Kiwicha, the Peruvian energy food to help you lose weight

Forget quinoa, its little cousin from Peru is the newest energy food on the market. Kiwicha, also known as amaranth, is a tiny whole grain that is gluten-free. This miniature version of the popular quinoa is known for its dense nutritional content. About the size of a poppy seed, it has been a common staple in Peru for more than 4,000 years,

Kiwicha is favored for many reasons, including being considered an anti-aging food because it is packed with antioxidants. It is known as a superfood because it contains all 10 essential amino acids and is packed with protein. One cup of cooked kiwicha provides almost 10 grams of protein. That’s more protein than wheat, corn, or milk. In addition, kiwicha contains lysine, an amino acid necessary for the construction of all the proteins in the body.

One cup of cooked grain provides more than 5 grams of dietary fiber, nearly 20% of the daily fiber needs for women. Fiber, as you may already know, helps prevent heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Fiber helps remove waste and toxins from the body and helps speed weight loss.

At just 251 calories, a full cup of cooked kiwicha provides the healthy carbohydrates you need to stay active. Diets that are too restrictive can sometimes rob you of the vitamins and nutritional value you need to sustain yourself. Kiwicha is great for anyone who wants to lose weight because it is high in fiber, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, and manganese.

Kiwicha helps restore youthful vitality with phenolic acids, carotenoids, and flavonoids, all rich in antioxidants. It also contains slag, which acts as an anticancer agent and is said to lower LDL, total cholesterol, and triglycerides.

Kiwicha has even been selected for the astronaut’s diet due to its high nutritional value, amaranth was cultivated on space travel since 1985, flourishing in space during the orbital flight of the shuttle Atlantis.

Kiwicha can be eaten as a cereal, garnish, in salads or it can be popped and eaten as popcorn. You can also use popped kiwicha in stews and as a garnish for other main dishes. Popping kiwicha is easy and requires very few ingredients. A great snack for anyone sensitive to gluten, popped kiwicha also makes a great post-workout treat.

What do you need:

½ to 1 cup kiwicha prewashed

½ teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of vegetable oil

How to do it:

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.

2. Add ½ teaspoon of vegetable oil

3. Add about ¼ cup of grain, enough to cover the bottom of the pan. Stir the beans with a wooden spoon as they pound. Kiwicha kernels pop very dramatically and turn from dark yellow to white.

4. Once most of the beans have popped, remove them from the skillet and place on a plate to cool.

5. Mix with salt and enjoy.