Prospects for Using Amaranth and Native Buckwheat in Dry Gluten-Free Mixes for Children with Gluten Intolerance

Introduction. Diet therapy is one of the main approaches to the treatment of various diseases of the digestive system. A strict lifetime diet is the main method of treatment for gluten intolerance. However, young patients, who are particularly sensitive to dietary restrictions, often fail to follow the diet due to the limited menu of recommended foods and dishes. The diet for children with gluten intolerance should include a sufficient amount of gluten-free grain-based products. They provide children with carbohydrates, dietary fibers, vegetable proteins, fats, B vitamins, and minerals, e.g. potassium, magnesium, selenium, etc. In this regard, it is urgent to develop new types of specialized gluten-free products to expand the diet both in terms of nutritional value and taste diversity. Study objects and methods. The research is part of a project on the development of dry gluten-free mixes based on buckwheat and amaranth with fruit, vegetable, and berry raw materials. The new formulations are intended for children older than three years of age with gluten intolerance. The research objective was to study the main nutrients in amaranth and buckwheat flours. The study involved the method of infrared spectroscopy using a SpectraStar 2500 analyzer. The data obtained made it possible to calculate the nutritional and energy value of products based on amaranth and buckwheat flours, as well as fruit, vegetable, and berry powders intended for children older than three years of age with gluten intolerance. Results and discussion. Amaranth flour proved to be rich in protein (13.4%), lipids (5.1%), and ash (2.8%). Native buckwheat flour contained 7.5% of protein, 3.6% of lipids, and 1.4% of ash. The carbohydrate content appeared approximately the same in both samples (56–58%). The dry gluten-free mixes can serve as an important source of vegetable protein (up to 9.44 g per 100 g of the finished product), carbohydrates (up to 40.08 g per 100 g of the finished product, and energy (from 158.12 to 221.85 kcal per 100 g of the finished product). Conclusion. The high nutritional and biological value of amaranth and buckwheat flours, as well as fruit, vegetable, and berry powders, confirmed the prospect of using them as the main components for functional foods. Amaranth and buckwheat contain no gluten but are rich in protein, amino acids, saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, minerals, and biologically active elements, which makes them an important source of nutrition for children with gluten intolerance.