Healthy Food Recipes: In India, Mexico, Peru and Nepal, amaranth is used to make traditional breakfast cereals.
Schiritsa: how to eat
In many countries of South America, shrimp is consumed in the form of "popcorn".
In India, Mexico, Peru and Nepal, amaranth is used to make traditional breakfast cereals.
In Mexico, various sweets are made from grains (usually by mixing with honey and lemon juice). Mexicans on the Day of the Dead prepare various dishes from shiritsa and lay them out in the shape of skulls. But apart from such a creepy serving, amaranth is consumed in more acceptable forms.
The pleasant nutty flavor of the squid makes it suitable for making cereals, pancakes, muffins, biscuits and breads.
The ideal option for eating all the components of amaranth is raw!
How to cook amaranth correctly
Making amaranth is as easy as shelling pears.
- The required portion of the grain is poured into boiling water and cooked over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes.
- Strain the finished grains and eat.
Shchiritsa is somewhat different from other grains. Its shell remains firm, and after cooking, only the core softens. This cereal is poorly suited for cooking pilaf, but it can be used as a component of salads, biscuits or soups.
In fact, there are only two rules that are important to adhere to when boiling squash. And they consist:
- firstly, cook the grains in plenty of water,
- secondly - grind amaranth grains to flour in a coffee grinder or mill.
Some chefs advise taking at least 6 (?!) Glasses of water for each glass of cereal. But not because amaranth absorbs a lot of liquid. The fact is that during cooking, a lot of gluten (but not gluten!) Is released from the product. If you take less water, then before serving, the finished grains will have to be washed from viscous plaque. Although many take no more than 2 glasses of water for crushed amaranth ... And it also turns out to be quite edible.
And, again, the healing properties of amaranth are best manifested when all of its components are eaten in raw form!
The same squalene partially loses its activity already at 45 degrees Celsius. This should be constantly remembered if you expect EXACTLY a therapeutic effect from this valuable product.
What to cook from shiritsa
For the first time you heard that you can cook something edible from a shchiritsa and do not know any recipes? Below are some delicious amaranth ideas.
Amaranth and forest mushroom polenta
Ingredients:
- 0.5 cups dried mushrooms (white or otherwise);
- 1 tablespoon oil
- chopped shallots;
- 1 glass of amaranth;
- some salt;
- ground black pepper to taste;
- some thyme.
How to cook:
Add mushrooms to boiling water (a little less than 2 cups), cover and cook until softened.
Heat oil in another saucepan, add shallots and cook for about a minute.
Add amaranth, chopped mushrooms, liquid and bring to a boil.
Simmer for about 15 minutes.
Add spices, continue cooking for another 15 minutes.
This dish serves as an excellent side dish for fried poultry or game stew. One serving provides approximately 280 calories, 12 g protein, 42 g carbohydrates, 7 g fat, 160 mg sodium, 6 g fiber.
Porridge with blackberry and blueberry
Ingredients:
- 1.5 cups amaranth;
- 2.5 glasses of water;
- 2.5 glasses of milk;
- 2 tbsp. l. butter;
- a third of a glass of heavy cream;
- 0.5 cups blueberries;
- 4 tbsp. l. honey.
How to cook:
Pour amaranth over milk and water, add butter.
Boil first over high heat, and the next 20 minutes - slowly, stirring constantly.It takes about an hour to cook this porridge.
Add cream and blueberries to the finished dish, sprinkle with honey when serving.
By the way, this breakfast recipe was developed by the chef Eric Stein especially for the culinary competition in 2009. The extraordinary taste of this dish amazed many.
The calorie content of a portion is 520 kilocalories, as well as 16 g of proteins, 71 g of carbohydrates, 20 g of fat, 5 g of fiber.
Amaranth, nuts and banana muffins
Ingredients:
- 1 glass of boiled amaranth;
- 2 cups millet (or gluten-free) flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 0.5 cups chopped walnuts;
- mashed 3 bananas;
- 0.5 cups of liquid honey;
- 2 eggs;
- 3 tablespoons of oil;
- vanilla sugar.
How to cook:
Stir in millet or gluten-free flour, baking powder, and walnuts.
Mix bananas, honey, eggs, vanilla sugar and butter separately.
Add amaranth and dry ingredients mixture. To stir thoroughly.
Pour into prepared mold. Bake at 180 degrees for about an hour.
These healthy and nutritious pastries are perfect for breakfast or as a snack.
100 grams of the finished product contains about 170 calories, 6 g of fat, 27 g of carbohydrates, 4 g of protein, 3 g of fiber and 75 mg of sodium.
