Amaranth

Species in the genus Amaranthus have been cultivated for their grains for 8,000 years. Amaranth plants are classified as pseudocereals grown for their edible, starchy seeds, though they are not in the same botanical family as true cereals such as wheat and rice; the species still used as grain today have a yield comparable to that of rice or maize. Used as a dual-purpose crop, amaranth's seeds and leaves are both consumed by humans and animals, and, being gluten-free, the seeds contain protein, unsaturated fatty acids, vitamins, minerals and low-glycemic-index carbohydrates; the grain was a staple food of the Aztecs and an integral part of Aztec religious ceremonies, and its cultivation was banned by the Spanish conquistadores after their conquest of the region.