About five weeks ago, I had the following exchange on Facebook:

Friend 1: Mmmm. I just made some quinoa for lunch with a bit of chicken bullion granules and a palm full of Sweet Bell Pepper dip mix. Mmmm!

Friend 2: Quinoa is Keen!

Friend 1: Hee hee.

Me: I tried to like Quinoa because it’s supposed to be all healthy and have magical powers or something, but the texture was a little too odd for me. I also thought it was a little bitter. Am I the only one?

Friend 1: It’s not bitter if you rinse it enough. I enjoy the texture, but I don’t expect anyone in my house to like it. I had it for the first time just a few weeks ago and just had to get some. I will even eat it for breakfast with brown sugar. Yummy!

Friend 2: It can be bitter and the texture does take getting used to. Did you pre-rinse or soak your quinoa prior to using it in your recipe?

Friend 2: LOL about “magical powers”

Friend 2: The rinsing/soaking helps to remove the saponins which are bitter.

Me: I didn’t rinse it because the box I bought said it wasn’t necessary. I think they lie! I mention the magical powers because it seems like every time there is a new health food discovery it’s like everyone pounces on it, and then they make all sorts of claims to the point that you think, “Wow if I eat nothing but that stuff I can live F-O-R-E-V-E-R!”

Friend 2: I am now rolling on the floor laughing…happy?!
I’ve had the same conversation in my head…wow, I must eat this…the most recent one being “Spirulina”…I just can’t get over the green-ness of it though.

Acai berries seem to be that new greatest thing on the planet, but when I wrote about the magical powers of the latest discoveries, I was actually thinking about Broccoli. I know, it’s nothing new really. I went out to a Thai restaurant for lunch with a friend a few years ago, and she noticed that I was pushing all the broccoli to the side. She told me, “You need to eat your broccoli, it’s a super food. It helps prevent cancer.” I kid you not. Funny how I never hear the same about other foods closely related to broccoli that I do eat, like cabbage. I’m just sayin’. I mentioned this on my Facebook status and a friend of mine who needs her butt kicked sent me a link about super foods.

About a week after poking a little fun at the whole lot of magical super foods a dietitian visited our house through the program Sophia is enrolled in to help with her speech and food issues. She basically told me that I was doing a great job providing a good nutritional variety to Sophia despite her issues. She gave me a list of things to try like pumpkin bread, zucchini bread, and carrot bread. She assured me that despite the bread form the vitamins from the veggies will still carry through. She also suggested, get this, quinoa. Yep the super magic food strikes again. Maybe I’ll make quinoa muffins. The dietitian gave me a paper listing her suggestions and on it said, “You are setting a good foundation be consistent and persistent.” She had mentioned that because Sophia refuses to eat dinner, and I don’t make special meals just for her, she is going too long without food. She said we should offer a high protein snack like nuts or quinoa before bedtime. The child is holding out for cookies and other sweets. I’m not giving in to that. Sorry, that’s a no go.

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