Training & Nutrition - Quinoa as a recovery food?

I just found out that quinoa is mega-nutritious (http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/cereal-grains-and-pasta/5705/2) and that it's loaded in carbs, so it would seem like it would be a perfect recovery food. I only found one thread on it (here (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=443423)), but everyone is talking about how good it is and how to fix it as opposed to how good it is after a ride.

So has anyone here eaten it on a regular basis after their rides? How much of it do you eat? How does it compare with pasta and rice? What do you eat with it, if anything?

I eat it once a week or so.

I'd say it compares favorably with most pasta & rice because it is higher in protein.


I usually eat it mixed with steamed veggies over fresh spinach or similiar. A bit of Sriracha mixed in and I am good to go.

good stuff

I just ate some with paprika and a little bit of fish and some vegetables. I would figure that 1/2 to 3/4 of a cup dry would be a good recovery amount for a long ride.

Another good recipe is with nutmeg, pecans, and cranberries.

Thanks for the replies so far. I'll probably try some out the next time I go to the local co-op.

Are you all using a rice cooker or are you just adding it to some boiling water? When I'm eating rice after a ride, I set the cooker when I leave the house so it'll be ready for me as soon as I'm done. I don't want to waste any time between the end of the ride and when I first start refueling so having it ready as soon as I'm done is a plus. I read that you can use a cooker if you treat it like white rice but I wanted to hear from other people that do it that way before I come home to a ruined blob of quinoa.

Here's another good one:
http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/cereal-grains-and-pasta/5741/2
If you are unsure how to prepare it, see this:
http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/baked-products/4868/2
:)

Yet another:
http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/cereal-grains-and-pasta/5787/2
Be careful how this one is prepared though, as some common recipes seem to strip it of most of it's nutrient value. For example:
http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/beverages/3827/2