Beyond wheat: pseudocereals and legumes for a healthier and more sustainable diet

Food industry is constantly evolving, driven by the dual principles of sustainability and nutritional enrichment. Crucially, food technologies are now innovating the formulation of bread, a staple food present in innumerable cultures worldwide. Conventionally, the traditional bread recipe based on refined flour has significant nutritional limitations due to its lack of essential elements such as high biological value proteins, vitamins, minerals and bioactive compounds [1]. Innovation aims to overcome these deficiencies, by evolving bread from a simple source of carbohydrates to a functional, enriched food, based on ingredients that offer nutritional enrichment while also adhering to the principles of greater ecological sustainability [2] [3] [4]. Traditional and gluten-free breads were enriched using pseudocereal (amaranth) and legume flours (lentils and chickpeas). Amaranth contributes squalene, a well-known antioxidant and a high content of essential amino acids, such as lysine; lentils are valuable for their antioxidant and hypoglycaemic properties, chickpeas are distinguished by their exceptional amino acid profile, which sets them apart from other legumes. In the context of gluten-free bread, the study developed and characterised seven formulations, incorporating lentil and amaranth flours in different concentrations. Concurrently, research was conducted on the production of traditional protein-enriched bread, fortified with chickpea, soy, and freeze-dried milk flours, and functionalised with the addition of a 2% liquid rosemary extract. Gluten-free bread analyses have confirmed a significant increase in protein content and essential amino acids (such as lysine and threonine), as well as an improvement in overall antioxidant activity, thanks in part to the incorporation of specific bioactive compounds such as squalene (from amaranth) and β-sitosterol (from lentils). The protein-enriched bread demonstrated the highest overall content of essential amino acids and a high ratio of essential to non-essential amino acids, thus confirming superior protein quality and showing approximately three times greater anti-radical capacity compared to the control bread. The addition of these different flours is a strategy to address dietary deficiencies and technological challenges, resulting in baked goods that are nutritionally valuable and protective of health, while also being crucial to a sustainable food future. References [1] Gresta F, Guerrini A, Sacchetti G, Tacchini M, Sortino O, Ceravolo G, et al. Agronomic, Chemical, and Antioxidant Characterization of Grain Amaranths Grown in a Mediterranean Environment. Crop Sci 2017;57:2688–98. [2] Kaale LD, Siddiq M, Hooper S. Lentil ( Lens culinaris Medik) as nutrient‐rich and versatile food legume: A review. Legume Science 2023;5. [3] Malik M, Sindhu R, Dhull SB, Bou-Mitri C, Singh Y, Panwar S, et al. Nutritional Composition, Functionality, and Processing Technologies for Amaranth. J Food Process Preserv 2023;2023:1–24. [4] Kumar N, Hong S, Zhu Y, Garay A, Yang J, Henderson D, et al. Comprehensive review of chickpea ( Cicer arietinum ): Nutritional significance, health benefits, techno‐functionalities, and food applications. Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf 2025;24. Fundings This research was funded by ALIFUN (PON MUR 2018; ARS01_00783) and SIPROFF (P.O. FESR SICILIA 2014-2020 n. 087490930405)