Shiritsa salad
Ingredients:
- amaranth leaves;
- nettle leaves;
- leaves of wild garlic.
How to cook:
Pour boiling water over all the greens and chop. Salt to taste. Use vegetable oil with a few drops of lemon juice, sour cream or any other salad dressing as a dressing.
Amaranth cutlets How to cook:
Mix potatoes, peas and amaranth, add grated carrots and eggs. Season with salt, pepper, breaded in gluten-free breadcrumbs and fry in vegetable oil.
Shirin tea
- For 100 ml of boiling water, you will need a tablespoon of leaves (you can take fresh or dry ones) or shiri flowers, as well as a teaspoon of chopped mint or lemon balm.
- Insist for 5-7 minutes.
- Then add another glass of boiling water.
- Add some honey for flavor.
Good afternoon, our dear subscribers and readers!
The cooking technology of which is in front of you is offered by me not only for those who observe the fast, but especially for those of you who wish health to yourself and your loved ones.
You can talk about the beneficial properties of amaranth and its oil for a long time and endlessly. You can verify this on the Internet. For example, on YouTube by following this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Xi4GIMcKRE
Therefore, I will not describe this "ordinary miracle". Let's act right now in the direction of health and longevity in youth, if you are really ready for this, starting to prepare this healing porridge, which not only saturates and nourishes the body, but also does not add extra calories, and is also engaged in active cleansing of our digestive tract and the organism as a whole.
How to make delicious amaranth porridge
Ingredients:
- Amaranth seeds - just over ½ cup
- Drinking water - 1.5 cups
- Sea salt - to taste
- Amaranth oil or any other cold pressed vegetable oil for serving
Finished porridge output: 370 - 400g
Cooking technology: very simple!
My way of cooking:
1. We take amaranth seeds (preferably yellow ones, since red ones take longer to boil)
2. We wash the seeds in running water, using the finest strainer to avoid the loss of seeds
3. Fill with hot water, bring to a boil and reduce heat to a minimum
4. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally (for about 20 minutes, the porridge begins to thicken)
5. Salt to taste, stir
6. Remove from heat, wrap in a towel and leave for another 15 - 20 minutes.
Everything! Delicious and healthy amaranth porridge ready! It is, like caviar in consistency, very interesting! Before serving, fill the porridge with amaranth or any vegetable oil.
You can add cane sugar or honey when the dish has cooled slightly. But this is super sweet tooth. I didn't add sweets to this already wonderful porridge, but I couldn't refuse raspberries :))
Amaranth seeds can be added to any dish. Cook healthy food with JOY, making it tasty and filling, and be healthy!
At the end of cooking, you can add turmeric or cinnamon, any dried fruit. But first, I advise you to try to cook porridge without any additives, fully experiencing the true taste of the finished porridge. The very first time I cooked it without salt at all.
Good luck in your cooking! I look forward to your comments.
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Amaranth was once one of the main cultures among the Slavs. Amaranth groats were used not only for making cereals, but ground into flour, intended for baking bread. Yes, amaranth cereals began to be used much earlier than wheat or rye. Why? This remains a mystery to scientists. After all, amaranth is considered a southern heat-loving plant for our climate. Perhaps the climate itself was once not the most severe. Let's leave this riddle for scientists, and talk about the benefits of amaranth cereals.
Amaranth is considered a weed almost all over the world. But the Aztecs of South America used it for food and for treatment long before Europeans knew about it. They called the food of the gods small amaranth seeds.
Today, when this plant has become well studied, doctors and nutritionists around the world talk about it as a useful nutritious plant. Thanks to this, amaranth and its groats, or rather seeds, are becoming more and more popular. And the rest of the components of the plant are not lagging behind in this regard. They are also used for food. There are special vegetable varieties.
In terms of its nutritional value, amaranth cereals are not inferior to such recognized grains as rice or buckwheat.
The thermophilic amaranth plant is native to South America. This plant was the main food of the local tribes living in this area. Since the colonization of America by Europeans, amaranth first came to North America and then to Europe.
In Europe, he liked it more as an ornamental plant with beautiful leaves and tall inflorescences. But realizing how quickly it spreads and litters areas, amaranth began to be considered a malicious weed. But they still found a use for him. They began to use it for livestock feed.
Today, the beautiful flowers of amaranth, translated from Greek meaning "denying death", are specially cultivated in botanical gardens and are turning heads of florists. Although, it is necessary to somewhat limit and control the reproduction of a one- or perennial cereal plant from the Amaranth family, which preferably chooses a warmer climate for its life, in a temperate zone.
