By ANGELA HAUPT
Cheryl Forberg considers quinoa “manna from heaven” – miraculous food.
Indeed, once you get past the pronunciation struggles (it’s keen-wah), you can move on to its benefits and versatility. In her new book “Cooking with Quinoa for Dummies,” Forberg, the nutritionist for NBC’s “The Biggest Loser,” examines everything you’ve ever wanted to know about quinoa – and then some.
What it is.
Quinoa is the seed of a goosefoot plant called Chenopodium quinoa, which traces back to ancient Peru. It’s a gluten-free, cholesterol-free and kosher whole grain. Quinoa is packed with all nine essential amino acids and provides a strong dose of iron, magnesium, vitamins E and B, potassium and fiber.