{"id":215188,"date":"2026-01-01T17:23:07","date_gmt":"2026-01-01T17:23:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/215188\/"},"modified":"2026-01-01T17:23:07","modified_gmt":"2026-01-01T17:23:07","slug":"ancient-grain-hailed-worlds-healthiest-carb-beats-brown-rice-and-quinoa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/215188\/","title":{"rendered":"Ancient grain hailed ‘world’s healthiest carb’ beats brown rice and quinoa"},"content":{"rendered":"

Carbs get a lot of flak though they make up an important part of a healthy diet<\/a>. Granted, there’s a vast difference between whole grains and ultra-processed sweets and snacks.<\/p>\n

Bursting with fibre and essential nutrients, grains are a cornerstone of balanced, nutritious eating. Brown rice’s health credentials are well-established \u2014 brimming with protein and fibre, it’s also readily available in supermarkets<\/a> and budget-friendly.<\/p>\n

On the more fashionable end of the spectrum sits quinoa, a gluten-free seed categorised as a whole grain that contains all nine essential amino acids. Related to quinoa, amaranth is a lesser known ‘grain’ that flies under the radar as one the most nutritious foods you can eat<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Abundant in protein and naturally gluten-free, amaranth ranks among the world’s most ancient crops and was even revered by the Aztecs and Incas as possessing mystical properties.<\/p>\n

What makes carbs good for you?<\/p>\n

The simple explanation for what renders certain carbohydrates beneficial is food processing. So-called ‘good carbs’ are whole grains, which are essentially grains that remain unprocessed.<\/p>\n

The British Dietary Association says a complete grain has three things:<\/p>\n

The bran: a fibre-rich outer layerThe germ: a nutrient-packed inner partThe endosperm: a central starchy part<\/p>\n

By comparison, refined grains undergo processing and preserve only their endosperm. Items manufactured from processed and refined grains dominate the majority of supermarket shelves.<\/p>\n

“Whole grains, as they’re grown in the ground, are full of 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.<\/p>\n

“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

Why amaranth is one of the healthiest grains you can eat<\/p>\n

This ancient superfood has earned recognition as amongst the most nutritious due to its exceptional nutrient content. The Aztecs reportedly called amaranth the “food of immortality”.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Despite being technically a seed, amaranth provides comparable health advantages<\/a> to wholegrains. With higher protein levels than rice and maize, amaranth proves remarkably filling, keeping you satisfied for extended periods whilst delivering a complete amino acid profile including lysine \u2014 rarely found in grains \u2014 plus vitamins A and C.<\/p>\n

Nutritionist Kerry Torrens named amaranth as the healthiest grain in an article for\u00a0Good Food<\/a>, above oats, brown rice and quinoa.<\/p>\n

Research from 2020<\/a> 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 detailed in a 2019 study.<\/p>\n

Six ways to eat amaranthPorridge – 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

There are many ways to cook and bake with amaranth \u2014 South Americans have consumed amaranth for millennia. Its gentle, nutty taste works brilliantly in both savoury and sweet dishes.<\/p>\n

A simple way to incorporate it into your diet is by using it as a substitute for oats in porridge. Ann Ziata, a chef-instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education, shared with Martha Stewart<\/a> that she enjoys it with dates, sesame seeds, apricots, almonds, and a dash of cinnamon and maple syrup.<\/p>\n

In addition to whole grains, amaranth is also available as flour and flakes. It’s readily available at Holland and Barrett<\/a>, where you can purchase 500g for \u00a33.69. A kilo of amaranth costs \u00a38.99 on Amazon<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Carbs get a lot of flak though they make up an important part of a healthy diet. Granted,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":215189,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[119358,119362,119359,99040,163,30497,1168,3548,4464,119361,85,46,543,36747,119360,548,40685],"class_list":{"0":"post-215188","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nutrition","8":"tag-amaranth","9":"tag-amaranth-recipes","10":"tag-ancient-grains","11":"tag-carbs","12":"tag-health","13":"tag-healthy-carbs","14":"tag-healthy-diet","15":"tag-healthy-eating","16":"tag-healthy-foods","17":"tag-how-to-eat-healthy","18":"tag-il","19":"tag-israel","20":"tag-nutrition","21":"tag-plant-based-diet","22":"tag-porridge","23":"tag-vegetables","24":"tag-whole-grains"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/215188","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=215188"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/215188\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/215189"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=215188"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=215188"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=215188"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}