How Quinoa Can Help You Lose Weight

Updated on 10/16/2015 at 8:10 PM

POPSUGAR Photography | Jenny Sugar

There's good reason quinoa has been a staying trend in the healthy food scene. It's delicious, nutritious, and filling, all while supporting your healthy weight-loss goals. If you're on a mission to shed a few pounds, here's why you should always have a batch ready to enjoy in your fridge.

It's high in fiber: If you can believe, just one cup of cooked quinoa offers a 21 percent of your daily recommended fiber. A high-fiber diet keeps digestion regular and keeps bloat at bay — two essential aspects of a comfortable weight-loss plan.

It's a solid source of protein: For vegetarians sick of beans, tofu, and tempeh or anyone who wants to back off meat at every meal, quinoa can be a lifesaver. Getting adequate protein is essential for weight-loss success, and quinoa offers a surprisingly high amount of protein for a pseudograin; just one cup offers eight grams.

It makes you feel fuller for longer: If you regularly reach for toast or rice at meal time, swapping it out for quinoa could have big benefits for your waistline. One study out of the British Journal of Nutrition found that participants felt fuller after eating quinoa, buckwheat, or oats than after eating wheat or rice.