Tag Archives: calcium

Quinoa, Split Pea & Spinach

Just the other day I was at Barnes & Noble getting lost in my own little world of books that included Philosophy, The End to Illness, The Kardashian’s, and some nutritional cookbooks until my stomach started rumbling signaling me it was time to eat, it is the best method in helping me keep track of time, because my favorite watches I wear on a daily basis do not help me at all. So, I was tempted to get a quick bite at the Barnes & Noble’s cafe but from reading many books and articles about processed foods and the link it has on cancer & many illnesses, I decided to run home instead.

I dug in the fridge and reached for the Split Pea soup my boyfriend’s mother had packed for me the night before, which is always delicious! (Trini’s call it Dal’). She has probably noticed by now that her Dal’ is my new weakness. Then, I found a large container of Quinoa my boyfriend had also made the night before and I have to say it tastes even better each & every time. Finally, I needed something more to full-fill my hunger & nourish me from a tough Spin class I had taught earlier that day, so I looked for the bag of Spinach I had bought at Target and I completed a quick fix to get back on the road. My Avocado‘s weren’t ripe yet but typically in a quick fix like this one I would add half of an avocado (sliced). I’m sure you all know just how much I love Avocado’s. Just one cup of Quinoa contains 222 calories, 157 from carbs, 32 from fat and 32.6 from protein – so these calories are well distributed. It contains 8.1g of Protein, 5.2g of Fiber, 9.3IU Vitamin A, 77.7 mcg of Folate (needed in every woman’s diet). It also include tons of Minerals such as Calcium, magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Sodium 13mg (very small amount) still needed for healthy levels of electrolytes, copper, magnesium and Selenium. One cup of Split pea soup contains 160 calories, 3.5g of fat (healthy fat), 25g of Carbohydrates, 9g of fiber and 9 grams of Protein. It also includes Minerals such as 4% of Vitamin A, 2% of Calcium, 2% of Vitamin C and 10% of iron. Moreover, one cup of Spinach has less than 1% of fat, 6.9 calories, 1.1g of Carbs, 0.7g of fiber, and 0.9 of Protein. Spinach has high percentages of healthy minerals such as 57% of Vitamin A per cup, 3% of calcium, 15% of Vitamin C and 5% of iron.

It is a good thing I only invite healthy food into my kitchen because had I had some fries or junk food in my pantry (which I never do), I would have destroyed it in matter of seconds and because it has no nutrition value, I would seek for more food causing me to over binge and fill my body with trans-fat and fake calories. As it has taken me years to master healthier options, I want you all to know it takes time and dedication to practice good habits. I really hope everyone can make wiser decisions on what they eat, especially if you’re trying to lose weight. Good thing for me, I am never trying to lose weight because I have no weight to lose, neither am I trying to gain weight because I am happy with my 125 lbs. body frame, 92% of it is all muscle, and the remaining 8% is body fat that my body appreciates because it’s healthy fat I find from my lovely avocado’s, nuts, olive & coconut oil, omega-3 and 6 supplements and some fish too.

**Nutrition information taken from caloriecount.com