10 EASY WAYS TO INCLUDE MILLETS IN THE DAILY DIET
August 20, 2023 / 140 Comments
Millets are nutritious, gluten-free grains that have been a traditional part of Indian diets for centuries. They are rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals. We often come across people telling us to consume millets for a healthy lifestyle. Although Millets have been there as a part of our ancestral daily diet since ages now, the new generation who lacks time often is unable to find a way to include them in the daily diet. We all know consumption of millets leads to various health benefits, but the question still remains the same:
How do we include millets in our daily meals?
Including millets in the Indian diet is a great way to diversify our nutrition and promote overall health. Here are some ways to include millets in the daily meals:
- Replace Rice or Wheat: Substitute rice or wheat with millets like foxtail millet (Kangni), barnyard millet (sama), or pearl millet (bajra) in dishes like khichdi or rotis.
- Millet Porridge (Khichdi): Cook millets with lentils and vegetables to make a wholesome millet khichdi. Any millet variety can be used for this, such as foxtail millet, barnyard millet, or little millet.
3. Millet Rotis/Flatbreads: Prepare rotis or flatbreads using millet flour. It can be mixed with wheat flour or used it on its own, kneading with hot water makes the job simple. Bajra roti or Jowar roti is commonly consumed in Indian households, prepared in the same way.
4. Millet Upma: We can make delicious and nutritious upma by replacing semolina (Rava) with millets like foxtail millet or barnyard millet, and adding vegetables and spices for flavour. Adding vegetables also makes the upma more nutritious.
5. Millet Pongal: Using millets instead of rice can be done to make healthy and nutritious Pongal. We can use barnyard millet or foxtail millet for this, even add some dry fruits for richness.
6. Millet Salad: Including cooked millets in the salads for added texture and nutrition is a wonderful way to consume millets. They can be mixed with chopped vegetables, herbs, and a light dressing as per choice for a refreshing salad in a similar manner like Quinoa Salad.
7. Millet Idli and Dosa: We can Ferment millet batter to make idlis and dosas, using a combination of millet flour and urad dal to prepare dosa batter, just like we prepare normal rice dosa batter.
 8. Millet Pulao/Biryani: Replacing rice with millets in pulao or biryani recipes is probably the easiest way to include millets in the diet. Foxtail millet, Barnyard or Kodo millet works well for these dishes.
 9. Millet Snacks: We can make millet-based snacks like millet cutlets or millet patties by using cooked millets along with vegetables, spices, and breadcrumbs for binding. These can be packed in lunch boxes too, providing a great snacking option.
 10. Millet Kheer/Payasam: We can use millets instead of rice to make a healthier version of kheer or payasam. Foxtail millet or little millet can be good choice for this dessert, dry fruits can be added for extra taste and richness.
Millets are versatile and can be incorporated into various dishes to enhance the nutritional profile of our meals. Experimenting is the key here, to know one’s preference and choices , and then go ahead with including this wholesome grain into the daily diet for enhanced nutrition and health.
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