Well that’s it. We are going to have to ban religion in the interest of good health. Spiritually beneficial it may be, but what about your waistline? We barely recovered from Christmas and then along came Easter. Chocolate bunnies, chocolate eggs, hot cross buns, cassava pie ... yum! Pass the mayo! But it’s a bit of a nutritional disaster. I tried desperately not to be That Mummy at a party on Good Friday, but after conceding to chocolate eggs, cupcakes and cookies, I dug my heels in over blue candy floss and bright red snow cones. I had to use negotiation techniques worthy of wartime just to get past the ice cream van.At home, safely away from all the madness and artificial colours, I made Chloe a snow cone. I pulverised ice in the blender and then drizzled over some fresh blueberry syrup. It was sweet, it was purple, but it was free of the chemical nasties. Obviously it’s wise to be careful with sugar, but just getting our kids to eat a more natural, less processed diet is half the battle.Junk food is addictive. The combination of fat, salt, sugar and flavour enhancers is deadly and arguably, more dangerous than drugs. Diabetes, heart disease and obesity-related illness kill far more people than alcohol, heroin or cocaine. That may sound heavy-handed, but it’s true none the less. By repeatedly exposing our kids to processed junk, we are desensitising their tastebuds. Once that happens, it takes more and more sugar, more and more salt, more and more fat and more and more chemicals to satisfy their cravings. It gets to a point where only a bright orange soda and a box of KFC will do. Forget about fruit and veg.Don’t get me wrong. My kids love sugar. But they also love things that are naturally sweet too. If we can just keep feeding our kids quality, whole foods (at the same time as wisely limiting the junk) then we will put them in a much better position to make good choices when they are independent.So for the next few weeks, I thought I would feature some healthy foods for you to include in your family’s diet. Let’s try, one week at a time, adding something new and seeing how it goes down. Today, our focus is on quinoa.Now although quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) is in the same food family as leafy, green vegetables like spinach, it actually looks and tastes like a whole grain. In fact, it’s often referred to as an “ancient grain” as it was a staple for the South American Inca civilisation more than 5,000 years ago.It looks very similar to couscous when raw, but when cooked it releases a small coil from the inside of the grain. It tastes like a cross between rice and pasta. It has a subtle, nutty flavour but also takes on the flavour of stock or turmeric if you want to liven it up a little.It’s also easy to find in Bermuda. Down to Earth, Harrington Hundreds, Lindo’s, Supermart, White’s and MarketPlace all have it — usually a brand called Ancient Harvest, which is in a turquoise (white variety) or red (red variety) box and normally found in the organic food section.Why bother disrupting your rotation of potatoes, rice and pasta? Because it’s insanely good for you! Here are some facts:Quinoa facts:1. It’s a slow-releasing carbohydrate.Because it hasn’t been refined, and is rich in fibre and protein, quinoa releases its natural sugars nice and gently. This means that it provides lots of energy over a sustained period of time, without disrupting blood sugar.2. It’s high in protein.There’s about 24g of protein in one cup of quinoa. It’s especially useful for vegetarians and vegans as the protein is extremely well-balanced, containing all nine essential amino acids. This means that not only is it high in protein, but the protein is easily and well-utilised within the body. Many other plant-based sources of protein (beans and lentils for example) need to be mixed to achieve a “complete” protein.3. It’s gluten-free.This makes it a great choice for those with wheat or gluten intolerance, or for those who are coeliac. If you find that pasta or couscous make you feel heavy or bloated, give quinoa a try instead.4. It’s alkaline.Most other grains are fairly acidic. Including quinoa in your diet is a great way to help maintain the acid-alkaline balance within the body.5. It’s rich in calcium, magnesium, manganese and copper.Magnesium helps to combat stress and relaxes blood vessels — great for combating migraines and heart disease. Calcium is great for bone density. Manganese and copper are both co-enzymes for something called superoxide dismutase, a powerful antioxidant that helps to minimise free radical damage.6. It’s rich in lignans.Lignans are nutrients that are converted by friendly bacteria in the digestive tract, into substances that protect the body from breast and other hormone-related cancers.7. It’s rich in Lysine.Lysine is critical for tissue growth and repair.If you’re convinced, but now just wondering how to include it, then try simply using it in place of rice as a side whenever you have a stir-fry, curry or chilli. You can also use quinoa as a base for risotto or jambalaya instead of rice. In the summer, quinoa is fantastic as a side salad — just stir through some cranberries, flaked almonds and a little olive oil/balsamic vinegar. For fussy eaters, try stirring a little into a regular bolognaise or casserole. They will barely notice it and you can just gradually increase the amount that you use. Some kids will reject it as a plain side, but will eat it happily when mixed with rice. If you have pasta-only kids, then Ancient Harvest also does quinoa pasta so you can try that too. I got lucky and Chloe loved the way it looked. She named it “curly peas” and has wolfed it down ever since!The advice given in this article is not intended to replace medical advice, but to complement it. Always consult your GP if you have any health concerns. Catherine Burns BA Hons, Dip ION is the managing director of Natural Ltd and a fully qualified nutritional therapist trained by the Institute for Optimum Nutrition in the UK. Please note that she is not a registered dietitian. For details, visit www.natural.bm or call 236-7511.