The one healthy food item you need to add to your shopping list

If you're looking for something different to add to your shopping list, this delicious and healthy item is a versatile one which is a kitchen staple.

This affordable and tasty item is useful to have in your cupboard and with a long shelf-life, you can keep it handy for a wide variety of meals. It makes the perfect component for lunch or dinner and you can even eat it for breakfast.

All Womens Talk has named quinoa as an unmissable item to have on your shopping list. It says: "Quinoa is a grain-like seed rich in protein, magnesium, fiber and amino acids critical for your metabolism and brain health. It is also a great source of phosphorous, which keeps you regulated."

If you're wondering how to add this item into your meals, there's a huge range of ways you can cook quinoa at home.

You could make a Mediterranean quinoa salad which combines quinoa with tomatoes, cucumber, olives, red onion, feta, and a lemon-olive oil dressing.

Or, if this is not to your taste, you could make a quinoa stir-fry which is made by tossing cooked quinoa with sautéed veggies, tofu or egg, and a mix of soy sauce, garlic, and sesame oil.

Another idea is a chickpea curry with quinoa which features chickpeas and greens simmered in coconut curry sauce.

BBC Good Food says: "Quinoa, pronounced 'keen-wa', is a gluten-free alternative to starchy grains.

"Although it often occupies a similar role to grains in dishes, quinoa is actually a seed from the same family as beets, chard and spinach."

It adds that the food item is high in protein and an important plant source of all nine essential amino acids.

In recent years, foodies have heralded it as a superior alternative to bulgur wheat, couscous and rice.