2023-09-04 18:00:53
A seed of Andean origin rich in fiber, antioxidants, proteins and suitable for diabetics and celiacs. Learn how to incorporate cañihua into your diet and take advantage of its nutrients.
Last update: September 04, 2023
This pseudo cereal of millennial consumption in highlands of America, has multiple benefits for the body. Especially, for its high protein, amino acid and dietary fiber content. It is possible to incorporate it into the diet in both sweet breakfasts and salty lunches. Discover the cañihua and all its nutrients.
What is the cañihua?
It is a rustic seed native to the Andean highlands, in countries like Peru and Bolivia. Its scientific name is Chenopodium pallidicaule, but it is known as cañihua, cañahua or kañiwa, and belongs to the same genus as quinoa. Therefore, it is often compared to this seed, although it surpasses it in nutrients.
The cañihua is a seed with grain properties that grows at high altitudes. Its cultivation is carried out between 3600 and 4500 meters above sea level. In Bolivia, on the shores of Lake Titicaca and its tributaries.
For his part, in Spain it has been cultivated for some years in a controlled manner, mimicking their native conditions in greenhouses. However, production is still limited, especially considering the multiple nutrients of cañihua for the body.
Canihua Nutrients
This seed has been cultivated and consumed for thousands of years in its places of origin, but with little dissemination to other markets. Surely, due to the little knowledge of its benefits, even broader than those of quinoa.
Fiber and vegetable protein
One of its main contributions is the high fiber content, which favors intestinal transit. As it does not contain fat, it works as a purifier of the digestive tract and helps purify the body.
B vitamins
It offers good amounts of group B vitamins. Above all, vitamin B1, essential for the metabolism of fats and carbohydrateshelping cells to convert them into energy.
Minerals: iron and calcium and phosphorus
It provides almost twice the amount of phosphorus compared to quinoa, as well as 110 milligrams of calcium and up to 13 milligrams of iron per 100-gram portion.
Vitamin E
It is rich in omega-3 fatty acids and numerous antioxidants. For example, vitamin E, positive to combat aging.
quality amino acids
It has amino acids, such as phenylalanine, which increase serotonin levels, contributing to a better mood. In addition, it contains lysine, another important amino acid for growth and that is not produced by the body.
Cañihua is suitable for celiacs
As it does not contain gluten, It is a cereal qualified for people with intolerance to it or celiac.
concrete values
Fiber. 10 %.
carbohydrates. 63 %.
Proteins. Between 16 and 19%.
Unsaturated fats (omega-3, 6 and 9): 7,6 %.
Benefits of Andean cañihua in the diet
All the nutrients described have benefits if they are included in the diet. For example, they work as preventive agents for some pathologies, such as cardiovascular diseases, thanks to the leveling of triglycerides, or anemiadue to its high iron content.
Also, thanks to its level of slowly absorbed carbohydrates, it can be beneficial for patients with diabetes. Specialists recommend it for people of any age, being easy to incorporate thanks to its mild flavor.
Of course, it must be taken into account that no food has real effects if it is not integrated into a healthy diet. The only limitation of the cañihua is that, when consumed in excess, it can cause intestinal discomfort, due to the high fiber content.
How to prepare and integrate cañihua into the diet?
There are several ways to prepare, cook and integrate cañihua into food. In its original cultivation places, it is usually used as a roasted and ground grain; from which flour is produced in a clay pot.
With this flour they cook from cookies to fish, a traditional dish of the Andean regions. In addition, it is possible to mix it with milk or boiled water. It should be noted that conservation must be carried out in cool spaces and without humidity. It is recommended to consume it up to 18 months after its packaging.
Ideas for dishes with cañihua
Consider integrating the ingredient into one of the following preparations to enjoy its benefits.
Breakfasts: A quick and easy way to integrate cañihua into your diet is by adding a serving to breakfast milk. It can be in a bowl of milk or yogurt, since its flavor has a slight sweetness that adapts to this moment of the day. It works like any other cereal.
Salads: as a seed, it can also be added to various vegetable stir-fries. It combines very well with broccoli, avocado, tomato and mushrooms.
Soups and stews: in the Andean regions it is usually incorporated into soups and stews of all kinds. Also to dishes with rice.
Fruit salad: cañihua can even be included in desserts, such as fruit salads with pears and apples.
Integrate cañihua into the diet along with quinoa and amaranth
All three seeds are part of the same family. Therefore, they can fulfill similar functions in the diet, being integrated into salads, stir-fries or breakfasts. However, the cañihua, although less well known, it is even more potent than the others from a nutritional perspective. Add it to all your foods and enjoy its nutritional benefits.
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All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography for this article was deemed reliable and of scholarly or scientific accuracy.
Castro-Alba, V., Lazarte, C. E., Perez-Rea, D., Carlsson, N. G., Almgren, A., Bergenståhl, B., & Granfeldt, Y. (2019). Fermentation of pseudocereals quinoa, canihua, and amaranth to improve mineral accessibility through degradation of phytate. Journal of the science of food and agriculture99(11), 5239–5248. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jsfa.9793Kim, D. S., & Iida, F. (2023). Kaniwa (Chenopodium pallidicaule)’s Nutritional Composition and Its Applicability as an Elder-Friendly Food with Gelling Agents. Gels (Basel, Switzerland), 9(1), 61. https://www.mdpi.com/2310-2861/9/1/61Mérida-López, J., Pérez, S. J., Morales, R., Purhagen, J., Bergenståhl, B., & Rojas, C. C. (2023). Comparison of the Chemical Composition of Six Canihua (Chenopodium pallidicaule) Cultivars Associated with Growth Habits and after Dehulling. Foods (Basel, Switzerland), 12(8), 1734. https://www.mdpi.com/2304-Porras Osorio, M., Blanco Blasco, T., Muñoz Jáuregui, AM, Serván Torres, K., & Alvarado-Ortiz Ureta, C. (2006). Effect of a diet based on toasted cañihua (Chenopodium pallidicaule Aellen) flour on the lipid profile in weanling albino rats. Medical Horizon, 6(1),
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