In Rayalaseema and telangana areas this is cooked like rice. A generation back this was the common food of the people in this region. Foxtail Millet is making a comeback again as this is more healthy than rice.
I got some from an organic store and pressure cooked it like rice and fed it to family. Everybody loved it. It is good for diabetics, because a small quantity is very filling. The price is comparable to rice, but it has more protein, fibre, calcium and minerals and the same amount of iron according to National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR) Hyd, as quoted on the packet.
It grows in India, so you are not adding pollutants to the atmosphere in transportation. It is good for everyone, especially diabetics and babies.
Millet provides many nutrients (15% protein) and has a sweet nutty flavor (9), but may be associated with poor iodine uptake (as are many other common foods). But, this is generally not a “cause for alarm,” as it is also considered to be one of the most digestible and non-allergenic grains available and there seems to be more benefits than risks in consuming this grain – for more indepth information, see (9).
Millet nutrition – 1 cup cooked millet
| Calories | 286 | Carbohydrate (g) | 57 |
| Total fat (g) | 2.4 | Cholesterol (mg) | 0 |
| Saturated fat (g) | 0.4 | Sodium (mg) | 5 |
| Monounsaturated fat (g) | 0.4 | Thiamin (mg) | 0.3 |
| Polyunsaturated fat (g) | 1.2 | Niacin (mg) | 3.2 |
| Dietary fiber (g) | 3.1 | Magnesium (mg) | 106 |
| Protein (g) | 8 | Zinc (mg) | 2.2 |
Data from wholehealthmd.com
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Nutritional traits of millet-based weaning food suitable for infants : Source : http://gbpuat.academia.edu/SaritaSrivastava/Papers/403142/Physicochemical_Properties_and_Nutritional_Traits_of_Millet-based_Weaning_Food_Suitable_for_Infants_of_the_Kumaon_Hills_Northern_India
Introduction :
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Foxtail Millet for Development of Low Glycemic Index Biscuits Anju T & Sarita S : Source : http://nutriweb.org.my/publications/mjn0016_3/Anju244(edSP)361-368(pr)RV4.pdf : Correspondence author: Dr Anju Thathola; Email: dr.anjuthathola@rediffmail.com
“The millet flour and biscuits had higher content of crude fibre, total ash and total dietary fibre than refined wheat flour and biscuits. Biscuits from foxtail millet flour had the lowest GI of 50.8 compared to 68 for biscuits from barnyard millet flour and refined wheat flour.
Thus, besides its traditional use in making chapatti and porridge, millet can be exploited for the development of low GI therapeutic food products like biscuits.
Further studies are needed to determine long term effects of consumption of foxtail millet biscuits on blood lipid profile and glycosylated haemoglobin of
diabetics and cardiovascular patients.
INTRODUCTION
Millets are a small-seeded annual coarse
cereal grown throughout the world. Millets
include five genera: Panicum, Setaria,
Echinochloa, Pennisetum and Paspalum.
The cultivated species include foxtail millet
(Setaria italica) and barnyard millet
(Echinochloa frumentacea). Foxtail millet,
considered a crop for poor people, is grown
mainly in China, Bangladesh and India. It
requires warm weather and matures quickly
in the hot summer months. Practically
devoid of grain storage pest, foxtail millet
has a long storage life. Barnyard millet is
grown in India, Japan, China, Malaysia, East
Indies, and parts of Africa and United States.
It is a fast growing millet, occasionally
producing ripe grains in 45 days after
seeding. It is grown in sub-marginal
conditions of soil fertility and moisture
where the major cereal crops fail to realise
production satisfactorily.
In western countries, millets are grown
primarily as birdseed, hay or as an
emergency cash crop. In developing
countries, millets are consumed by people
from the low economic strata and as forage
crop (Baker, 2003). They are nutritionally
comparable or even superior to staple cereals
such as rice and wheat (Gopalan,
Ramashastri & Balasubramanium, 2004).
Millets are rich in vitamins, minerals,
sulphur-containing amino acids and
phytochemicals, and hence are termed as
nutri-cereals. They have higher proportions
of non starchy polysaccharides and dietary
fibre. Millets release sugars slowly and thus
have a low glycemic index. They have been
designated as ‘nutritious millets’ (Bala Ravi,
2004). Despite the above facts, the
nutraceutical property of millets has not been
much exploited for treating degenerative
disease like diabetes.
Diabetes, a multifactorial disease, is
increasing at an alarming rate in India as
well as throughout the world. The total
number of people with diabetes is projected
to rise from 171 million in 2000 to 366 million
in 2030. The prevalence of diabetes among
Indians is estimated to reach 79.4 million
by 2030 from 31.7 million in 2000 (Wild et
al., 2004).
As foods with low glycemic index (GI)
are known to result in lower post-prandial
glucose response in patients with non
insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, GI has
been extensively studied as a useful means
to determine foods that are appropriate for
diabetic subjects. The present study was
undertaken to prepare biscuits from foxtail
millet and barnyard millet, and to evaluate
its sensory quality and acceptability by
diabetic subjects. The nutritional value and
glycemic index of the biscuits were also
assessed.”
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Source : http://www.naip.icar.org.in/pmts/images/Component02.pdf
Mighty millet monitors diabetes
The specific composition of low glycemic spice mix in the optimum ratio in the prime mix of millet and black
gram dhal monitors the blood sugar and lipid parameters in diabetics to the near
control levels and prevents complications.
Ingredients : Foxtail millet, Split black gram, Black pepper,
Cinnamon, Fenugreek seeds, Coriander seeds and
Cumin seeds.
Impact : Optimal blood sugar and lipid control with reduction
in developing diabetic risks in the later years. Improves
life quality. The technology can be transformed into an
enterprise with farm families for economic
empowerment.
Nutritional Information: One serving of mix (80 g) provides 16 g of dietary fibre,
248 kcals of energy, 11.4 g of protein, 71 mg of calcium, 3 mg of iron and 60 μ of
carotene.
