Growing in Homes

This book presents two foods of vegetable origin with special characteristics because they are from semi-arid environments characterized by receiving a lot of solar radiation during the day and a downward temperature variation at night, with little water availability. They can be planted in the open field or in pots. Both plants are considered to be of Mexican origin and have been important foods in the diet of mexicans, especially in the central region of the Mexican territory. They are Amaranth and Nopal, which in addition to being nutritious foods, can also be industrialized for food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic purposes. In the 1970s, very high levels of protein were found in Amaranth, which according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is the ideal protein for human beings; also lysine, one of the 9 essential amino acids (National Research Council, 1984). One of its strategies is the promotion and incorporation of Amaranth in the diet of the population.