Ancient Russia, this plant with small bright red flowers, collected in dense inflorescences, was also not spared. Only the Russians treated him more closely and noticed a number of useful qualities. Therefore, before the time of Peter the Great, the squid (or cockscombs, velvet, cat's tail, axamitnik) were used in cooking along with legumes, millet and corn.
Due to the fact that amaranth is still best known as an original unusually attractive flower, breeders do not stop in breeding more and more amaranth varieties. There are at least a hundred of them, among which bluish, thrown back, paniculate (or crimson), tailed, Aztec, Giant, Helios, Valentina, Lera, Kizlyarets, Voronezh, Shuntuk, Rosotsvetny, Krepysh, In memory of Kvassov, tricolor are especially popular. The latter is characterized by elongated red-yellow leaves and bright inflorescences located on the stem tops.
Wild varieties can be found in China, Australia and Russia. The fact is that they grow widely on wastelands, along roadsides and on embankments. 
Often, the flowering period of amaranth (almost all varieties) falls on the month of July. Flowers, leaves and seeds are also harvested in July.
We must not forget about the fact that amaranth was recognized by the UN Food Commission as the best food crop of the 21st century. No wonder in his homeland the Aztecs assigned this plant the status of bread.
Amaranth is recognized worldwide as a healthy food and as an alternative to cereals with a high gluten content. This grain has been known for over 7000 years. Unfortunately, it is not yet on the mass market. Most cereals can only be bought at health food stores. It’s a pity. It can be used not only for making cereals, but added to other cereals, muesli and other dishes.
The main wealth of cereals is their high protein content. 100 grams of grain contains:
Protein - almost 14 grams
Carbohydrates - 65 grams
Fiber - 7 grams.
Rich in amaranth seeds and minerals. Calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, zinc - all this is in cereals.
In addition, it contains a number of B vitamins useful and necessary for a person to maintain health: folic acid, riboflavin, thiamine, pantothenic acid, vitamin B 6. Vitamins A, C, E, K - all this is also found in these small seeds ... There is a lot of the amino acid lysine in cereals, which is not often found in other cereals.
Like many other cereals, amaranth contains a number of useful unsaturated fatty acids: oleic linoleic, linoleic.
The total calorie content in 100 grams of the product reaches 375 kilocalories.
Small amaranth seeds can be boiled and roasted, germinated, or ground into flour. Useful and nutritious oil is obtained from them.
Many nutrients act as antioxidants, increase energy levels and thus endurance, and control hormone and blood sugar levels. 
The benefits of amaranth cereals for the body are large and varied. And all this thanks to the high nutritional content of the seeds. Plus, they are very versatile and can be used in different ways to get the most out of them. The leaves of the plant, which are used for making salads and in soups, are also useful. Cosmetology has not spared this plant.
Amaranth seeds are great for weight loss. As rich in vegetable protein and complex structure of carbohydrates, it becomes one of the most useful cereals in the diet of those who want to lose weight.
Amaranth seeds do not contain gluten, which is found in many other grains such as wheat, barley, and rye. It is ideal for people with celiac disease who can use it to thicken soups, sauces, baked goods, and more.
Amaranth oils and phytosterols can lower blood cholesterol levels.
The anti-inflammatory properties of amaranth peptides can reduce inflammation in the body and relieve pain. This property is especially important for chronic diseases, heart disease, diabetes mellitus and others.
The same peptide compounds of amaranth protect against the development of cancer cells. Antioxidants can protect the body from many harmful effects that can lead to the development of cancer.
Amaranth phytonutrients can have an effect on lowering blood pressure.
Many vegetables and fruits in their composition often lack the amino acid lysine. It is she who helps the body to better absorb calcium, build muscle mass and generate more energy for the body.
Dietary fiber helps to improve digestion, reduce cholesterol and blood sugar, and lower blood pressure, while not reducing the body's energy production.
Due to its rich composition of vitamins and minerals, antioxidants and flavonoids, amaranth helps to strengthen the immune system.
Amaranth groats are good for people with diabetes. Due to its high fiber content, it has a low glycemic index and helps control blood glucose levels.
Studies have shown that amaranth leaves can prevent premature gray hair. 
Many historians argue that groats, or rather amaranth seeds, were used for a long time by the Slavic peoples for food, living in most of the then Kievan Rus. Only Peter the Great, who was striving for everything western, forbade this food. Gradually, this tradition of using amaranth as a food product was forgotten. Now not only scientists, but also farmers remembered about it. The only pity is that there is not much yet. Indeed, in amaranth, almost all plant can be used as food, except for the roots and stem. Therefore, amaranth cereals are still not as available as rice or millet. But you can still buy it. What to cook from it?
