11/20/2022 0 Comments Growveg garden planner reviewI followed the online instructions to rub the plant heads over a soil sieve which gets most of the grain out, along with some little bits of plant falling through. Separating quinoa seeds from the plant by using a wide soil sieve Keeping an eye out for the first fallen seeds proved to be the best way to tell when they were ready for harvest. I chose the ‘rainbow’ variety and sure enough the seed heads started to be tinged with red, amber and green by September. By the start of August they were approaching 6 feet tall and needed staking to prevent them flopping over in high winds. Unlike common grains like wheat, just a few plants are required and are spaced 2 feet apart. I started the seeds off in small pots and then planted them out in late May. Growing quinoa was easier than I expected. It goes well with most meals you would traditionally serve with rice such as curries, stews and tagines. Better still, it is very easy to use – the grains are slightly larger than couscous and are cooked in a similar way to rice, with little spirals of white germ appearing as they expand. It is a complete source of protein (all the essential amino acids) and has an impressive list of health-giving properties. Although usually thought of as a grain, it is actually related to the spinach, chard and beet family (Chenopodium). Quinoa is remarkable – an ancient plant that has been called ‘the gold of the Incas’ due to its origins in South America. So I was delighted to find the Real Seed Catalogue listing high-protein grains such as Quinoa suitable for our climate and set out to grow some this year. I had always been under the impression that the best vegetable protein sources were soy and pulses such as lentils, which are difficult to grow in England. There are some plant foods that are particularly good as sources of protein and, surprisingly, they can be grown in a variety of climates. However, not all plants are nutritionally equal. It is only when the majority of foods we eat are highly processed, rather than a range of whole-foods, that the protein and nutritional balance suffers. However, a balanced diet of vegetables, coupled with grains, nuts, seeds or legumes gives ample protein for optimal health. It is true that many of our staple plant foods do not contain such concentrations of protein as meat. In fact, the idea that plants do not provide good sources of protein is largely an outdated myth. Yet the question in many people’s minds is whether a plant-based diet can meet our nutritional requirements for protein? With less livestock would it be feasible to grow everything required for a well-balanced diet? Whatever your views on this statement, it is clear that home-grown produce is the best source of food if we are to reduce our carbon footprint. This fact was thrust into the media’s attention earlier this week when Lord Stern, the author of the influential Stern Review on the costs of tackling global warming, declared that people will need to reduce their consumption of meat if we are to take climate change targets seriously. Livestock agriculture contributes 18% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions.
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