Today I ran a Google search on the phrase “than a quart of milk” and discovered that the misinformation I wrote about several years ago is still persisting.
At least five years ago a cookbook author wrote on her web site that one cup of cooked quinoa has as much calcium as one quart of cow’s milk.
Well, quinoa has about 32 mg of calcium per cooked cup. Cows milk has about 280 mg of calcium per cup.
At the time I wrote this post that cookbook author’s site was still not updated, years later. I have heard from people who claimed to have contacted this author about her mistake.
Today, years later, I was reading a cookbook the author ( a different one ) wrote the exact same mistake. In print. Somebody made a mistake somewhere and cookbook authors have been perpetuating this misinformation down the line.
Bottom line: do not not trust cookbook authors ( or athletes ) for nutrition information.
They have enough of an interest in food to remember some things they have heard about nutrition, but they don’t have enough interest to look things up and be sure of what they are talking about in regards to nutrition.
BTW, if you want calcium without the digestive discomfort of lactose intolerance, allergies, and sex organ cancers from cow’s milk you can find plenty of calcium in these foods
yikes…
i don’t feel so bad for not liking quinoa now 🙂
Sorry D; Most “grains” have that amount of calcium. However quinoa has much more protein, cooks up fluffy, tastes good and cooks *fast*.
Quinoa’s also a “complete” protein (like soy), not that that’s so important, but since I, and most vegans I know, get asked where vegans get protein, seemingly constantly, we can point to this tasty grain as a good source. Try putting the Leahy “cheese” sauce over it; don’t prepare as is however. Mix in some nutritional yeast, paprika, pepper, onion & garlic powder. An old rubber shoe sole would taste yummy with this poured over it. 🙂