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Ancient grains are not a regulatory category: we found no FDA or USDA definition of the term. It does not appear in FDA’s 2006 draft guidance on whole grain label statements, in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025 or 2025-2030, or in the Nutrition Facts rule (21 CFR 101.9). This guide therefore uses an editorial list: amaranth, quinoa, teff, millet, spelt, khorasan, buckwheat and sorghum, with values from USDA SR Legacy. In USDA SR Legacy data a cooked cup of spelt lists 10.7 grams of protein and 7.6 grams of fiber, and a cooked cup of amaranth 160 milligrams of magnesium.
Peptide Labs does not sell foods. This article is general nutrition information, not medical advice.
Key Takeaways
- No FDA or USDA document we read defines the term; the list on this page is an editorial selection.
- FDA's draft guidance names amaranth, buckwheat, millet, quinoa, sorghum and teff among the cereal grains it covers, and the Dietary Guidelines list amaranth, buckwheat, millet and quinoa among their whole-grain examples.
- Per cooked cup in USDA data, spelt, khorasan wheat and teff list the most protein, 9.8 to 10.7 grams, and amaranth lists the most magnesium, 38% of the FDA Daily Value.
- NIDDK names spelt and emmer as types of wheat that contain gluten, and lists amaranth, quinoa and buckwheat among foods whose flour is gluten-free.
Ancient grains list: what the federal documents say
FDA’s 2006 draft guidance on whole grain label statements, a non-binding draft, says cereal grains may include amaranth, barley, buckwheat, bulgur, corn, millet, quinoa, rice, rye, oats, sorghum, teff, triticale, wheat and wild rice, and counts a food as whole grain when the endosperm, germ and bran are present in the same relative proportions as in the intact grain. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025 list amaranth, buckwheat, millet and quinoa among their whole-grain examples. Neither document uses the word ancient, so this list cannot say that any grain is officially one. For the general rules, see our guide to whole grains.
Ancient grains ranked by USDA values per cooked cup
Servings are one cooked cup, the SR Legacy portion for each entry, ranked by protein. Each percent Daily Value (%DV) divides the USDA figure by the FDA Daily Value for adults and children 4 years and older (21 CFR 101.9): 28 grams for dietary fiber, 420 milligrams for magnesium and 18 milligrams for iron. FDA sets no protein percent for a label without a digestibility correction, so protein is shown in grams only.
| Food (USDA FDC ID) | Serving | Calories | Protein | Fiber (% DV) | Magnesium (% DV) | Iron (% DV) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spelt, cooked (169746) | 1 cup | 246 | 10.7 g | 7.6 g (27%) | 95 mg (23%) | 3.2 mg (18%) |
| Khorasan wheat, cooked (169744) | 1 cup | 227 | 9.8 g | 7.4 g (26%) | 83 mg (20%) | 3.0 mg (17%) |
| Teff, cooked (168918) | 1 cup | 255 | 9.8 g | 7.1 g (25%) | 126 mg (30%) | 5.2 mg (29%) |
| Amaranth grain, cooked (170683) | 1 cup | 251 | 9.3 g | 5.2 g (18%) | 160 mg (38%) | 5.2 mg (29%) |
| Quinoa, cooked (168917) | 1 cup | 222 | 8.1 g | 5.2 g (18%) | 118 mg (28%) | 2.8 mg (15%) |
| Millet, cooked (168871) | 1 cup | 207 | 6.1 g | 2.3 g (8%) | 77 mg (18%) | 1.1 mg (6%) |
| Buckwheat groats, roasted, cooked (170686) | 1 cup | 155 | 5.7 g | 4.5 g (16%) | 86 mg (20%) | 1.3 mg (7%) |
In USDA data, teff and amaranth share the highest iron value in the table, 5.2 milligrams per cooked cup or 29% of the FDA Daily Value, and spelt has the most fiber, 27%. In USDA data cooked millet lists the least fiber, 2.3 grams per cup. Our guides to spelt, teff, amaranth, quinoa, millet and buckwheat cover each grain in depth.
