Homecooking question- has anyone used amaranth?

I know that Timberwolf puts it (or did) in their kibble.

But, my suggestion, I would simply add more meat to up the protein level in your food. Don't use a grain or seed or anything else to up the protein amount.
I use grains/potatoes for carbohydrate/starch purposes only. That allows my dog to keep weight on. If I didn't need it for that reason, I wouldn't use it.

Eggs are a great, and relatively inexpensive way, to increase the protein.

From [linkhttp://forum.dog.com/asp/tm.asp?m=300]here[/link]

Pet food is considered an animal feed and is not differentiated from traditional animal feeds in federal regulations. The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) (§402 and §403) requires that pet foods be pure and wholesome; contain no deleterious, harmful, or unapproved substances; and be truthfully labeled. Labeling of animal feed is subject to federal and state regulations. Labeling of animal feed must comply with the regulations in Title 21 Code of Federal Regulations Part 501 (21 CFR 501), and pet foods should follow the Pet Food and Specialty Pet Food Model Regulations published in the Official Publication (OP) of the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO). It is the responsibility of the feed manufacturer/distributor to ensure it is in compliance with the applicable laws and requirements.

Ingredients used in an animal feed product must be listed on the label by their common or usual name in descending order of predominance by weight (21 CFR 501.4). Ingredients used in an animal feed product must be either an approved food additive (21 CFR 573) or a generally recognized as safe (GRAS) substance (21 CFR 582 and 584). CVM has used regulatory discretion and permitted ingredients defined in the AAFCO OP to be used in animal feed. CVM recognizes the ingredient names in the AAFCO OP as the common or usual name. Amaranth grain is not an approved food additive, GRAS substance, or defined in the AAFCO OP. At this time, amaranth grain is considered an unapproved food additive when used in animal feed.

You inquired about the safety of amaranth grain in animal feed. Several anti-nutritive factors have been identified in grain amaranth that have resulted in reductions in animal performance. Trypsin inhibitor activity, tannin, phytate, and saponins have been identified in amaranth. The triterpene saponin concentration of amaranth seeds is 0.09-0.1% of dry matter and can rise to 0.18% during germination. A toxicity study was conducted in hamsters and the lethal dose of saponins was calculated as 1100 mg/kg BW [Oleszek, W., M. Junkuszew, and A. Stochmal (1999). "Determination and toxicity of saponins from Amaranthus cruentus seeds." J Agric Food Chem 47:3685-3687]. CVM does not have safety information on the use of amaranth grain in pet food and has found evidence to support that at high levels of inclusion, amaranth grain has negative effects on animal performance.

Because safety concerns associated with feeding amaranth grain have been identified, CVM considers amaranth grain to be an unapproved food additive when used in an animal feed. At this time, amaranth grain should not be included in any animal feed marketed in the United States. If you wish to pursue the use of amaranth grain in animal feed, you will need to provide evidence that amaranth grain provides a nutritional benefit and that the intended use is safe for both the target species and for humans who may consume the edible animal products (meat, milk, and eggs) if used in livestock diets.

I've not used amaranth, but we use quinoa in place of brown rice sometimes. 

I do not homecook, but I do use an oral suppliment that contains amaranth.  It make the food, or suppliment in my case, more appealing.  It smells great.