Barnyard millet, with its sweet, nutty flavor and ease of cooking with various spices, is a hardy, drought-resistant, low-maintenance crop packed with nutrients. This ancient grain offers a multitude of health benefits, making it an excellent addition to a balanced diet, especially for those aiming to manage their weight and improve their overall well-being.
Nutritional Value of Barnyard Millet
Barnyard millet's best quality lies in its impressive nutritional profile, boasting a good amount of dietary fiber, iron, phosphorus, and antioxidants. It's a rich source of essential nutrients like magnesium, Vitamin B, phenols, and flavonoids. A quarter-cup of dry millet contains approximately 189 calories, 5.5 grams of protein, 2 grams of fat, 36.5 grams of carbohydrates, 4.25 grams of fiber, less than 1 gram of sugar, and 2.5 milligrams of sodium.
The scope of barnyard millet benefits extends beyond just one or two health conditions; it helps maintain a balance between different metabolic functions, like reducing bad cholesterol and increasing good cholesterol. Eating barnyard millet in controlled portions will provide the essential nutrients needed for a healthy metabolism.
Key Nutrients and Their Benefits:
- Fiber: Barnyard millet is rich in both soluble and insoluble dietary fibers, promoting better absorption of nutrients in the gut, aiding in the slow release of glucose, preventing sudden glucose spikes in the blood, maintaining healthy microbial flora in the gut, regulating bowel movements, and keeping you feeling full for longer.
- Iron: The high iron content in barnyard millet makes it an excellent source of food to help prevent anemia. It provides a significant portion of the recommended daily intake of iron, especially important during pregnancy.
- Magnesium: Being rich in magnesium, barnyard millet helps reduce blood pressure.
- Phosphorus: This mineral is crucial for maintaining strong bones and teeth.
- Antioxidants: Barnyard millet is full of phenols and flavonoids, making it a superior source of antioxidants that are good for maintaining skin health and overall well-being. These compounds help protect your cells against damage and potential diseases.
- B Vitamins: Barnyard millet is a good source of B vitamins, essential for brain function and healthy cell division.
Barnyard Millet and Weight Loss
If you are trying to lose weight and not seeing any progress, including millets in your diet may be a natural solution. Barnyard millet can be a valuable ally in your weight loss journey due to its unique properties:
- High Fiber Content: Millets are known for having higher dietary fibers, both soluble and insoluble types. This contributes to a feeling of fullness, helping to control appetite and reduce overall calorie intake.
- Low Glycemic Index (GI): Millets, including barnyard millet, score between 40-70 on the glycemic index chart, which is considerably lower than wheat, refined flour, rice, and maize. This means they release sugar into the bloodstream slowly, helping you remain satiated for longer and preventing sudden energy drops that can lead to unhealthy eating.
- Low in Fat: Millets have an imposing nutritional profile, yet they are low in fat and add very few calories to your diet.
- Impactful Nutrition: Nutrition is important in every bite of your meal. It has been found that millet, leafy greens, fresh fruits, and colourful vegetables help with weight loss.
- Eating Schedule Consideration: Eat millet roti or chapati, pancakes, salads, etc., for breakfast and lunch for best results.
Barnyard Millet and Diabetes
Barnyard millet is a diabetic-friendly grain due to its low glycemic index and the presence of polyphenols. The low glycemic index of barnyard millet and the polyphenols present in Barnyard millet inhibit the hydrolysis of complex sugar, resisting the glucose spike that results in diabetic conditions. A study indicated that dehulled and heat-treated barnyard millet helps control type II diabetes. IIMR stated in one of its Nutritional and Health benefits of millets that, “ Barnyard millet has a high degree of retrogradation of amylase, which facilitates the formation of higher amounts of resistant starches.
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Culinary Uses of Barnyard Millet
Barnyard millet is versatile and can be incorporated into various dishes:
- Porridge: Cook barnyard millet with water or milk to make a nutritious porridge for breakfast or a light meal.
- Upma: Prepare barnyard millet upma with vegetables and spices for a flavorful and healthy dish.
- Dosa and Idli: Use barnyard millet flour to make dosa and idli, offering a gluten-free alternative to traditional recipes.
- Rice Substitute: Use cooked barnyard millet as a substitute for rice in your meals.
- Khichdi: Cook the millet with lentils (if not fasting) or moong dal, lots of water, and mild spices to make a barnyard millet porridge or kichidi.
- Pulao: Think of it like a fried rice or pilaf. The grains stay separate and absorb flavors well.
Recipe Ideas:
- Barnyard Millet Pancakes: Combine barnyard millet flour with ragi millet flour, moong dal flour/paste or besan or wheat flour, water, coconut flakes, and a sweetener of your choice. Cook on a tava like regular pancakes.
- Barnyard Millet Upma: A traditional South Indian dish made with cooked barnyard millet, curry leaves, and mustard seeds.
- Barnyard Millet Fried Rice: A quick and tasty dish that can be enjoyed for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
How to Cook Barnyard Millet
- Rinse: Rinse the millet thoroughly under running water.
- Soak (Optional): Soaking the millet for at least 30 minutes or up to 1-2 hours can help soften the grains and reduce cooking time.
- Boil: Bring water to a boil in a pot (2 cups of water for every 1 cup of millet if pre-soaked, or 2.5 cups if unsoaked).
- Simmer: Add the rinsed millet and a pinch of salt (if desired). Reduce heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until the millet absorbs the water and becomes fluffy.
- Rest: Remove from heat and let it sit for 10 minutes with the lid on to absorb any remaining liquid.
Pressure Cooker Method:
After soaking and rinsing, put the millet and water (same ratio 1:2) in the pressure cooker. Cook for about 2 whistles on medium flame. Let the pressure release naturally.
Barnyard Millet vs. Other Grains
When comparing barnyard millet vs rice, barnyard millet emerges as a winner in nutritional value. It boasts more fiber and protein than white rice, along with a greater abundance of micronutrients like iron and magnesium. While calorie counts are similar per 100g, millet's superior filling properties may lead to reduced portion sizes.
Barnyard Millet vs quinoa: In terms of protein, quinoa edges out slightly (it’s a complete protein with all amino acids), but barnyard millet isn’t far behind and has the advantage of regional availability (especially here in India) and cost.
Barnyard Millet vs Little Millet is a common comparison because both are small-sized millets. What’s the difference? Little millet (called samai in Tamil, kutki in Hindi) is another nutritious grain. The Barnyard Millet and little millet difference is minor in taste and use - both can be cooked similarly.
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Important Considerations
- Moderation: Like other grains, millet isn't a low-calorie food, so eat it in moderation. A single serving of cooked millet is about 1 cup.
- Variety is Key: It is good to include a variety of millets like Ragi, Little millet, Barnyard millet, Adlay, Bajra, Proso, Kodo millet, etc. Having the same kind of food every day will lead to a deficiency of vitamins and minerals over time.
- Compatibility: Not every food out there is good for you. Similarly, many people can’t digest various cereals and pulses due to allergies or metabolic syndromes. For people with a gluten allergy, millet is one of the best options to aid in weight loss.
- Soaking: Soak the grains in water for several hours before you cook them. This will help decrease some of the grains' phytic acid, which can make you less able to absorb some nutrients.
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