This easy quinoa bowl is a delicious breakfast that gives you a nutritious start to your day.

It’s also the perfect snack that is easy to make, delicious, satisfying, and filling.

In addition to a recipe for this delicious quinoa bowl, you’ll find some answers to common questions about quinoa, such as how long cooked quinoa lasts and what does quinoa taste like.

Quinoa Bowl with Fruit, Nuts, and Yogurt

Add fruit and yogurt to your quinoa bowl, and you’ll have a balanced meal. Although quinoa is plant based, it provides a complete protein.

I like to select fruit that gives me the most nutrition for the calories, which is why I prefer a berry blend.

The berries I used here are from the freezer section at Walmart. You can also get them at Costco and many other grocery stores.

Although it’s always good to get fresh fruit, it’s sometimes difficult to find exactly what you want. And since I like to use organic berries, frozen is much easier.

Add some nuts for crunch with a side of extra nutrition.

Pecans are usually my nut of choice. But you can also use almonds, walnuts, or any other type of nut you prefer.

You can use any type of yogurt you want. My preference is plain, organic Greek yogurt because it’s thicker, has more protein, and it’s delicious.

It’s up to you whether or not to add maple syrup. I like to add just a drizzle to the top for extra flavor and a hint of sweetness.

Keep in mind that you don’t have to limit this bowl to breakfast. It also makes a wonderful snack to keep your stomach from growling.

Easy Quinoa Bowl Ingredients

When you make a quinoa bowl, you can add whatever you like. Since I enjoy one-dish (or in this case, one-bowl) meals, I like to add as much as I can.

I always start with a base and then add layers. It’s easy to do, and you can mix it up when you’re ready to eat.

The base ingredients for me are quinoa, chia seeds, monk fruit sweetener, and water. If you don’t have monk fruit, you can use stevia or whatever sweetener you prefer.

You’ll also need pecans, mixed berries, Greek yogurt, and maple syrup.

Other things you can add are sunflower seeds, other types of nuts, apples, grapes, raisins, dates, citrus, or honey.

You can sprinkle cinnamon, nutmeg, apple pie spice, or any other spice over the top.

Remember that this is your breakfast or snack, so make it like you want it.

How to Make an Easy Quinoa Bowl

First, rinse the quinoa before you cook with it. Since this is such a small grain-like substance, I use a fine strainer.

Next, pour the rinsed quinoa into a small saucepan.

Add the chia seeds, monk fruit, and water.

Then, turn the burner on high until the mixture comes to a boil.

After that, turn down the heat to low, pop the lid onto the saucepan, and simmer until all of the water is absorbed into the quinoa.

That typically takes about 15-20 minutes.

While the quinoa is cooking, get the rest of the ingredients ready for the bowl.

I like to measure everything out.

Next, scoop the quinoa into bowls.

I try to divide it into equal portions to make sure my husband and I both get the same amount of nutrition.

Then sprinkle the pecans over the quinoa.

I like to break the pecan halves into smaller pieces.

Scoop the berries into the bowls next.

You can use mixed berries like I did or add whatever fruit you prefer.

Finally, spoon some yogurt on top.

I also like to drizzle some maple syrup over the yogurt to give it some sweetness.

Although you can use flavored yogurt that’s already sweet, I like to control the amount of sugar I’m getting.

This time, I didn’t sprinkle cinnamon over the top, but sometimes I do. It’s really good.

You can make this delicious bowl fresh each morning or make it the night before and refrigerate it. I like it just as much either way.

Anti-Inflammatory and Other Benefits of Quinoa

According to Medical News Today, quinoa is loaded with benefits. If you haven’t already added it to your diet, you might want to start.

In addition to being a complete protein, quinoa is packed with fiber and antioxidants.

It naturally helps to reduce inflammation in your joints and soft tissue throughout your body.

It also provides quite a bit of iron, manganese, folate, and magnesium.

It also contains copper, zinc, potassium, and many other nutrients you need in order to stay healthy.

I like the fact that when I eat quinoa first thing in the morning, I don’t get hungry until noon. It’s perfect for those days when you have a lot to do and no time to grab a snack mid-morning.

If you eat a quinoa bowl with nuts, fruit, and yogurt, you don’t need anything else. However, you can add a muffin, slice of toast, or something else if you prefer.

How Long Does Cooked Quinoa Last?

Uncooked quinoa lasts a very long time in a sealed container on your countertop or in your pantry. However, after you cook it, you need to refrigerate it and eat it within a week.

I typically make enough for 2 days. So I’ll eat it the day I make it and finish it within a couple of days.

What Does Quinoa Taste Like?

Many people think that quinoa tastes like a cross between oatmeal and brown rice. I think it has a hint of nuttiness.

One thing I highly recommend doing is rinsing the quinoa before you cook it to remove some of the saponin. This is a natural bird repellant on the quinoa that is harmless but has a bitter aftertaste.

Quinoa Vs. Oatmeal

As someone who enjoys oatmeal often, there are days when I feel the need to switch to quinoa. One of the reasons is that quinoa has a much higher protein content than oatmeal.

The other reason is that quinoa holds up to more toppings than oatmeal. So if I want to add a lot of fruit, nuts, and yogurt, I’ll choose quinoa.

More Recipes

Breakfast is always important to me, so I try to eat something that’s both delicious and satisfying.

These banana nut muffins always make me smile. I also like these 3-ingredient breakfast cookies that I make in batches for grab-and-go meals.

If you have a little while to sit down at the table and enjoy breakfast, you might like this tasty frittata that you can make in a rice cooker.

A side of homemade turkey sausage goes well with any egg dish.

Between bites of whatever you’re eating, sip on one of these yummy coffee smoothies.

See this recipe shared at Weekend Potluck, Meal Plan Monday, Full Plate Thursday, and the Pin Junkie Pin Party.

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