Sarah is a new vegan, chronicling her experiences on the site.

It has been some time since I posted, and I can admit that I was in a bit of a diet rut: too many starches, not enough interesting proteins. But one food is helping to turn that around: quinoa.

Contrary to popular (non-vegan) belief, quinoa is not a grain, even though it seems to act like one. Instead, it is a relative of leafy vegetables, such as Swiss chard.

Most importantly to me, and I suspect to many new vegans trying to be healthy: It is a terrific protein. From a practical perspective, this means that I can put it with anything to make a meal at any time of day. Salads, soups, pasta, muffins, porridge…you name it, and quinoa works.

A few of the many health benefits: it contains a balanced set of amino acids; it is gluten-free and a terrific source of dietary fiber, phosphorus, magnesium and iron; and research tells me that it can provide relief for those who suffer from migraines.

A few of the many practical benefits: it is very easy to prepare (like rice and couscous); hot or cold, it is always tasty; and as it can be stored (pre-cooked) for three to six months in the refrigerator, it is easy to buy in bulk.

Quinoa is also the perfect food to take to a non-vegan dinner when the host says, “Bring something tasty that you can eat, but also to share with others,” which leaves me looking for a non-obvious protein. I recently put together a simple quinoa salad with fresh chopped spinach, lemon vinaigrette, a few lemon slices, pepper and poppy seeds (thank you, Mark Bittman). Even my I-don’t-like-any-vegetables friends had more than one serving!

As someone who loves grains and starches, quinoa is a near-perfect food as it gives the benefits of a protein with the feeling of a grain, thereby also helping to manage my blood sugar. Googling quinoa leads to millions of hits, and I have yet to try a bad recipe.

One note for shoppers: Quinoa is not found in one standard location, so it can be worth asking for it if you do not find it right away. Although not all general markets carry it yet, spots like Whole Foods and organic markets will, but it might be any number of places (eg, with rice, beans, bulk foods, grains, pasta, baking items, even cereals), and you can always order it online. Enjoy!

(Note: Many thanks for all of the great ideas and resources for new vegans. Feel free to keep them coming, and I will share them in the coming weeks!)