Organic Quinoa, chosen as an ingredient in Holistic Select Dry Recipes for its hypoallergenic properties and high digestibility, is rich in calcium, phosphorus, iron and B vitamins, and is an excellent energy source. Quinoa’s high protein content is considered as good as that in milk.

Interestingly, technically Quinoa is not a grain, but a seed related to spinach, swiss chard and beets. It has been cultivated in South America for over 5000 years. The Incas called it the “Mother Grain”.

Since the 80’s consumers in North America have seen Quinoa on the shelves in grocery stores. Those shoppers interested in a more natural diet with holistic benefits have embraced the value of this unusual ancient nutrient. The nutrient value exceeds all of the grains commonly used in pet foods.

Although we do not use Quinoa as a significant protein source, it does contain more protein than any grain.  In addition, the amino acid profile is ideal, which is essential for tissue growth and repair.

Quinoa is a great source of complex carbohydrates with a very low glycemic index, making it an ideal carbohydrate for diabetics. It is also gluten free which is ideal for animals with digestive issues and food allergies or intolerances.

It is lower in calories than grains and is an excellent source of fiber, manganese, magnesium, iron, copper, phosphorus, folate and B vitamins.

In addition, Quinoa contains what are known as prebiotics that feed the “good bacteria” or probiotics essential to the health of the digestive tract.

Many call Quinoa a super food, and we are proud to be one of the first pet foods to include this nutrient dense ingredient in some of our foods for Dogs and Cats.

This entry was posted on Friday, March 19th, 2010 at 9:42 am and is filed under Pet Health, Pet Nutrition. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.

Share