Quinoa Trend Reaches Supermarkets, Restaurants

Nutritional powerhouse quinoa, an ancient Inca grain that provides a complete protein like meat, is gaining ground in the food industry. Quinoa cooks like a grain, but is really a seed or chenopod related to beets and spinach. Supermarkets in the U.S. are now stocking quinoa-based pasta, cookies, flours, burgers and breads that not only satisfy vegans, they appeal to the gluten-free crowd. Restaurants have picked up on the trend as well.  One restaurant group in Florida recently fortified its menu with pesto chicken quinoa and cherry chicken quinoa power bowls, while another added a red quinoa crunch parfait to the menu.