Vol. 7, Issue 11 (2018)

Author(s):
Agrawal RS

Abstract:
Growing trend for nutraceutical and gluten-free cereal-based products highlights the need for development of new products. Quinoa is one of the potential candidates for such products. Quinoa is a pseudo-cereal that has garnered increasing interest in recent years from global markets, as well as in academic research. In recent years, the popularity of quinoa seeds has increased due to enormous health benefits and super food properties. Quinoa seeds have an improved macronutrient profile, including gluten-free characteristics, a particularly beneficial essential amino acid ratio and a superior phytochemical composition compared with other cereals and grains. It has been promoted as an alternative agricultural crop due to its stress-tolerant characteristics and marketed as a “superfood” for its nutritious qualities. The present article is a reviewed for nutritional characteristics of quinoa seeds.