For 'ancient grains,' a future in the American diet (AP/CNN) {celiac}

[eppur_se_muova]

Amaranth, quinoa, others finding a following
Wednesday, June 21, 2006; Posted: 7:04 p.m. EDT (23:04 GMT)

ALBANY, New York (AP) -- Amid the aisles of spaghetti and canned peas, cereals and breads made with mysterious-sounding grains such as amaranth and quinoa are sprouting up at major supermarkets.

"People are realizing there's a benefit to eating a diversity of grains -- and these grains have some incredible nutritional properties," said Carole Fenster, an author of numerous cookbooks that incorporate wheat-free grains.
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Amaranth, grown for millennia by the Aztecs, has twice as much iron as wheat and is higher in protein and fiber. Quinoa, an ancient Andean crop, has less fiber but more protein and iron than wheat.

It may take some time for the unfamiliar grains to find broad acceptance. The American palate is still adjusting to whole wheat, and amaranth's distinct, slightly nutty taste could take some getting used to.

One reason for the fledgling demand is a growing awareness of celiac disease, which is triggered by gluten, the protein found in wheat. Symptoms range from severe cramping to chronic fatigue and even organ disorders. The condition is believed to affect about 2 million Americans, with others sensitive to the protein.
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more: http://www.cnn.com/2006/HEALTH/06/21/alternative.grains.ap/index.html

A nutritional comparison of three types of whole grains, per 100 grams:

Wheat

Fiber, 12.2 grams

Protein, 13.7 grams

Iron, 3.8 milligrams

Amaranth

Fiber, 15.2 grams

Protein, 14.5 grams

Iron, 7.6 milligrams

Quinoa

Fiber, 15.5 grams

Protein, 14.2 grams

Iron, 4 milligrams

Sources: Bob's Red Mill, NuWorld Amaranth

[atommom]

1. This is a good thing, for a lot of reasons.

It's never good to rely so heavily on one food (in this case, wheat). Ask anyone with celiac disease how hard it is to find something to eat that doesn't have a trace of gluten in it...