Amaranath – The Power Chain
My girlfriend has a habit of bringing strange and often not that wonderfully tasty food home but this is one I can recommend.
Amaranth is an 8,000 year old crop which was dubbed the “super food” by the ancient Aztecs. A once abundant crop, they fed it to their warriors because it had a reputation for providing large bursts of energy and improving athletic performance. So much so that the invading Spanish burnt the crop and would chop of the hands of people found with it - maybe a solution that should have been saved for fast-food eaters!
Amaranth has a phenomenal nutritional profile, providing several important nutrients that are often difficult to incorporate into a restrictive diet. A point that’s good to know when you’re watching your food trying to shed those last couple of inches for summer.
For example, Amaranth contains large amounts of dietary fiber, iron, and calcium as well as other vitamins and minerals. Amaranth also has naturally high amounts of lysine, methionine and cysteine combined with a fine balance of amino acids, making it an excellent source of high quality, balanced protein, (great for our vegetarian friends). It is more complete than the protein found in most grains.
In addition to Amaranth¹s outstanding nutritional value, it is also very low in sodium and contains no saturated fat. This definitely ticks all the right boxes on our healthy eating plan.
As an additional bonus, a study showed Amaranth was the only grain that contains significant amounts of phytosterols which scientists are just now learning play a major part in the prevention of all kinds of diseases.
From a taste perspective, it’s a bit tasteless on its own but when combined with other things, it takes on the taste of these ingredients. It’s really tasty with berries and honey, and in dips or a Spanish-style paella. - Adam