The first thing that comes to mind is of course porridge. Today, this kind of porridge can be found in the menu of some restaurants, where the chefs cook from "amaranth grain". The result is a porridge with a characteristic nutty taste. You can add fresh fruits, dried fruits, cinnamon, nuts, honey to the finished dish.
Such porridge is being prepared, like any other more familiar to us. It is only necessary to cook it over low heat for at least 40 minutes.
You can add seeds neat to vegetable salads.
It is customary to use the leaves blanched for three minutes or pickled as an ingredient in salads, as an appetizer, or separately as an addition to any side dish.
A good flavor combination is obtained with butter, feta cheese or grated hard cheese, boiled egg.
Often the leaves are cut as a substitute for beet tops or to give a natural, bright crimson color to soups.
It is called the cake from the production of shirin oil. Some culinary experts refer this "waste" product to the category of flour and are actively used in the preparation of various products, replacing wheat and corn with amaranth meal.
To obtain amaranth fatty oil, it is necessary to go through a laborious process of cold pressing, which allows you to keep all the main vitamin and mineral substances intact and safe.
In cooking, it is customary to use oil for dressing salads and cereal dishes, as well as for creating various types of sauces.
Despite the mass of positive properties, any product can also have a negative effect on the body. And amaranth is no exception in this regard.
Therefore, it is not desirable to use various variations of amaranth products (meal, seeds, oil, dried, infused, pickled or salted plant) for people who have:
Formation of stones in the urinary and gall bladder;
Individual not the perception of the product;
Lowered blood pressure (hypotension).
Amaranth, like some other seeds, nuts, and grains, contains phytic acid. Therefore, it is better to pre-hold the amaranth cereal in water before eating to prevent further fermentation. Germinating seeds can neutralize most of the phytic acid.
Moderate amounts of oxalic acid may be present in the leaves. Therefore, excessive consumption of the leaves should be avoided for people with gout, salt deposition, kidney problems, rheumatoid arthritis.
Summing up, we can say that amaranth cereals can rightfully be considered a delicious nutritious food and bring many benefits to our body and health.
About the beneficial properties of amaranth, its benefits and how to cook porridge from amaranth cereals, see this video
In our country, everyone knows semolina. Everyone ate it, and many continue to eat it, considering it one of the best dietary products. But few people have heard of amaranth porridge, which is made from a plant that was once well known among the people as "royal millet", which was especially revered by our grandparents for its unique and healing properties. It is not surprising, because amaranth is known to many exclusively in its garden forms or as a malicious weed - the scythe.
But some of the amaranth species are among the most ancient grain crops that have been cultivated for more than 6,000 years. The leaves, stems and roots of amaranth are eaten, not to mention the seeds. In cosmetology and medicine, amaranth oil is widely used. Amaranth flour is used to make porridge, cakes, cakes, refreshing drinks, and it is also eaten as flakes that taste like corn flakes.
It is very difficult to boil ordinary amaranth grains for porridge, it takes several hours, but it takes only 20-30 minutes to cook porridge from grit (amaranth flour), which became possible thanks to the use of modern technology. The resulting porridge is very similar to semolina, but only externally and only in consistency. And in terms of content, it's like comparing rye yeast-free bread with a white loaf made from refined flour.
What is semolina?
Semolina and couscous made from it are one of the biggest gastronomic misconceptions about their health and nutritional value. They contain neither vitamins, nor minerals, nor a sufficient amount of fiber useful for digestion, but consist of pure starch and a small amount of protein. Semolina can be compared to premium refined wheat flour.
Basically, semolina is a by-product from the production of wheat flour. After grinding wheat, small fragments of grain always remain, which are only slightly more than flour dust - this is semolina.
In addition to the fact that the benefits of semolina are negligible, it can also be harmful. Doctor of Medical Sciences, Honored Scientist of the Russian Federation, member of the Committee of Advisers of the WHO European Bureau for the Expanded Program of Immunization V.K. in the magazine "Health" No. 2, 2001 writes that semolina "eats" calcium and contains gluten, which is intolerable to many.
