared with 7.5 percent for rice, 9.9 percent for millet, and 14 percent for wheat. Some varieties of quinoa are more than 20 percent protein.

Quinoa's protein is high in lysine, methionine and cystine. This makes it an excellent food to  combine with, and boost the protein value of, other grains (which are low in lysine).  Besides its unique protein,  quinoa also provides starch, sugars, oil (high in essential linoleic acid), fiber, minerals, and  vitamins.

Quinoa is light, tasty, and  easy to digest. It is not sticky or heavy like most other grains, and  it has a delicious flavor all its own. 

Quinoa can be substituted for almost any grain in almost any recipe. It looks and tastes great on its own, or in any dish from soup to salad.

Many people eat grains only during the colder months, but quinoa's lightness combined with its versatility in cold dishes like salads and desserts makes it an ideal source of good summertime nutrition.

Quinoa is an excellent source of nutrition for infants and children.