Hey McKinley!

There is a growing population of people who have to abide by a gluten free diet.  I wanted to bring a gluten free grain to your attention you may have never heard of or tried.  Amarnath or amaranthus is a short-lived perennial.  It  produces thousands of seeds that make up a grain-like product and is related to swiss chard, quinoa, beets and spinach.   I didn’t even know it existed until I started doing more research on gluten free grains.  It has a similar consistency to a thick porridge if you were to combine 1 cup of amaranth with 3 – 3.5 cups of water, just a little stickier.

The amaranth grain is very nutritious and is a more complete protein than many other grains.  You can click the link below to view the full nutritional analysis or you can read my brief overview:
http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/cereal-grains-and-pasta/5676/2

1 cup cooked amaranth:
Calories ~ 238
Fat ~ 4.6g
Sodium ~ 2.5mg
Carbohydrates ~ 42g
Protein ~ 8.6g
Dietary Fiber ~ 4.6g
Sugars ~ 1g

Amaranth is rich in (this is not a full list):
Calcium
Iron
Magnesium
Phosphorus
Potassium
Omega 6 fatty-acids ~ our bodies don’t naturally produce omega 6 fatty-acids and we need them to support healthy brain function.
Amino acids such as lysine, methionine and cysteine

Below are 2 recipes. One features amaranth and the other is a muffin recipe featuring quinoa flour…ENJOY!!

Vegan Amaranth With Spinach-Tomato-Mushroom Sauce:
~ http://www.food.com/recipeprint.do?rid=381027

Quinoa Muffins:
~ http://www.grain-free-gluten-free.com/quinoa-muffins.html

Yours in Health and Wellness,

Meredith