“... Semolina contains phytin, and phytin contains phosphorus, which binds calcium salts and prevents them from entering the blood. The level of calcium salts in the blood of a person should be constant - about 10 mg per 100 ml of blood serum. As soon as there are fewer salts, the parathyroid glands “remove” them from the bones and send them into the blood. However, children do not have so much calcium in their bones, besides, children grow up quickly, they really need it. It turns out that semolina deprives them of calcium. If there is little calcium in the body, muscles and heart work poorly, blood clotting worse. A striking example of a lack of calcium is the increased excitability of nerve cells and the appearance of seizures. Therefore, children who are heavily fed with semolina porridge (2 - 3 servings per day) often develop rickets and spasmophilia. We, adults, do not eat so much porridge in relation to our weight, and our need for calcium is much less than that of children. But if you eat only semolina, the lack of calcium will also affect the adult: osteoporosis will appear - increased fragility of bones ...
In addition, semolina contains a lot of gluten. This protein is also called gluten. It is gluten that gives elasticity to the dough and soft splendor of bread. But many people are intolerant to gluten, and it causes celiac disease, a severe hereditary disease that affects about one in 800 Europeans. Gluten and similar proteins are found in five grains: wheat, rye, oats, millet (millet), and barley. Under the influence of gluten in celiac patients, the intestinal mucosa becomes thinner and the absorption of all nutrients, especially fats, is impaired. The disease manifests itself when a small child is given semolina. The stool becomes profuse, mushy or liquid, light, with a shiny (fatty) surface. The child stops gaining weight, his belly grows, and the muscles, on the contrary, decrease. If the disease manifests itself at an older age, the child complains of abdominal pain, intestinal dysfunction, but the disease does not manifest itself as violently as in infancy.
I must say that gluten can cause another disease - allergies. It also manifests itself as a stool disorder. The diagnosis of celiac disease is not difficult - a biopsy of the intestinal mucosa must be done. And then - diet: all foods with gluten are excluded for life. We'll have to give up bread and flour products, cereals (except for buckwheat and rice) and all products that include flour. After all, even 200 - 500 mg of gluten per day is enough to disrupt intestinal absorption. Parents are usually shocked by such a sentence. But in vain. If a child under one or two years old has never eaten white bread, buns and semolina porridge, then he will not be drawn to them. "
Rediscovered amaranth
The healing properties of amaranth, known since ancient times, for some reason have been completely forgotten for many years. In the 1920s, scientists at the US National Academy of Sciences actually rediscovered the ancient culture, discovering preserved amaranth in the highlands of the Andes. In 1972, Australian plant physiologist John Downton discovered that amaranth kernels contain much more protein than wheat, corn, rice and other grains. So the time of oblivion ended and humanity remembered this culture, which has a unique composition that makes it a culture of universal use.
In 1977, Science magazine called amaranth "the culture of the future."
Amaranth is grown in almost all 50 states of the United States. The American Amaranth Institute and 23 research institutes in the United States and Canada are studying this culture and introducing it into the food industry. Special amaranth programs are funded by the US government. All this made it possible to begin industrial production of amaranth products by the end of the 80s. Now on the shelves of US health food stores, you can see up to 30 items of products with amaranth additives, from bread and sweets to meat grown on amaranth feed, and such meat costs 25% more than usual. Work with amaranth is carried out in other countries, such as China, India, Australia.
Scientific centers of Russia also began to actively work in the field of studying and introducing amaranth into industry. Today, the practical application of the results obtained in the bakery, confectionery industry, in the production of dietary, therapeutic and prophylactic products, in the production of baby food, in the chemical and pharmaceutical industry, in the perfumery and cosmetic industry, in the oil and fat and feed industries is especially relevant. Such a wide range of amaranth uses is explained by the presence in all parts of the plant of a huge amount of biologically active substances: amino acids, trace elements, vitamins, proteins, etc., while their highest concentration is observed in the seeds, from which amaranth oil is extracted using new conversion technologies. Amaranth oil has a pleasant smell and nutty taste.
The unique chemical composition of amaranth explains its wide range of uses as a therapeutic agent. Being a real natural pharmacy, in Russia amaranth was used to treat many ailments.
The UN Food Commission for its nutritional and medicinal properties recognized amaranth as a culture of the 21st century.
