Amaranth grain

Amaranth grain (left) and wheat (right)

Amaranth, uncooked

Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy	1,554 kJ (371 kcal)
Carbohydrates	65 g
Sugars	1.7 g
Dietary fiber	7 g
Fat	7 g
Protein	14 g
Vitamins	Quantity %DV†
Thiamine (B1)	8% 0.1 mg
Riboflavin (B2)	15% 0.2 mg
Niacin (B3)	6% 0.9 mg
Pantothenic acid (B5)	30% 1.5 mg
Vitamin B6	35% 0.6 mg
Folate (B9)	21% 82 μg
Minerals	Quantity %DV†
Calcium	12% 159 mg
Iron	42% 7.6 mg
Magnesium	59% 248 mg
Manganese	148% 3.4 mg
Phosphorus	45% 557 mg
Potassium	17% 508 mg
Zinc	26% 2.9 mg
Other constituents	Quantity
Water	11 g
†Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults, except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation from the National Academies.

Amaranth, cooked

Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy	429 kJ (103 kcal)
Carbohydrates	19 g
Dietary fiber	2 g
Fat	2 g
Protein	4 g
Vitamins	Quantity %DV†
Thiamine (B1)	2% 0.02 mg
Riboflavin (B2)	2% 0.02 mg
Niacin (B3)	2% 0.24 mg
Vitamin B6	6% 0.1 mg
Folate (B9)	6% 22 μg
Minerals	Quantity %DV†
Calcium	4% 47 mg
Iron	12% 2.1 mg
Magnesium	15% 65 mg
Manganese	39% 0.9 mg
Phosphorus	12% 148 mg
Potassium	5% 135 mg
Zinc	8% 0.9 mg
Other constituents	Quantity
Water	75 g
†Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults, except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation from the National Academies.

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 was used as an integral part of Aztec religious ceremonies. The cultivation of amaranth was banned by the conquistadores upon their conquest of the Aztec nation. Because the plant has continued to grow as a weed since that time, its genetic base has been largely maintained. Research on grain amaranth began in the US 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 happiness) 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. In Maharashtra state of India, it is called “Rajgira” (राजगीरा) in the Marathi language. 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.

Nutritional analysis

As the following table shows, in a raw form, grain amaranth is particularly nutritious.

Raw amaranth grain, however, isn't edible and can not be digested. Amaranth grain must be prepared and cooked like other grains. Another table below suggests cooked amaranth is a competing and promising source of nutrition when compared to wheat bread.

Notable nutritional content attributes of raw amaranth grain include:-

• The protein is of an unusually high quality, according to ECHO.
• A ¼ cup of amaranth grain supplies 60% of the Recommended Dietary Allowance of iron.
• Amaranth grain is particularly high in lysine, an amino acid that most grains lack.
• Amaranth grain is deficient in some essential amino acids such as leucine and threonine, - both of which are present in wheat germ.Garcia; et al. (1972). "Composition of Air-classified Defatted Com and Wheat-Germ Flours" (PDF). Cereal Chemistry. 49 (5): 499–507. {{cite journal}}: Explicit use of et al. in: |author= (help)</ref>, ~ composition: !! Amaranth !! Wheat !! Rice !! Sweetcorn !! Potato

|- 
! Component (per 100g portion) !!  Amount !!  Amount !!  Amount !!  Amount !! Amount
|-
| water (g) || 11 || 11 || 12 || 76 || 82 
|- 
| energy (kJ) || 1554 || 1506 || 1527 || 360 || 288
|-
| protein (g) || 14 || 23 || 7 || 3 || 1.7
|-
| fat (g) || 7 || 10 || 1 || 1 || 0.1
|-
| carbohydrates (g) || 65 || 52 || 79 || 19  || 16
|-
| fiber (g) || 7 || 13 || 1 || 3  || 2.4
|-
| sugars (g) || 1.7 || <0.1 || >0.1 || 3  || 1.2
|-
| iron (mg) || 7.6 || 6.3 || 0.8 || 0.5  || 0.5
|-
| manganese (mg) || 3.4 || 13.3 || 1.1 || 0.2  || 0.1
|-
| calcium (mg) || 159 || 39 || 28 || 2  || 9
|-
| magnesium (mg) || 248 || 239 || 25 || 37  || 21
|-
| phosphorus (mg) || 557 || 842 || 115 || 89  || 62
|-
| potassium (mg) || 508 || 892 || 115 || 270  || 407
|-
| zinc (mg) || 2.9 || 12.3 || 1.1 || 0.5  || 0.3
|-
| pantothenic acid (mg) || 1.5 || 2.3 || 1.0 || 0.7  || 0.3
|-
| vitB6 (mg) || 0.6 || 1.3 || 0.2 || 0.1  || 0.2
|-
| folate (µg) || 82 || 281 || 8 || 42  || 18
|-
| thiamin (mg) || 0.1 || 1.9 || 0.1 || 0.2  || 0.1
|-
| riboflavin (mg) || 0.2 || 0.5 || >0.1 || 0.1  || >0.1
|-
| niacin (mg) || 0.9 || 6.8 || 1.6 || 1.8  || 1.1
|}

The table below presents nutritional values of cooked, edible form of amaranth grain to cooked, edible form of wheat grain as reported by United States Department of Agriculture's National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 23 (2010).

Synopsis ~ composition:	Amaranth grain, cooked	Bread, wheat germ
Component (per 100g portion)	Amount	Amount
water (g)	75	37
energy (kJ)	429	1092
protein (g)	4	10
fat (g)	2	3
carbohydrates (g)	19	48
fiber (g)	2	2
sugars (g)	n/a	4
iron (mg)	2.1	3.5
manganese (mg)	0.85	0.85
calcium (mg)	47	89
magnesium (mg)	65	28
phosphorus (mg)	148	121
potassium (mg)	135	254
zinc (mg)	0.9	1.0
pantothenic acid (mg)	<0.1	0.5
vitB6 (mg)	0.11	0.08
folate (µg)	22	118
thiamin (mg)	<0.1	0.4
riboflavin (mg)	0.02	0.38
niacin (mg)	0.24	4.5

Additional agricultural information

Amaranth from its start as a plant has literally a worldwide population currently where there are varieties for greens, varieties for grain, combinations and even ornamentals. The Great Plains has seen a surge in this crop from Rodale Farms developed varieties.

Amaranthus retroflexus, or pigweed, is a wild amaranth species in the United States. The name derives from the plant's tendency to sprout where hogs are pasture fed. Although both the leaves and seeds are edible, pigweed has not been cultivated as a food crop.

The virtue of amaranth is in light soils, it will produce food under harsh and lackluster nutrient conditions much like grain sorghum. It is a very efficient grain crop.