The same grains uncooked in USDA data
USDA’s cooked values include the water each grain takes up during cooking. USDA also lists the dry grains, and sorghum has only an uncooked entry in SR Legacy, so this second table compares all eight per 100 grams before cooking.
| Food (USDA FDC ID) | Amount | Calories | Protein | Fiber | Magnesium | Iron |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spelt, uncooked (169745) | 100 g | 338 | 14.6 g | 10.7 g | 136 mg | 4.4 mg |
| Khorasan wheat, uncooked (169743) | 100 g | 337 | 14.5 g | 11.1 g | 130 mg | 3.8 mg |
| Quinoa, uncooked (168874) | 100 g | 368 | 14.1 g | 7.0 g | 197 mg | 4.6 mg |
| Amaranth grain, uncooked (170682) | 100 g | 371 | 13.6 g | 6.7 g | 248 mg | 7.6 mg |
| Teff, uncooked (169747) | 100 g | 367 | 13.3 g | 8.0 g | 184 mg | 7.6 mg |
| Buckwheat groats, roasted, dry (170685) | 100 g | 346 | 11.7 g | 10.3 g | 221 mg | 2.5 mg |
| Millet, raw (169702) | 100 g | 378 | 11.0 g | 8.5 g | 114 mg | 3.0 mg |
| Sorghum grain (169716) | 100 g | 329 | 10.6 g | 6.7 g | 165 mg | 3.4 mg |
Dry, the eight grains sit within a narrow band in USDA data: 10.6 to 14.6 grams of protein and 329 to 378 calories per 100 grams. In USDA data amaranth lists the most magnesium, 248 milligrams, and buckwheat groats 221. See our sorghum guide for that grain.
Gluten and the grains on this list
NIDDK, in its pages on celiac disease, states that gluten is a protein found naturally in wheat, barley and rye, and that it occurs in types of wheat such as durum, emmer, semolina and spelt, and in triticale, a cross between wheat and rye. USDA lists khorasan as a type of wheat. NIDDK lists amaranth, quinoa and buckwheat among the foods whose flour is gluten-free, and notes that cross-contact between oats and grains that contain gluten is common. The NIDDK pages we read do not mention teff, millet or sorghum, so this guide makes no statement about them; check the label and our foods with gluten list, and follow your care team’s advice if you have been told to avoid gluten.
Grains this list cannot table
USDA SR Legacy has no entry named farro, freekeh or einkorn, so they are not in the tables. Our guides to farro, freekeh and einkorn cover them. Barley, oats and brown rice appear in FDA’s cereal grain list too, but this guide leaves them to their own pages. Our sibling electrolyte rich foods list uses the same USDA method, and our legumes guide covers beans, peas and lentils.
Food first: what this list does not cover
This list is about food. It gives no intake target: USDA publishes content data and FDA sets Daily Values for labels, and these are official reference facts, not a target for any reader. The list makes no health promises. Each USDA value describes one food entry, and packaged products made from these grains can differ. Check the label, and ask a healthcare provider about your own needs, especially if you take medicines or have a health condition.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there an official definition of ancient grains?
Not in the FDA and USDA documents we read: FDA’s 2006 draft guidance on whole grain label statements, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and 21 CFR 101.9 do not use the term.
What is on this ancient grains list?
Amaranth, quinoa, teff, millet, spelt, khorasan wheat, buckwheat and sorghum, an editorial selection with USDA SR Legacy values.
Which grain on the list has the most protein per cooked cup?
Cooked spelt, at 10.7 grams per cup in USDA data, followed by khorasan wheat and teff at 9.8 grams.
Which ancient grains contain gluten?
NIDDK names spelt and emmer as types of wheat that contain gluten, and lists amaranth, quinoa and buckwheat among foods whose flour is gluten-free.
Which grains could this list not table?
Farro, freekeh and einkorn: USDA SR Legacy has no entry under those names, so there are no USDA values to show.
Questions about a label? Contact us or read our Buyer’s Guide. Food comes first; follow the label and ask a healthcare provider before starting a supplement, especially if you take medicines, are pregnant or have a health condition. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Last reviewed October 2026.
Related guides: Electrolyte Rich Foods: USDA Mineral Values per Serving, Whole Grain Foods: A Whole Grains List, Label Terms and USDA Data, Quinoa Benefits: USDA Nutrition, Protein and How It Compares to Rice, Teff: USDA Grain Nutrition, Teff Flour and Gluten-Free Facts, Types of Grains: Cereal Grains and Pseudocereals.