Potential of Andean Grains as Substitutes for Animal Proteins in Vegetarian and Vegan Diets: A Nutritional and Functional Analysis.

The growing demand for sustainable protein sources has boosted interest in Andean pseudocereals, particularly quinoa (), cañihua (), and kiwicha (), due to their complete nutritional profile, high digestibility, and low allergenic potential. Their inclusion in vegetarian and vegan diets represents a viable alternative that can replace animal proteins without compromising on nutritional quality. This study presents a critical review of indexed scientific literature analyzing essential amino acid composition, protein quality values-such as PDCAAS (Protein Digestibility-Corrected Amino Acid Score) and DIAAS (Digestible Indispensable Amino Acid Score)-and the impact of various processing technologies on the functionality of Andean proteins. Results show that these grains contain between 13 and 18 g of protein per 100 g of dry product and provide adequate levels of lysine, methionine, and threonine, meeting FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) requirements for adult nutrition. Processes such as germination, fermentation, enzymatic hydrolysis, and extrusion have demonstrated improvements in both amino acid bioavailability and functional properties of proteins, enabling their application in gluten-free breads, meat analogs, and functional beverages. Furthermore, emerging strategies such as nanotechnology, bioactive peptide generation, and gene editing via CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats)-a precise genome editing tool-open new possibilities for enhancing the nutritional and functional value of pseudocereals in the food industry. Taken together, the findings consolidate the strategic role of Andean grains as key ingredients in the development of sustainable, functional, and plant-based foods.