While it may be considered "the mother of all grains, soul food from the Andes, the supergrain, etc. Dr. Sears believes that quinoa which is high in incomplete protein and high in carbohydrates should be used in small amounts. Here’s a 2008 FAQ comment from Dr. Sears.
Question: Why don't I count all the protein, carbohydrate, and fat in everything I eat? You would need a mini-computer to make all the calculations. This is why we devised the Zone 1-2-3 Method™ that takes into account fat content, protein digestibility in low- fat protein, and the insulin-sensitive carbohydrate content of carbohydrates. This makes Zone meal preparation exceptionally simple. Bottom line: enjoy quinoa in small amounts and don’t calculate the protein.
Nutritional data vary from variety and website.
Corinne Netzer's book, "The Complete Book of Food Counts," lists 1/4 cup dry of Eden quinoa at 6g/P and 31g/C.
Unfortunately, to acquire enough protein you'd be consuming too many carbs and would increase insulin levels.
Calorie king (www.calorieking.com) lists ¼ cup at approx. 24g of carb. You subtract the fiber 27 – 3 = 24. Therefore, about 1 tablespoon uncooked barley = 1 block. See:
http://www.calorieking.com/foods/ca...0Njkx.html Rating proteins can also be confusing. Protein Efficiency Ratio (PER) assess the overall protein quality of a food. Whey and egg proteins have the highest BV and provide all of the essential amino acids in the correct percentages. Soy and quinoa offer more benefits than hemp and chia protein.
Beans and legumes contain too much carbohydrate and have a low protein efficiency ratio.