I love easy and accessible nutrition, the kind you can really sink your teeth into! With my life on super speed and three energetic children to care for, I need food that is easy to prepare, enjoyable to eat, and nutritious for my family…enter millet. That’s right! This stuff is not just for the birds! Let me tell you a little bit about why I love this delicious and gluten free grain.
Today, many of the calories we (over)consume are in the form of processed wheat, white rice and corn. When whole grains are refined, a HUGE number of nutrients and much of the fiber are lost. B vitamins, vitamin E and minerals suffer the most. While some of these nutrients are added back in, making the product “Enriched,” the nutritional profile of these processed grains is a fraction of their original form. Whole wheat flour, for example, contains less than half the nutrients present in the intact grain.
Whole grains, on the other hand, are rich in vitamins, minerals and fibre! They also provide more sustained energy and improve blood sugar balance.
And it’s not as hard to incorporate a new grain into your weekly diet as you might think; which brings me back to the millet.
Millet has been grown and eaten for thousands of years! This delicious grain is high in protein, fiber, B vitamins, vitamin E, iron, magnesium and potassium! It is also alkaline forming for the body, and a warming grain, making it an excellent winter food!
Millet makes an excellent side – much like rice – when you need a nutritious whole grain to complete a meal. Millet is also an excellent ingredient in salads, stuffing, soups, breads and desserts! My Spiced Millet Pudding recipe makes a delicious and healthy dessert for all occasions.
Set the intention to add millet to your menu at least once a week to benefit from this tasty and nutritious whole grain. Happy eating!