Is quinoa worth the price?

Question

it seems expensive at least the one I found. 1.5lb bag for $6! Was a bit shocked at the price so I didn't buy it. Does it even taste good?

Answer 1

The questions should really be "Is anything really worth the price"?

In the food business we always sit down and scrutinize prices.

We look at something that retails for $10 but when we figure it out it only costs 50 cents to make.

What really makes things expensive.

Let's see.

It's made somewhere and then it has to be shipped( so the shipping is expensive), then there are shipping brokers involved( they're expensive)

Then the products go to a distributor( the middleman) and he has to add a mark-up of 30%.

Then he ships it to stores( another shipping charge).

Then the store has to make a profit and the add another 30 to 40%.

So is it worth the price--No, but then again, nothing is.

Does it taste good?

Some llike it, some hate it.

It's not useless, it's reality.

Sorry for trying to educate you.

And I'm sorry that your such a snob.

Answer 2

A little goes a LONG way.  It expands 5X when cooked.  It will last you awhile and is very healthy.  I would shop around though...that's sounds like it was overpriced.

Answer 3

Yes it tastes good.  It's also easy to prepare and as versatile as rice.  It's a complete protein and a good source of iron and calcium.  So, definitely worth buying.

If you have a grocery that sells food in bulk bins, check there, though.  The bag you're talking about works out to $4/lb.  Last time I bought quinoa in bulk (a couple of weeks ago) I paid $2.69/lb.  The price is up currently because it's not harvested until fall so it's in somewhat short supply (globally) right now.

Answer 4

I really like it. It's a great sub for many things especially rice (for burritos for instance to have more nutrition and fiber) and bulgar (as in tabouli so that it is now gluten-free). Plus it's actually a seed so very high in all animo acids so a lot of people call it a "complete" protein (though if you eat enough of most foods you will get enough of all amino acids even though some foods are lower in some amino acids than they are in others causing some people to call them "incomplete").

You can try buying it in bulk from higher end stores and especially co-ops (I think mine is about $2.25lb) or buy mail order which can be much less expensive per pound. Remember too that "bulk" doesn't mean "mass" so if you only want half a pound then that's what you buy and it's less likely there will be waste.

http://www.purefood.org/coops.htm

Consider too that it does more than double in cooking so that bag you bought ends up being less than $2 per pound once cooked. One of the reasons for the price though is it's still relatively unknown and grows best at high altitudes which means mostly Peru (where it is from) and now Colorado.

It does have a lot of good nutrients and is very versatile.

There's also a red quinoa that people are raving about.

http://teaandcookies.blogspot.com/2007/0...

http://teaandcookies.blogspot.com/2008/0...

EDIT TO ADD:

It's also a good vegetable source of Omega 3 fatty acids, low glycemic, low acid and anti-inflammatory.

http://www.quinoa.net/

http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/cerea...

Answer 5

yes it is good. that's a little expensive, check trader joes if you live by one, i think it's cheaper there

Answer 6

its quite nutritious..and remember it does expand...so the final product will give you more than the original.(like rice does:)

taste? well i dont think you will be eating it daily even weekly but maybe a couple times a month. but on occasion.

Answer 7

That about how much I paid too. I think it was Red's mill brand?

I think a 1.5lb bag makes about 12~14 1 cup servings cooked. To me it tastes a bit like brown rice but a bit nuttier. I like the texture, it has a bit of a crunch to it. Not bad but nothing to rave about. Although, I've heard the protein is a "whole" protein that's very well absorbed by the body so there could be value in that if it's true, especially if you're vegetarian.

Answer 8

A 1.5 lb bag is going to give you a LOT of food.  Think about how much you would pay for a meal at a restaurant or even Subway!  Over six bucks after tax, soda, and chips, right?  A 1.5 lb bag of quinoa is going to give you many, many servings.

I use about a fourth of a cup of quinoa with my beans.  I like it.  It's kind of crunchy and not overpowering in its flavor like brown rice.

Answer 9

Food is getting more expensive, but think about it like this, 1.5 pounds makes a lot of food for something like quinoa! Quinoa by itself is not really good as it has no taste, but most foods do not until you add flavor to them. Quinoa is good because there is a LOT of things that can be made with it and it has many great nutrients and heath benefits include high protein, amino acids, magnesium, calcium, fiber, plus others. It is also fairly easy and quick to cook. I say for sure it is worth it!

It can be made with and into almost anything it is quite versatile almost like tofu, you can make cake with it, mixed with peanut butter, cooked and seasoned and mix with vegetables and beans, casseroles, stews, salad, quinoa is also very good as a white rice replacement in sushi, and a lot more

Some quinoa info and recipes:

http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2007/01/qui...

http://vegetarian.about.com/lr/quinoa_re...

http://vegweb.com/index.php?board=396.0

http://www.vegancoach.com/quinoa-recipes...

http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/001...

http://www.fatfreevegan.com/search/searc...

http://www.recipezaar.com/recipes.php?q=...

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quinoa#Nutr...