This breakfast quinoa is high in protein but lower on the glycemic index! It’s the perfect vegan, gluten-free breakfast.
Being a food blogger is so cool. Seriously, it’s probably one of the best things ever. Food is something that’s so universal; anyone can connect over a shared love of a certain dish or recipe. And as a food blogger, when someone likes your recipes, it is the BEST FEELING EVER.
So the other day, I got a message on my facebook page from a reader, who is a diabetic trying to go 100% vegan. She wrote that she was having a hard time finding breakfast recipes that were high in protein, but low-glycemic AND vegan. I couldn’t think of any recipes for her off the top of my head. So I knew that I really wanted to create something amazing for this reader.
I immediately went on a google rampage to research ingredients (one of my favorite side hobbies). I started to formulate ideas in my head. One of my first thoughts was quinoa – something that is lumped in to the “whole grains” category (thank you, marketing). But it is actually the seed of the chenopodium quinoa plant. Quinoa is a very interesting little pseudocereal because it contains all nine essential amino acids that our bodies can’t synthesize themselves. In addition, it has a very low glycemic load of 18, meaning that it won’t cause a significant spike in blood sugar. Score!!
In this recipe, the quinoa is cooked in unsweetened almond milk steeped with chai tea (yum!), then topped with pecans and coconut for protein and a little cinnamon for flavor. The quinoa can be served with more warmed almond milk, or even this homemade pecan + walnut milk! It’s low-glycemic, nutritious, and a pretty darn delicious breakfast if I do say so myself.
To all of my readers – I hope you enjoy this recipe!
Breakfast Quinoa w/ Chai-Spiced Almond Milk + Cinnamon
Ingredients
Quinoa
- 1/2 Cup Quinoa rinsed
- 1 Cup Unsweetened Almond Milk
- 1 Chai Tea Bag
- 1/2 Tbs Coconut Palm Sugar optional
Toppings
- Pecans
- Coconut
- Cinnamon
Instructions
- Before cooking, be sure to rinse quinoa well. This removes saponin (quinoa’s natural coating), which can make quinoa bitter.
- In a small saucepan, combine almond milk, quinoa, and chai tea bag, and bring to a boil. Once almond milk is boiling, remove the chai tea bag. Add coconut sugar (if desired) and stir. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook quinoa, covered, for about 15-20 minutes.
- When quinoa is done, remove from heat and keep covered for another 5-10 minutes so almond milk can fully absorb.
- To serve, put quinoa in a bowl with a little more warmed milk. This pecan + walnut milk would work amazingly as well! Garnish with pecans, coconut, and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
Nutrition
P.S.
For more plant-forward recipes and New England lifestyle inspiration, be sure to follow along on Pinterest, Instagram, and TikTok! If you make a recipe, please tag me in the photo and use the hashtag #wellandfull so I can see! I love seeing your creations!
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