Viva Labs – The FINEST Organic Quinoa, 100% Royal Bolivian Whole Grain, 4 LB Bag
- LARGER AND SOFTER GRAINS WITH NUTTIER FLAVOR – Unlike Chilean or Peruvian quinoa, our grains are harvested from the Bolivian Altiplano, where royal quinoa grows in harsh growing conditions, ideal for optimal flavor and texture. The end result? Noticeably larger, rounder and heartier grains that lend a delicate softness and incredible mouthfeel once prepared.
- SATISFY HUNGER TO FEEL FULLER LONGER – Contrary to rice and millet, our quinoa provides a hefty amount of fiber (3g) and protein (6g) per individual serving, helping to satisfy hunger and curb food cravings all day long!
- BUILDING BLOCK FOR PROTEIN SYNTHESIS – As a complete vegetarian protein, our quinoa provides a complete range of essential and non-essential amino acids, helping to maintain lean muscle mass and support enzyme production for everyday health.
- ENRICH MODERN DAY RECIPES – Our quinoa replaces rice at equal ratios and is even suitable for rice cookers! Add a unique twist to stir-fry, sushi and Mexican rice recipes for added nutrition and a naturally nutty flavor in every spoonful. Certified organic and non-GMO, our quinoa is sustainably sourced in accordance with fair trade practices.
- DE-SAPONIZED FOR ENHANCED FLAVOR – Free of pesticides and harsh chemical processing, our quinoa is mechanically de-saponized and triple washed to remove quinoa’s bitter exterior. Our customers rave about our quinoa! “This package was easy to prepare. I just gave it a quick rinse and popped it into my rice cooker. It came out great and I couldn’t taste any bitterness.”
Quinoa, the Mighty Grain
Quinoa is an ancient South American staple cultivated from the pristine Andean mountains. It is revered as “the mother grain” and known to be “the gold of the Incas”. Aesthetically it is similar to rice, but carries its own unique nutritional profile and texture. Quinoa does not belong to the same family as wheat, barley, oats or rye, making it suitable for anyone following a gluten-free diet.
Nutrition Profile of Viva Labs Organic Quinoa
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List Price: $ 39.95
Price:
Excellent quality quinoa. (It’s a seed, BTW, not a grain.),
Quinoa, in general, has come a long way since I was first introduced to it 40 years ago in Peru. There, at that time, quinoa was considered a food for the poor and for chickens; no self-respecting upper/middle or upper class Peruvian would deign to eat it. Now look at it. First the yuppies and foodies of the world latched on to it. Now it’s a food for everyone everywhere of every social class, with the resulting rise in price that has socially aware folks fearing that the poor won’t be able to afford it anymore.
Social issues aside, I’m very happy to be able to find quinoa in just about every food market where I shop. This particular brand, however, I have not seen on the shelves and that’s a shame, because I’ve found it to be very good and would choose it over many of the other brands that I have found available.
Quinoa is high in protein, has, of course, no gluten, and is easily digested. It is also very versatile in ways to prepare it. The simplest use is to make it instead of rice, cooking with 2 parts liquid to 1 part quinoa seeds, and only adding the seasoning you would add to rice. That’s boring but nutritious. And it’s fun to see the seeds release their little “pigtails” when cooking is complete.
You can also make hot breakfast cereal with it instead of oats or wheat.
You can add seeds to any soup you are making or to any stews. It has little flavor and will not interfere with the desired taste of your preparation. It will add more protein and an interesting texture to the dish.
My favorite quinoa dish is a stew I prepare with squash, potatoes, corn and quinoa added to a “sofrito” of onion, garlic and tomatoes, and seasoned with cilantro leaves and salt, pepper, etc. to taste. I also learned in Peru to add in little cubes of “queso fresco” (Latin American style fresh cheese) at the very end of the cooking time.
But the sky is the limit as to what you can prepare with quinoa. Your best bet is to buy a cooking-with-quinoa book. There are so many available nowadays. I’ve found some good quinoa recipes in The Everything Peruvian Cookbook: Includes Conchitas a la Parmesana, Chicken Empanadas, Arroz con Mariscos, Classic Fish Cebiche, Tres Leches Cake and hundreds more! and I’m sure there are many other books out there.
(Product was supplied to me for a review.)
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|A High-Quality, Organic, Sustainably Grown Quinoa,
The label on the resealable zip-lock bag says “pre-washed,” but it’s still a good idea to rinse this quinoa before using it, as the serving suggestions specify. The rinse water ran pretty clear from the start, though. We boiled a cup of the grains and made a Mediterranean-style cold salad with scallions, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, chopped black olives, spices and a simple olive-oil-and-citrus dressing. It was delicious.
We had two other brands of quinoa in the pantry when this Viva Labs sample arrived–Ancient Harvest and Village Harvest. All three hail from Bolivia, which is a good thing considering that quinoa is an Andean grain. If I really squint at it, I might be able to convince myself that the Viva Labs seeds are a tiny bit larger, on average, than those of the other brands. It could be an optical illusion. Regardless, quinoa is a delicious, nutritious and healthy “superfood,” gluten-free and an excellent source of vegetable protein and essential amino acids. Even better, it tastes great when properly prepared.
Viva Labs is a leader in supplying high-quality, healthy, organic, sustainably grown foods, and this Whole Grain Quinoa is no exception. You can’t go wrong if you add it to your diet.
I’d normally rate a commodity such as this with three stars unless it’s uniquely superior to other versions on the market. The fact that Viva Labs Whole Grain Quinoa is sustainably grown and certified organic (not all brands are) appeals to our environmentalist sensitivities and warrants an extra star. This quinoa is an excellent choice if you want to be a responsible consumer.
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|just as good as the other brands of quinoa I’ve tried!,
I used this in a couple of dishes and it performed well in all of them. Over the weekend, I made a quinoa pilaf with sauteed vegetables and red kidney beans. (Chop and saute an onion in the oil of your choice, add a chopped red bell pepper and a chopped zucchini, cook until the vegetables are tender, add 1 cup of quinoa, add broth or water, and cook according to the package directions on the quinoa. You may have to adjust the cooking time a bit to account for the water in the vegetables. Then stir in some frozen corn and a can of red kidney beans and you have a pretty complete meal. You can serve it with sour cream and/or cheese if you want.)
I did not rinse the quinoa prior to use and I did not find it bitter. (I generally don’t rinse quinoa. If you do, you will probably want to continue that practice here.) This comes in a convenient resealable package. You can see the nutrition information by zooming in on the second product photo. It’s naturally gluten-free, vegan, and organic, if any of those are of issue to you. It performs at least as well as (in terms of taste, texture, and cooking time) the quinoa from Whole Foods I had been using prior to receiving this.
You should also have pretty good luck making a version of Mexican “rice” with this (drain a can of tomatoes and use that liquid plus a little water or broth for the cooking liquid; saute an onion in canola oil, add a cup of quinoa, add the tomatoes, add the liquid, bring to a boil, and allow to simmer for about 20 minutes, then stir and let sit for another 5 minutes). It makes a great side dish for enchiladas, refried beans, etc.
Anyway, this is pretty versatile. This was a new brand to me but I was happy with the results I got in a variety of dishes. I would definitely purchase this in the future.
Product provided by the manufacturer for evaluation purposes.
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