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Amaranthby Jennifer E. O’Brien You’ve been trying to eat
your
complex carbohydrates and whole grains, but you’re getting bored.
Here’s
another option for healthy eating: amaranth. This ancient
“grain” was originally
used by the Aztecs and is known for its multiple uses; both the leaves
and seeds
can be eaten. Although it is often referred to as such, it is not
technically a
grain, but is related to the common garden weed called pigweed and to
the
tumbleweeds of the southwestern One of the many appeals
of amaranth
is that it is gluten free, explains Karen Collins, registered dietitian
and
nutrition advisor to the American Institute for Cancer Research. “If
avoiding
gluten, amaranth offers another alternative for a cooked grain …
another option
beyond rice, corn, quinoa, etc. However, because it has no gluten, it
cannot be
used alone in any leavened product; bread, etc. with amaranth will also
be
combined with other grains.” Along with appealing to
those
avoiding gluten, amaranth has several other health benefits. It is a
terrific
source of protein. Jackie Keller, founding director of NutriFit, and
author of Body
After Baby: The Simple 30-Day Plan to Lose Your Baby Weight,
explains that
because amaranth contains the amino acid, lysine, when it is eaten with
rice,
wheat or barley, it provides a complete protein. Known for its peppery
taste,
amaranth is also touted for its calcium content; it provides four times
the
amount in brown rice and twice of that in bulgur. Keller notes that a
half cup
of the dry seeds has the same amount of calcium as 3 cups of raw
broccoli or a
half cup of milk. Lastly, according to Keller, “only quinoa has more
iron than amaranth.” Below is a recipe for
amaranth
pancakes from NuWorld Foods (www.nuworldamaranth.com). Amaranth Pancakes Delicious and grain free,
these
pancakes are sturdy enough to toast in an oven or toaster oven and make
into
sandwiches for lunch. For a treat, top them with peanut butter. (Yields 18 4" pancakes) 1 cup amaranth flour In a medium mixing bowl,
combine the
flour, arrowroot, nuts, baking soda and cinnamon. In a small bowl, mix the
water,
lemon juice, oil and maple syrup or honey. Stir liquid into flour
mixture to combine
well. The batter will be thin. Drop spoonfuls of the
mixture onto a
pre-heated, ungreased non-stick griddle or frying pan. (The pancakes
will be
very thin.) When pancakes are bubbly on top and browned on bottom, turn
and
cook other side. As the batter stands, it might thicken; thin with a
little
water. Variation: You can replace the
lemon juice
with ½ tsp vitamin C crystals or 2 tsp cream of tartar. Mix it
with the flour. |
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