Food and Recipes Grains Quinoa Recipes That Make Eating Healthy Easy and Delicious By Mary Shannon Wells Mary Shannon Wells Mary Shannon is an Associate Digital Editor and has been on the Southern Living team since 2017. She helps run the brand's social media accounts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and TikTok, where she's happily behind the scenes. When she's not ruffling feathers with an etiquette poll via Instagram Stories, she's writing content for the website and assisting in various print projects like gift guides and home stories. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on June 17, 2021 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Styling: Katie Jacobs For decades, diet culture has given carbs a bad rap that they don't (always) deserve. Sure, chili cheese-covered fries and a giant bowl of tortellini drenched in sauce and meatballs aren't great for the waistline, but carbs are good, people! Of course, they taste amazing. But carbs can actually be amazing for you, too. Carbs are literally fuel for your body; that morning cup of coffee has nothing on the energy some post-workout carbs will give your muscles and nervous system, honey! With that being said, healthful carb choices make all the difference. You're going to get tons of vitamin A and good-for-you fiber if you choose to roast some sweet potatoes at dinner, but you won't get any nutrient wins from say, a piece of garlic bread. All this carby chat brings us here, to quinoa. To our keto readers, quinoa is up there on the carbohydrate scale, sorry. But it's high in protein to keep you fuller longer between meals, full of fiber to keep your digestive system happy, and it has all nine essential amino acids. Essential is a word that isn't thrown around lightly! We haven't even mentioned the vitamins and antioxidants it packs as well. These nutritional benefits are proof positive that you should be adding a scoop of quinoa to your plate. It's versatile enough that you can enjoy it as a side dish with any main, or it can be the star of the show in a quinoa salad or breakfast quinoa bowl. We're sharing some of our favorite quinoa recipes, whether you want to enjoy a quinoa salad with chicken at lunch or even a fruit crisp with a sweet quinoa granola topping. It's time to fill up the tank, y'all. These are the best quinoa recipes to get your body going. 01 of 05 Chicken-and-Quinoa Salad with Pepper Jelly Dressing Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Recipe: Chicken-and-Quinoa Salad with Pepper Jelly Dressing This salad is full of hearty, good-for-you ingredients like rotisserie chicken, quinoa, sugar snap peas, and radishes, but we have to admit: The pepper jelly dressing is the true star of the show. 02 of 05 Quinoa Salad with Carrots and Sugar Snap Peas Johnny Autry; Food and Prop Styling: Charlotte L. Autry Recipe: Quinoa Salad with Carrots and Sugar Snap Peas This simple 20-minute recipe makes a fabulous dinner or leftover lunch for the next day. Feel free to add chicken, shrimp, salmon, or steak for a boost in protein. 03 of 05 Slow-Cooker Turkey Chili with Quinoa Photo: Hector Sanchez Recipe: Slow-Cooker Turkey Chili with Quinoa This seasonal recipe proves chili doesn't have to be super unhealthy. We love any meal that comes together with the help of our slow cooker, and this lightened-up recipe uses ground turkey instead of ground beef. 04 of 05 Lemon Pork Chops with Quinoa Salad Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner Recipe: Lemon Pork Chops with Quinoa Salad Pork chops are a budget-friendly weeknight favorite, and this recipe is a healthier way to serve than frying. A light quinoa salad is the perfect pairing for them. 05 of 05 Quinoa Porridge With Crispy Fried Egg Greg DuPree Recipe: Quinoa Porridge With Crispy Fried Egg Quinoa isn't just for suppertime. It's a delicious base for this easy, savory bowl that will keep you full until lunch. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit