I'm not a vegetarian per se, but I don't eat much meat and I'm pretty active so I'm always looking for good sources of protein that don't come from animals. One of my favourites is Quinoa. Never heard of it? I'll give you the run-down.

Quinoa is an ancient grain that comes from Peru. That doesn't mean it's hard to find here though -- you can pick some up at most health food or organic grocery stores in North America. What's great about Quinoa is that it's really high in protein -- in fact it's about 12-18% protein. It's also got essential amino acids and lots of fiber, making it a pretty perfect food.

You can cook quinoa much like you cook rice -- add twice as much water with the quinoa in a pot, bring it to a boil, simmer for 15 minutes or so and voila ... you have a healthy grain to serve as a side dish or use in your entree. For some recipe ideas, click here.

How do you serve your Quinoa?