Currently, amaranth is successfully used in different countries in the treatment of:
- diseases of the cardiovascular system (atherosclerosis, arterial hypertension, heart failure, coronary heart disease, angina pectoris, thrombophlebitis, varicose veins, heart attack, stroke). Vitamin E, squalene, phospholipids, choline, magnesium and phytosterols contained in amaranth flour help to reduce the level of "bad" cholesterol in the blood, thereby preventing the formation of dangerous atheromatous plaques on the walls of blood vessels. Vitamin E in combination with magnesium and squalene also normalizes blood clotting, increases the elasticity of blood vessels, and also has a vasodilator effect (helping to reduce high blood pressure) and prevents the development of inflammatory processes in the circulatory system. Potassium, calcium and phosphorus, which are especially rich in amaranth flour, play an important role in the regulation of the rhythm, strength and rate of contractions of the myocardium (heart muscle);
- anemia (anemia). Amaranth flour is a rich source of substances that are actively involved in the synthesis of the blood protein hemoglobin, the main function of which is to transport oxygen from the lungs to the heart, brain and other organs of the human body;
- oncological diseases (amaranth flour is a source of the strongest immunostimulating natural antioxidants (squalene, vitamins E) that neutralize free radicals and carcinogens - substances that can cause the development of malignant cancerous tumors (as scientific studies show, squalene, which is part of amaranth flour, exhibits the greatest antitumor activity when oncological diseases of the skin, breast and intestines) .It is recommended for cancer patients undergoing a course of anticancer chemotherapy to introduce amaranth flour and products based on it into their daily diet;
- diseases of food allergies, in particular celiac disease - an allergy to the gluten group of proteins;
- diseases of the central nervous system.
Also, regular consumption of amaranth flour and products based on it is useful for people suffering from frequent headaches, insomnia, diseases of the nervous system, inflammatory diseases of the kidneys and other organs of the urinary system, diseases of the oral cavity (stomatitis, periodontitis), hemorrhoids, tuberculosis, bone diseases and joints (rickets, osteoporosis, articular rheumatism, polyarthritis, etc.), diseases of the organs of vision (conjunctivitis, night blindness, cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, etc.).
The rejuvenating effect of the grains of this culture is reduced to improving the condition of the skin: it strengthens the capillaries, increases blood circulation, and slows down the appearance of deep wrinkles. In addition, amaranth manifests itself as a fighter against skin infections and destroys acne, redness, fights dermatitis, fungi and herpes.
Amaranth seeds enrich the body with trace elements such as copper, iron, potassium, calcium and magnesium and are a source of plant hormones. In the complex therapy of hormonal disorders, thyroid diseases, prostatitis, gynecological disorders, culture can provide significant assistance and accelerate recovery.
Krupchatka is also useful for young children who are lagging behind in development, diagnosed with rickets, metabolic disorders and other diseases. It can be safely consumed even by one-year-old babies in the form of complementary foods, cereals and soups containing many useful substances.
Amaranth flour differs significantly from traditional wheat flour in its properties. This is mainly due to the fact that ordinary flour is a source of fast carbohydrates, which, accordingly, are quickly absorbed and just as quickly deposited in all places we do not like in the form of fatty deposits.
In the composition of amaranth flour, there is a complex fiber, which is practically not absorbed by the body. Coming out of it, it sweeps away, like a broom, all the toxic “rubble” that poison it. Moreover, amaranth products can be consumed in large quantities without fear of excess weight.
Amaranth porridge
- a source of nutrients and the basis of a healthy diet, a great alternative to your traditional breakfast.
You can make such a porridge from amaranth seeds. They are small, light brown in color. You can buy them in eco-shops, vegetarian shops, all kinds of health shops, as well as order on the Internet.
Porridge can be prepared both directly from amaranth seeds and from amaranth flour "gritty". When using flour, the porridge turns out to be of a more delicate consistency, this option is more popular with children.
To prepare porridge in water, take amaranth and water in a ratio of 1: 2. Pour water into a saucepan, bring to a boil and add amaranth, in a thin stream, stirring occasionally. Then add salt, then cover the pan with a lid and cook for 10 minutes. After the amaranth porridge has been cooked, it is important to let it brew, and only after that it can be served. When ready, add a little butter (butter or vegetable), and if you want to sweeten the porridge, you can use honey or jam.
You can also make raw porridge from amaranth seeds. To do this, fill the seeds with clean water in the evening and leave overnight. In the morning, rinse the seeds and place in a bowl, add your favorite fruit puree to them. It can be apple, pear, pumpkin, banana, or puree from any seasonal berries. Add honey and cinnamon if desired. Remember that only amaranth seeds will work for this recipe, not flour.
Amaranth recipes
Amaranth is added to breakfast cereals, pancake mixes and pasta. Amaranth flour is suitable for baking cookies. If you roast amaranth in a frying pan, you get something that looks like small popcorn.
Fresh amaranth leaf salad
Ingredients: For 200 g of amaranth leaves - 30 g. green onions, 20 gr. parsley, 1 tbsp. l. vegetable oil, salt - to taste.
Preparation: Cut young amaranth leaves into strips, put in a salad bowl, add finely chopped green onions and parsley, season with vegetable oil.
