Native to the Andean region of South America, quinoa is a nutritional powerhouse. It is one of the very few natural food crops that contains all nine essential amino acids required to produce functional proteins in the human body. Because of its healthy and balanced nutritional value, quinoa was recommended to NASA as one of the dietary choices for astronauts.
Quinoa is rich in fiber, iron, folate, vitamins, magnesium, and heart healthy omega 3 fatty acids. Similar to the black soybean, quinoa has a low glycemic index due to its high concentration of fiber and complex carbohydrates.