![\"Hands](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1_GettyImages-2207097332.jpg\")
The Aztecs were said to call it the “food of immortality”(Image: Getty)<\/p>\nCarbohydrates often get a bad rap, but there’s a world of difference between wholesome grains and your typical ultra-processed loaf. Packed with fibre and nutrients, grains are an integral part of a balanced, healthy diet.<\/p>\n
The health perks of brown rice are well-documented – it’s a great source of protein and fibre, readily available in supermarkets<\/a> and easy on the wallet. On the more fashionable end of the spectrum is quinoa, a gluten-free seed recognised as a whole grain that contains all nine essential amino acids.<\/p>\n Flying under the radar is a ‘grain’ related to quinoa – amaranth, frequently hailed as one of the healthiest grains around. Packed with protein and gluten-free, amaranth is one of the world’s oldest crops and was even considered by the Aztecs and Incas to possess supernatural powers.<\/p>\n What makes carbs good for you The brief answer to what makes some carbs healthy? Food processing \u2014 or the lack of it. The so-called ‘good carbs’ are whole grains, which are simply grains that haven’t been processed.<\/p>\n As outlined by the British Dietary Association, a whole grain consists of three things:<\/p>\n The bran: a fibre-rich outer layerThe germ: a nutrient-packed inner partThe endosperm: a central starchy part<\/p>\n In contrast, refined grains undergo processing and only retain their endosperm. Products made from these processed and refined grains constitute the majority of what’s on supermarket shelves.<\/p>\n “Whole grains, as they’re grown in the ground, are packed with nutrients,” registered dietitian Ashli Greenwald told John Hopkins Medicine.<\/p>\n “They can contain several B vitamins and trace minerals, such as iron, zinc, magnesium and copper. Some whole grains are good sources of protein. You also get phytonutrients: plant-based compounds that can reduce inflammation and may lower your chances of developing heart disease, diabetes and even some kinds of cancer.”<\/p>\n Amaranth: the ‘healthiest grain’ you may not have heard of Legend has it that the Aztecs called amaranth the “food of immortality”.<\/p>\n Though technically a seed, amaranth provides comparable health advantages to whole grains. This ancient superfood has earned recognition as one of the most nutritious options due to its impressive nutrient content.<\/p>\n Boasting higher protein levels than rice and corn, amaranth proves remarkably filling, keeping you satisfied for extended periods whilst delivering a complete amino acid profile including lysine \u2014 an amino acid rarely present in grains \u2014 plus vitamins A and C.<\/p>\n Research from 2020 examined amaranth’s lesser-known advantages. Scientists discovered it serves as an excellent source of fibre, protein, and essential minerals such as calcium and iron, according to Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition.<\/p>\n Additionally, it provides vitamin C, folic acid, and antioxidants, as reported in a 2019 study.<\/p>\n How to cook and bake with amaranth<\/p>\n South Americans have consumed amaranth for millennia, and numerous preparation methods exist. Its gentle, nutty taste works brilliantly in both savoury and sweet dishes.<\/p>\n A simple beginning is porridge – the ‘whole grain’ serves as a great substitute for oats. Ann Ziata, a chef-instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education, told Martha Stewart’s website that she combines it with dates, sesame seeds, apricots, almonds, along with cinnamon and maple syrup.<\/p>\n It’s available for purchase from Holland and Barrett (500g for \u00a33.69)<\/a> with 1kg bags starting from \u00a38.99 on Amazon<\/a>.<\/p>\n Six ways to enjoy amaranth<\/p>\n Amaranth is also available as flour and flakes.<\/p>\n Porridge – as a base or sprinkled as flakes as a toppingPopcorn – pop them in a dry pan on the hobBaking – it’s gluten-freePancakes – sweet or savourySalad – its green leaves are slightly sweetWith other grains – amaranth is starchy so combine it with brown rice<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Packed with protein, fibre and essential nutrients, the ‘grain’ was eaten by the Aztecs and Incas Ketsuda Phoutinane…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":215145,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[166,2806,163,823,85,46,87683,543,38222,72313,10110],"class_list":{"0":"post-215144","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nutrition","8":"tag-diet","9":"tag-food-science","10":"tag-health","11":"tag-heart-disease","12":"tag-il","13":"tag-israel","14":"tag-martha-stewart","15":"tag-nutrition","16":"tag-periods","17":"tag-superfoods","18":"tag-vitamins"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/215144","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=215144"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/215144\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/215145"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=215144"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=215144"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=215144"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Raw](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0_GettyImages-864345784.jpg\")
Amaranth and quinoa are ‘whole grains’ that are actually seeds(Image: Getty)<\/p>\n![\"amaranth](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0_GettyImages-1369286992.jpg\")
The amaranth plant that the seeds come from(Image: Getty)<\/p>\n