Is amaranth gluten-free?

Question

Is amaranth gluten-free?

Answer 1

Amaranth flour is used in making pastas and baked goods. It must be mixed with other flours for baking yeast breads, as it contains no gluten.

Answer 2

Yes, as is quinoa, brown rice (all rice), buckwheat, and millet. The thing that blew my mind is that oats are actually gluten-free but they are often contaminated with gluten during processing, so they lump them in the gluten category.

Answer 3

Looks like it is.  Check with a real dietician.

Answer 4

Yes. It's not a grain (all of which are in the Grass family), but a member of the botanical family Amaranthaceae, completely unrelated and totally safe, assuming it has been processed in a gluten free facility (so that it isn't contaminated).

Amaranth is used for food in countries across the world, including Mexico and China. It's mainly grown as an ornamental plant in the West (see this page: http://www.ag.iastate.edu/centers/cad/am... ), although it is becoming better known as a food crop.