Marvelous Millet

Millet is a food with high nutritional value, that doesn’t enjoy the popularity that wheat or rye does, because its properties and multiple culinary uses are simply unknown in several areas.  Millet can be used in a wide variety of meals, and can even be eaten by celiacs (people who are gluten intolerant), since this food has the huge advantage of not containing gluten.  It can be included in celiac diets without any problem.

Nutritional value of Millet

Millet:

•  Stands out in its mineral contents, like iron (more than wheat), calcium, phosphorous, silicon, and magnesium.
• Contains a large amount of essential amino acids.
• It’s an extremely energetic pseudo-cereal.
• Can substitute pasta or rice in your diet.
• Similar protein content to wheat.
• Vitamins: contains considerable amounts of B group vitamins and vitamin A.
• Due to its low vitamin B3 content it has gained unjust fame in diets.  This is problematic, however, because no diet should be based solely on one food.  Millet is a perfect complement to balanced diets.
• It has triple the vitamin B1, B2, and B9 content as other grains.

Recommended healthy consumption

• Ideal for those who undergo extreme physical exertion, such as high performance athletes, or people who are highly physically active in their daily lives.
• Very recommendable for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, due to its high iron content.
• Recommended to regenerate and maintain a healthy nervous system.
• Millet consumption helps those that suffer from stress of weakness.
• Perfect for vegetarian, vegan, or Celiac diets.
• Very nutritious in diets for children or the elderly.
• Helps fight anemia and muscle cramps.
• It is an excellent remedy to strengthen the skin, hair, nails, and teeth.

Cooking with millet

• Has a smooth, buttery taste, which is good in cakes, soups, stews, etc.
• Very easy to use; used just like any other whole grain.  If you are going to cook with it, try to soak it beforehand so it softens up.
• Millet goes well with intensely flavored ingredients, like tamari, turmeric, seaweeds, etc.
• Since this grain provides a lot of energy, it is highly recommendable to include it in your breakfast, with muesli, or a fruit smoothie.
• It is especially good in winter, since it contains so many calories.  It can then also be used in soups, creams, and stews.
• In spring and summer, it can be used with fresh salads.
• You should also know, there are 3 types of millet: white, black, and golden.  The latter tastes best.

References

1. Jain, R. K., & Bal, S. (1997). Properties of pearl millet. Journal of agricultural engineering research, 66(2), 85-91.
2. Lee, P. (1999, November). Should millet, buckwheat, and quinoa be included in a gluten-free diet? Journal of the American Dietetic Association. United States.
3. Gabrovska, D., Fiedlerova, V., Holasova, M., Maskova, E., Smrcinov, H., Rysova, J., … Hutar, M. (2002). The nutritional evaluation of underutilized cereals and buckwheat. Food and Nutrition Bulletin, 23(3 Suppl), 246–249.
4. Cheng, A. (2018). Review: Shaping a sustainable food future by rediscovering long-forgotten ancient grains. Plant Science : An International Journal of Experimental Plant Biology, 269, 136–142.
5. Gliszczynska-Swiglo, A., Klimczak, I., & Rybicka, I. (2018). Chemometric analysis of minerals in gluten-free products. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 98(8), 3041–3048.

Revised by: Dra. Loredana Lunadei on 07/31/2021

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