Looking for a crunch to top off that greek yogurt?  Have you heard of Amaranth?  It’s great for the whole family.  If I haven’t mentioned it before, I have a bit of an obsession with the organic/whole foods isle in grocery stores and I always love finding new items to try.  Amaranth is a grain that is high in protein and iron and also contains calcium, b vitamins and other minerals.  It can be cooked whole as a breakfast cereal (like oatmeal) or served with vegetables or other foods for lunch or dinner.  It can be ground into a flour for baking and can be a substitute for wheat and other grains.

It can also be toasted, and popped looking like teeny tiny pieces of popcorn!  It has a nutty flavour when toasted and is perfect to throw on yogurt, cereal, salads….anything you want to add a little crunch (and nutrients) to.

To toast/pop Amaranth, heat a pan on high (it has to be high for the Amaranth to pop) and add a Tbsp of Amaranth grains.  You will need to constantly move the Amaranth around so it does not burn (I use a flat wooden spatula).  It will probably take a few times to perfect your skill.  I have only done it once and found that about half of the grains toasted, and half of them popped like popcorn.  Either way they are still yummy!

You should be able to find Amaranth in whole foods stores or whole food isles of your grocery store, or head to the Bulk Barn!