5 Life-Changing Ways to Eat Your Quinoa!

For many of us, 2017 was a doozy, but we here at Brit + Co are ready to hit refresh in 2018! Follow our Hit Refresh series through January for new ideas, hacks, and skills that will help you achieve (and maintain!) those New Year’s resolutions.

At this point, you’ve heard all about quinoa‘s health benefits, and you’ve probably thrown it into a few baked casseroles and salads. But now what? The next step is making this pseudo-grain a little more exciting. Fill your hungry mind (and stomach) with these five fabulous ways to not just eat, but fall *in love* with quinoa. Scroll on to get cooking.

Put it in a burger

Whether you’re a full-fledged vegetarian or simply giving meat a rest, adding quinoa to a burger is a beautiful thing. Veggie burgers are notorious for falling apart at first bite, but quinoa does a great job at keeping things together — not to mention it makes for a very substantial meal. Our fave grain works well with sweet potatoes, beans, and legumes, so go ahead and get creative with your patty pairings! (Photo via Food and Flair)

Create the greatest grain bowl ever

Grain bowls are everything. We’ll never grow tired of plating a pile of quinoa and adorning it with wholesome goodies including vegetables, seeds, nuts, proteins, and of course a lip-smacking sauce of some sort. The varieties are truly endless, whether your lifestyle is centered around veganism, pescatarianism, or omnivorism. Best of all, they’re the perfect easy meal-prep lunch option. How are we not eating these every day? (Photo via Full of Plants)

Include it in your breading

Despite how awesome and satisfying quinoa is, not everyone at the dinner table can appreciate it. (Picky eaters, we’re looking at YOU.) That’s why sneaking toasted quinoa into golden crisp breading is so flippin’ genius. It offers the same golden crunch everyone covets, with way more nutrition. Whether you decide to reveal the secret after the fact or not is entirely up to you… (Photo via Half Baked Harvest)

Start your day with it

Quinoa isn’t just enjoyable in savory dishes. In fact, you can swap your oatmeal for it. Cook it up in a rice cooker or on the stovetop, then jazz it up with your favorite flavors and sweeteners, add a splash of milk, and enjoy a healthy belly-warming breakfast that will tide you over until lunch. (Photo via Cotter Cottage)

Bring It to Taco Tuesday

Many of us have come to enjoy taco fillings that stray from the usual beef. This year, amp up your taco game even more by stuffing your tortillas with hearty quinoa. For extra flavor, cook your quinoa in broth with a few splashes of hot sauce. With that, you can expect a perfect pairing no matter what your toppings are. And, since quinoa is healthy, you might as well indulge in an extra taco! Win. (Photo via Lauren in Balance)

What’s your favorite way to eat quinoa? Tag us with it on Instagram!