Benefits of Amaranth
Every time we go further into the natural ways to maintain a healthy life, we encounter new preparations and natural foodstuffs for adding valuable nutrients to our diet and without causing any problems, as in the case of amaranth.
This is a very nutritious vegetable that despite having made the staple food of the ancient peoples of Central America, only now begun to be seen as a powerful and healthy food. Consider, then, some of the benefits of amaranth.
What is amaranth?
It is a vegetable similar to spinach, which can measure even up to 4 meters high, composed of long fibrous leaves and flowering spike a species which accumulate grains, with these parts of the plant for the most wanted foodstuffs. Although it should be noted that there are over 60 varieties of amaranth, and depending on the variety, it is advisable to eat the beans or leaves.
Its cultivation is mainly in warm climates, in countries like Mexico, Nepal, India and Peru, but also practical in poor soil, as long as the weather is not too cold, to be ready for harvest in just 6 weeks after been cultivated.
Nutritional properties of amaranth
As already mentioned, the fame of this plant that grows every day more important due to their nutritional values, which allowed even compare to amaranth with nutritional intake of milk. This is due to its high content of whole proteins, dietary fibers, calcium, iron, potassium and balanced content of minerals and vitamins. It also has a beneficial set of amino acids, polyunsaturated fat, and with the advantage that it does not alter the normal levels of cholesterol.
To get a better idea about their nutritional information, maybe it will help to know that for every ½ cup amaranth would be consuming about 14 grams of protein, 15 grams of fiber, about 370 calories and 5 grams of fat.
It also generates a rich contribution in minerals like magnesium, iron, phosphorus, zinc, calcium, manganese, potassium and copper. While among its vitamin content highlights the vitamin C, vitamin B6 and K, as well as riboflavin, folic acid, niacin and thiamine.
How to consume amaranth?
If we were to be guided by the Central American cuisine, there would be thousands of ways to the preparation of the amaranth as food, as this plant, along with corn and beans, was the main food of the Aztec peoples as. But in general, we comment you that amaranth leaves are ideal for consuming in the same way as spinach, may be in salads , or in boiled or fried, while the seeds can be used as flour from up as cereal grains, to prepare popcorn, or eat in a toast.
Furthermore, amaranth is a very easy to keep food that you can have it perfectly from one week to six months in the refrigerator, depending on whether their leaves or grains respectively, so you can get a small supply of this so add a more nutritious to all your meals.
Enjoy this article?
You might also like
|
|
|
|
|
