Quinoa On Keto Diet: Yay Or Nay?

Quinoa, pronounced as keen-wah, is a herbaceous, annual plant grown as a crop primarily for its edible seeds. The Quinoa seeds are rich in protein, dietary fiber, Vitamin B, and minerals. A complete protein and wheat-free alternative to other grains, the demand for quinoa seeds has sharply increased over the recent decade. 

Quinoa resembles rice and other grains but is actually a seed. It’s also similar to rice in the sense that there are over a hundred different kinds of it available. And every type has its distinct qualities.

Quinoa acts as an incredible alternative to bulky grains but it is not actually a seed and belongs to the same family as beet, and spinach. It has recently gained more acceptance among dieticians, foodies, and fitness influencers. The high protein content makes it a favorite among vegans.In the article, “Is Quinoa keto friendly?”, will be the thing to discuss.

Nutritional Value Of Quinoa

As per the nutritional value of Quinoa, each 100g serving of cooked quinoa contains:

120 Calories

4.4 grams of Protein

1.9 grams of Fats 

20 grams of Carbs

2.8 grams of Fiber

And 72% of water

The goodness of Quinoa doesn’t only lie with its macros but it’s micros make it a superfood. Broccoli contains micronutrients like calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, manganese, folate, and vitamins.

It’s good enough that most diets would go with Quinoa for its Nutritional content and health benefits. When you are on any dietary regime, you want to stay away from unhealthy food. And most of the time, you have a question, can I eat this on my diet? The same is the case with Quinoa when you are on a Keto diet. No matter how good a food is, based on its nutritional value, it doesn’t qualify for a keto diet, unless it has the right nutritional value required to qualify as a keto-friendly food. On a keto diet, you always have a desire to eat diverse foods and feed your cravings. 

The Keto diet is a low-carb, moderate protein, and high-fat diet. It’s become a talk of the town and many people have seen the results. The ketogenic diet has changed the way people looked at getting fit. It’s become a relatively easier task to take on your fitness campaign, with keto diets’ amazing rapid weight loss and other weight-related health benefits. It’s been proven to reverse chronic health-related issues like Diabetes Type II, PCOS, hair and skin health, etc.

A ketogenic diet is an ultra low carb, moderate protein, and high healthy fat diet. It restricts your daily carb intake to 5%. It means that less than 5% of your daily calorie intake should come from carbs.

It’s proven and occurs through an induced metabolic process called ketosis. Your body needs energy, and primarily this energy is driven from carbs. Thus, glycogen (basically sugar) is your energy source in normal conditions. The Keto diet deprives your body of carbs and in turn gets you in ketosis, a state wherein your body turns to fats for energy as it runs out of carbohydrates. This helps you lose your extra fats within no time and at the same time helps you with your chronic conditions like Diabetes Type II, PCOD, etc. A dose of those extra proteins helps you get better skin and hair.

A healthy thing that keto does to you is that it helps you get rid of your unhealthy snack cravings. When you want to, you can have low-carb/keto snacks, which some brands are offering right now.

On a Keto Diet, You are not only cutting down carbs, but you are limiting them to the point that you stimulate supported ketone creation — something that you can’t do with other mainstream diets.We all know that Quinoa is beneficial for health but that still leaves us with the question:

Is Quinoa Keto-friendly ?

Let’s come to the conclusion by studying its macronutrients. One cup of Quinoa contains a total of 222 calories, 39 grams of carbs, 34 grams of net carbs, 5 grams of fiber, 4 grams of fat and 8 grams of Protein.

So, for individuals following a strict  Ketogenic diet; Quinoa is not a good option since it is high in carbs. But you can surely go with these foods. These foods are good substitutes for Quinoa. You can’t include Quinoa in keto diet but you surely can eat these substitutes. 

Quinoa Keto Substitutes:

1. Shredded Broccoli Rice

Besides being low carb, broccoli provides several health benefits. It helps in lower blood pressure and cholesterol, slows aging, improves bone and teeth health, increases metabolic function and even improves hormonal health.One cup of cooked broccoli contains 55 calories, 5 grams of fiber, 1 gram of net carbs, 4 grams of protein and zero fats.

2. Cauliflower Rice

Cauliflower Rice is the perfect low carb substitute for quinoa with its amazing nutritional value. It helps to fight off inflammation, decrease the risk of heart disease, help balance hormones, improve weight loss, improve skin and eye health and help in the prevention of cancer formation.One cup serving contains 25 calories, 2 grams of net carbs, 2 grams of eand zero grams of fat.

3. Shredded Water Chestnut Rice

A three-ounce serving of water chestnuts is about 36 total calories, and nine grams of net carbs. This makes it a great substitute for Quinoa.Various substitutes for Quinoa, like starchy vegetables, lentils, and legumes, are not considered good to eat when you are on a keto. Though being gluten-free, they have a very high glycemic index to be considered on a keto diet.

Can You Include Quinoa In Keto Diet?

Nay! It’s a big No. Is Quinoa keto friendly? No, you can’t have Quinoa in Keto Diet. However, you can substitute it with some foods mentioned in the article. So, before you try to munch on some Quinoa dishes, you should give one of these alternatives a try. These substitutes will not only give you the right dose of nutrients but will also fill your dishes with amazing flavors.

Including Quinoa in keto diet will hamper your progress.

If you are thinking about starting your keto regime or get to a keto diet, please give our other related articles a read. These articles will tell you the most things you need to know about the keto diet, its benefits, and probable side effects that you might face on a keto diet if you are having any related health issues.

We wish you good luck with your keto health regime!