Spring salad
200 gr. amaranth leaves and 200 gr. nettle leaves, 50 gr. leaves of wild garlic (can be replaced with leaves of young winter garlic) pour over boiling water, chop, salt, season with vegetable oil or sour cream, add spices to taste.
Stewed amaranth with garlic
Dip the amaranth greens in boiling water, hold for 10 minutes under the lid. Drain the water, cut the greens. Separately, dissolve the oil in a frying pan, chop chopped garlic into it, add sunflower or pumpkin seeds peeled from the husk, lightly fry, add amaranth greens, tomato paste, herbs. Simmer until tender, season with salt.
Amaranth leaf cutlets
Boiled amaranth, chopped or finely crushed (200 gr.), 2 eggs, 1 medium chopped onion, 2 cloves of garlic, grated in a mortar or grater, 2 tbsp. tablespoons of grated cheese, 2 tablespoons of chopped bread, 2 tbsp. tablespoons of sifted wheat flour. Black pepper is added to the mass prepared from these components, salt to taste. They mix everything. If the mass is very thick, add a little milk. Cutlets are formed, rolled in bread crumbs and fried in vegetable oil. Served with lemon juice.
Amaranth flour cutlets
Ingredients: 50 gr. lightly toasted seeds or amaranth flour, 30 gr. finely grated carrots, 30 gr. cooked or fresh green peas (mashed), 30 gr. boiled potatoes (mashed), 2 eggs, salt.
Method of preparation: Mix all ingredients thoroughly, form cutlets, roll in amaranth flour and fry in oil.
Amaranth with vegetables:
Ingredients: Half a glass of amaranth seeds, 1.5 cups of water, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, bell peppers, 3 baby zucchini, a third of a head of broccoli, a small onion, a small carrot and any other vegetables of your choice, salt and pepper.
Preparation: Add amaranth to boiling water, bring to a boil and reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally. While the amaranth is cooking, chop all the vegetables, pour the oil into the pan, heat and fry the vegetables, starting with the onions. Stir the vegetables constantly so that they do not burn. When the amaranth is cooked (it absorbs all the water), transfer it to a skillet and stir with vegetables. The dish is ready! You can sprinkle it with fresh herbs before serving.
Recently, the overseas cereal amaranth has gained great popularity, the benefits and harms are actively discussed on the Internet. We will also pay attention to this mess.
What it is?
Amaranth groats are an exotic product for our country, and therefore it is necessary to clarify what it is.
The amaranth herb is a genus of annual plants that includes more than 60 species. Some species of this genus represent one of the oldest cultivated plants, used for food for more than 8000 years. Once this cereal was the main food of the civilizations of South and Central America: the Incas, Mayans, Aztecs.
Amaranth is a tall plant with bright flowers. Some species have decorative applications.
Groats are referred to as pseudo-grains. This means that the nutritional properties of the product are similar to cereals. But, from a strictly scientific point of view, it is not.
Composition
One glass of already cooked amaranth contains:
- 251 kcal;
- 5.2 grams of fiber, which corresponds to 21% of the daily value;
- 105% of the daily intake of manganese;
- 40% magnesium;
- 39% phosphorus;
- 29% iron;
- 19% selenium;
- 18% copper;
- 14% each zinc, folate and vitamin B6;
- 12% calcium;
- 9% potassium.
It contains niacin, vitamin B2, B1 and E.
The healing properties of amaranth are explained by the presence of significant amounts of antioxidants in its composition. These are mainly phenolic compounds: gallic, p-hydroxybenzoic and vanilic acids. And also the microelement selenium, which is not an antioxidant in itself, but is necessary for the biosynthesis of the body's internal antioxidants.
Amaranth is gluten free. Therefore, it can be safely consumed by people suffering from hypersensitivity to gluten.
Beneficial features
- Anti-inflammatory activity... Since the product is very high in fiber and antioxidants, it reduces the severity of chronic inflammatory processes in the body. This is important for maintaining health in general, since the basis of most severe ailments (cancer, atherosclerosis, degenerative diseases of the joints and the brain, etc.) is chronic inflammation in organs and tissues, which a person usually does not even know about.
- Prevention of cardiovascular diseases... Amaranth is useful in that it protects the heart and blood vessels. And it does this by not only reducing chronic inflammation that affects the inner wall of blood vessels and is one of the main causes of atherosclerosis, but also improving the lipid profile of the blood. Groats reduce the level of "bad" cholesterol and increase the amount of "good".
- Prevention of osteoporosis... The cereal contains calcium. But for maintaining good bone density, it is much more important that it is very high in manganese, a trace element that plays a large role in the prevention of osteoporosis.
