Amaranth Grain

Most of us stick to the more common food grains such as rice and barley but maybe its time to give amaranth a try? Amaranth grain adds something a bit different to your weekly menu and like all whole grain foods, is very healthy and wholesome.

So just what is amaranth? You've seen it on the supermarket shelf next to all the other grains but what is it and what do you do with it?

The amaranth grain comes from the amaranth plant which grows to around 5-6 feet tall in height and produces a brightly coloured flowery head containing the amaranth seeds (thousands of them).

Amaranth has a lovely creamy texture and tastes sweeter than rice. It tastes similar to corn and makes a great nutritional addition to your meals. You can use amaranth to stuff peppers or eggplants, add it to soups and stews or eat it for breakfast as a porridge. You can also use amaranth flour to your home baked recipes. Amaranth can also be used to substitute rice or potatoes in some of your weekly meals.

How To Cook Amaranth: Amaranth is prepared and cooked similar to rice but most people tend to add enough water to the grain so that there is none left to drain away when it is cooked. This gives it a lovely creamy porridge like texture - it also tastes sweeter than other grains and tastes similar to corn.

As a rough guide, you will need around three cups of water (or vegetable stock for an extra kick) to one cup of amaranth grain. Add some salt if you wish (although I prefer not to use salt when I'm cooking amaranth), bring to the boil and simmer for around 25 minutes. Then just let it sit for around ten minutes so that it soaks up any excess water. Serve immediately.

Nutrition: Amaranth is fairly rich in the amino acid "lysine" which is an essential amino acid that the human body cannot synthesize. This means we must obtain it through food sources. Lysine aids in building muscle tissue, recovering from injury or surgery, and helps our bodies to absorb calcium effectively.

Amaranth is also a complete protein which means it is considered an adequate source of all the essential amino acids for our dietary needs.

Amaranth is gluten free so is good for people who suffer from a gluten intolerance.

Amaranth is an excellent source of manganese which helps our bodies to utilise other dietary nutrients. It also helps to maintain normal blood sugar levels, thereby making you feel fuller for longer and protects the bodies' cells from free radical damage. Manganese also plays a part in thyroid gland health.

Amaranth is a good source of fibre which we need to keep us regular, thereby helping to prevent bowel cancer. Fibre also helps to maintain normal cholesterol levels.

Amaranth provides a good amount of niacin (vitamin B3) which helps to lower those cholesterol levels, stabilises the blood sugar and helps the body to process fats.

Amaranth is also a good source of vitamin B6 which helps the body to breakdown sugars and starches and also helps to prevent homocysteine build up in the blood.

Amaranth, uncooked

Refuse: 0%  
Scientific Name:  Amaranthus spp.
NDB No: 20001 (Nutrient values and weights are for edible portion)

Nutrient	Units	1.00 X 1 cup ------- 193g
Proximates
Water	g	21.79
Energy	kcal	716
Energy	kJ	2999
Protein	g	26.17
Total lipid (fat)	g	13.55
Ash	g	5.56
Carbohydrate, by difference	g	125.93
Fiber, total dietary	g	12.9
Sugars, total	g	3.26
Sucrose	g	2.70
Glucose (dextrose)	g	0.52
Fructose	g	0.02
Lactose	g	0.00
Maltose	g	0.02
Galactose	g	0.00
Starch	g	110.53
Minerals
Calcium, Ca	mg	307
Iron, Fe	mg	14.69
Magnesium, Mg	mg	479
Phosphorus, P	mg	1075
Potassium, K	mg	980
Sodium, Na	mg	8
Zinc, Zn	mg	5.54
Copper, Cu	mg	1.013
Manganese, Mn	mg	6.433
Selenium, Se	mcg	36.1
Vitamins
Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid	mg	8.1
Thiamin	mg	0.224
Riboflavin	mg	0.386
Niacin	mg	1.781
Pantothenic acid	mg	2.812
Vitamin B-6	mg	1.141
Folate, total	mcg	158
Folic acid	mcg	0
Folate, food	mcg	158
Folate, DFE	mcg_DFE	158
Choline, total	mg	134.7
Betaine	mg	130.5
Vitamin B-12	mcg	0.00
Vitamin B-12, added	mcg	0.00
Vitamin A, RAE	mcg_RAE	0
Retinol	mcg	0
Carotene, beta	mcg	2
Carotene, alpha	mcg	0
Cryptoxanthin, beta	mcg	0
Vitamin A, IU	IU	4
Lycopene	mcg	0
Lutein + zeaxanthin	mcg	54
Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol)	mg	2.30
Tocopherol, beta	mg	1.85
Tocopherol, gamma	mg	0.37
Tocopherol, delta	mg	1.33
Vitamin D (D2 + D3)	mcg	0.0
Vitamin D	IU	0
Vitamin K (phylloquinone)	mcg	0.0
Lipids
Fatty acids, total saturated	g	2.816
8:0	g	0.000
10:0	g	0.000
12:0	g	0.000
14:0	g	0.021
15:0	g	0.000
16:0	g	2.227
17:0	g	0.000
18:0	g	0.430
20:0	g	0.100
22:0	g	0.035
Fatty acids, total monounsaturated	g	3.252
14:1	g	0.000
15:1	g	0.000
16:1 undifferentiated	g	0.000
17:1	g	0.000
18:1 undifferentiated	g	3.225
20:1	g	0.027
Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated	g	5.362
18:2 undifferentiated	g	5.280
18:3 undifferentiated	g	0.081
18:3 n-3 c,c,c (ALA)	g	0.081
18:3 n-6 c,c,c	g	0.000
20:2 n-6 c,c	g	0.000
20:3 undifferentiated	g	0.000
20:4 undifferentiated	g	0.000
Cholesterol	mg	0
Phytosterols	mg	46
Amino acids
Tryptophan	g	0.349
Threonine	g	1.077
Isoleucine	g	1.123
Leucine	g	1.696
Lysine	g	1.442
Methionine	g	0.436
Cystine	g	0.369
Phenylalanine	g	1.046
Tyrosine	g	0.635
Valine	g	1.310
Arginine	g	2.046
Histidine	g	0.751
Alanine	g	1.542
Aspartic acid	g	2.434
Glutamic acid	g	4.360
Glycine	g	3.157
Proline	g	1.347
Serine	g	2.216
Other
Alcohol, ethyl	g	0.0

USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 22 (2009)

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