Benefits
Rich in lysine, 14% more than maize or rice, 27% more than wheat, rich in calcium, iron; high in protein (16%)oil contains antioxidants (vitamin E) tocotrieonol.

Advantages
Nutritionist's protein value score chart (100 is considered ideal) amaranth 75, cow's milk 72, soybeans 68, barley 62, wheat 60, peanuts 52, and corn 44 as shown above. Amaranth scores high in protein value when compared to other grains. When amaranth is combined with other grains, the protein value score approaches the ideal amino acid reference pattern established in 1973 by the fao/who of the united nations.*source: national research council, 1984 amaranth, modern proposals for an ancient composition of grains (usda & national research council)

Applications
Amaranth has a wide variety of applications in the food industry. It is available from Garuda International as a whole grain. It can also be puffed (like tiny popped corn) or ground into a whole grain flour. Amaranth can be used in a number of food products including breakfast cereals, breadings for meat, fish, poultry, or vegetables, confectionery products (i.e. added to chocolate for taste and texture), salad condiments (i.e. in croutons, or puffed grain sprinkled directly on salads), baked products (breads, muffins, cookies, biscuits), extruded snack foods and chips, pastas, health foods, soups, and dietetic products.Amaranth's potential applications are truly unlimited for creative food formulators, who should always keep amaranth in mind whenever a delicious nutty flavor and high-powered nutrition is desired. Amaranth seeds can be popped like popcorn, expanding to about 10 times the original volume. The popped amaranth has a toasted, nutty flavour, and can be used in a variety of ways: in confections bound with sorghum, molasses or honey; in high-energy granola bars. Because amaranth has very little gluten, if any, it is recommended to use 50:50 ratio of amaranth flour to whole wheat flour in a sweet dough. When amaranth seed is boiled in water and then chilled, it develops gelatinous texture possibly due to a waxy starch similar to cornstarch. Therefore it can be used to prepare jam-like fruit spread using no pectin and very little sweetener. Because of the unique characteristic and nutritional profile of the seed, amaranth has been identified as a new potential crop for certain specialized applications. Health foods and baked goods.