Amaranth grain
| Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) | |
|---|---|
| Energy | 1,554 kJ (371 kcal) |
|
65 g
|
|
| Sugars | 1.7 g |
| Dietary fiber | 7 g |
|
7 g
|
|
|
14 g
|
|
| Vitamins | |
| Thiamine (B1) |
(9%)
0.1 mg |
| Riboflavin (B2) |
(17%)
0.2 mg |
| Niacin (B3) |
(6%)
0.9 mg |
| Pantothenic acid (B5) |
(30%)
1.5 mg |
| Vitamin B6 |
(46%)
0.6 mg |
| Folate (B9) |
(21%)
82 μg |
| Minerals | |
| Calcium |
(16%)
159 mg |
| Iron |
(58%)
7.6 mg |
| Magnesium |
(70%)
248 mg |
| Manganese |
(162%)
3.4 mg |
| Phosphorus |
(80%)
557 mg |
| Potassium |
(11%)
508 mg |
| Zinc |
(31%)
2.9 mg |
| Other constituents | |
| Water | 11 g |
|
|
| Percentages are roughly approximated using US recommendations for adults. | |
| Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) | |
|---|---|
| Energy | 429 kJ (103 kcal) |
|
19 g
|
|
| Dietary fiber | 2 g |
|
2 g
|
|
|
4 g
|
|
| Vitamins | |
| Thiamine (B1) |
(2%)
0.02 mg |
| Riboflavin (B2) |
(2%)
0.02 mg |
| Niacin (B3) |
(2%)
0.24 mg |
| Vitamin B6 |
(8%)
0.1 mg |
| Folate (B9) |
(6%)
22 μg |
| Minerals | |
| Calcium |
(5%)
47 mg |
| Iron |
(16%)
2.1 mg |
| Magnesium |
(18%)
65 mg |
| Manganese |
(43%)
0.9 mg |
| Phosphorus |
(21%)
148 mg |
| Potassium |
(3%)
135 mg |
| Zinc |
(9%)
0.9 mg |
| Other constituents | |
| Water | 75 g |
|
|
| Percentages are roughly approximated using US recommendations for adults. | |
Amaranth has been cultivated as a grain for 8,000 years. The yield of grain amaranth is comparable to rice or maize. It was a staple food of the Aztecs and an integral part of Aztec religious ceremonies. The cultivation of amaranth was banned by the conquistadores upon their conquest of the Aztec nation. However, the plant has grown as a weed since then, so its genetic base has been largely maintained. Research on grain amaranth began in the United States in the 1970s. By the end of the 1970s, a few thousand acres were being cultivated. Much of the grain currently grown is sold in health food shops.
Grain amaranth is also grown as a food crop in limited amounts in Mexico, where it is used to make a candy called alegría (Spanish for joy) at festival times. Amaranth species that are still used as a grain are Amaranthus caudatus, Amaranthus cruentus, and Amaranthus hypochondriacus. The grain is popped and mixed with honey. The popped grain is mixed with melted jaggery in proper proportion to make iron and energy rich “laddus,” a popular food provided at the Mid-day Meal Program in municipal schools.
Amaranth grain can also be used to extract amaranth oil - a particularly valued pressed seed oil with many commercial uses.
As the following table shows, raw grain amaranth has many nutrients.
Raw amaranth grain is inedible to humans and cannot be digested. Thus it has to be prepared and cooked like other grains. Another table below suggests cooked amaranth is a promising source of nutrition comparable to wheat bread—higher in some nutrients and lower in others.
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Wikipedia