- Improving bowel function... The beneficial properties of amaranth are inseparable from the large amount of fiber in its composition. The product contains both soluble and insoluble plant fibers. Soluble ones nourish the beneficial intestinal microflora, insoluble ones increase peristalsis and contribute to the formation of bulk feces, which are easily eliminated from the body.
- Prevention and treatment of diabetes... Fiber slows down the absorption of food. This helps prevent spikes in blood sugar after a meal. In addition, cereals contain a lot of manganese, a trace element that takes part in the work of enzymes that regulate glucose metabolism. It has been established that patients with type 2 diabetes always have a manganese deficiency.
Is it good for weight loss?
Yes, it's useful. And at once due to several features.
- The healing properties of amaranth are such that it is included in the list of products that reduce the level. At the same time, due to the high amount of plant fibers, this porridge is digested very slowly. It also helps to suppress appetite and thus reduce the amount of calories entered into the body during the day.
- The slowing down of food absorption, provided by the fiber in the product, not only prolongs the feeling of fullness, but also prevents a sharp rise in blood sugar after a meal and the massive release of insulin following this rise. It is the steep rise in insulin levels that is one of the reasons for the accelerated formation of body fat.
- Fiber helps to restore the correct species composition of the intestinal biocenosis. It has been proven that in people with significant excess weight, the species composition of the intestinal flora is always changed. And these changes spur further weight gain.
- The beneficial properties of amaranth porridge for weight loss are associated with the abundance of protein in its composition, which is rich in lysine. This amino acid is essential for synthesis and increases the overall energy potential of the body.
- The anti-inflammatory activity of cereals helps to reduce the intensity of inflammatory reactions, which is important for normalizing weight. Since obesity is one of the diseases associated with chronic inflammatory activity in organs and tissues.
How to use it correctly?
The use of amaranth seeds is reminiscent. And all because these seeds also contain a lot of vegetable fiber.
Amaranth can be just boiled.
For this ½ cup of cereal is poured with 1.5 cups of water. And they boil it like rice or buckwheat for 20 minutes. Nothing complicated. It turns out the usual cereal side dish.
You can boil the porridge by adding a little more liquid, such as milk.
Fruits and nuts are added to the porridge. Often, amaranth porridge is mixed with other similar products, for example, oatmeal or. This makes the dish somewhat easier to digest.
There are also more complex recipes with amaranth grits.
You can cook soup with amaranth. Here's one of those recipes - a spicy vegetable soup with celery, bell peppers and corn.
Vegetarian cutlets are made with this cereal. You can see how to make cutlets from chickpeas, carrots, potatoes and amaranth.
Another use case is making bars or breads that you can take with you on the road as a healthy and satisfying snack. Here is a recipe for a bar, in which, in addition to cereals, nuts and dried fruits are added.
Do I need to soak and germinate?
Desirable. Especially soaking, as this process helps to reduce the amount of phytic acid in cereals, a substance that interferes with the absorption of trace elements in food and makes digestion difficult.
To soak amaranth seeds, they must be rinsed and then filled with cool water for 6-8 hours. Then drain the water and wash the seeds again.
As for germination, this process helps to increase the nutritional value of the seeds. However, it is much more difficult to germinate the chaps than just soaking them. Therefore, the germination procedure is not resorted to so often.
If you are interested in trying sprouted amaranth, you can use the instructions that describe. In this case, you need to do everything exactly the same.
Contraindications and side effects
- There are no strict contraindications for the use of amaranth, since it is just porridge. In rare cases, there may be an allergy to it.
- In limited cereals, it should be consumed by people suffering from various diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, especially the stomach. Since the product is difficult enough to digest. Therefore, those who know that he has a "lazy stomach" should definitely soak amaranth before eating.
- Also, certain caution should be exercised by patients with diabetes mellitus taking medications to treat their ailment. Since antidiabetic drugs, taken against the background of abundant use of amaranth seeds, can lead to hypoglycemia.
- The common side effects of the product are bloating, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Such phenomena are associated with a large amount of plant fiber and do not carry true harm to health.
The benefits and harms of amaranth seeds, how to take it right: conclusions
Seeds are classified as gluten-free pseudo-grains. They contain a lot of fiber, minerals, protein and antioxidants.
The main medicinal properties are high anti-inflammatory activity, the ability to improve the work of intestinal microflora, to protect against diabetes and osteoporosis.
Amaranth porridge is good for weight loss.
The product can be included in the menu in different ways: used as a side dish and porridge, used for cooking soups and baked goods. No special admission is required, as is the case with medications.
