Millet

Description

Millet is a cereal that people obtain from the fruits of cultivated millet species, freed from spikelet scales by peeling.

This cereal takes place in the list of foods that actively burn fat. Millet is unique because it does not contain a common allergen – gluten, which means that cereal is a hypoallergenic product.

We all love millet porridge – fragrant and crumbly. It turns out that millet is not made from wheat, as one might think from similar names, but from millet – a cereal that was still in the 3rd century BC. was grown as an agricultural crop in China, Europe, North Africa. Today, more than 400 types of millet are familiar, but only two are grown in our country: common millet (it is this that is used for the production of millet) and capitate (used for animal feed).

Each spikelet of millet consists of many grains peeled off of scales, flower films, and embryos. Then the grains are ground, resulting in the well-known smooth round yellow grains. Polished millet is of three grades: superior, first, and second, depending on the number of impurities and the quality of cleaning from films.

First of all, millet is an excellent protein source; in this cereal, it is as much as in wheat, but only millet does not contain gluten! Yes, millet and millet flakes can be a part of the ratio for people with gluten intolerance (celiac disease) and allergic to this aggressive wheat protein.

But in terms of the number of carbohydrates and calories, millet is inferior not only to wheat but also to buckwheat, so it can be included in the diet of people who monitor their weight. Millet also contains many vitamins, micro, and macro elements: potassium, magnesium, sodium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, vitamins of group B and P.

How to choose millet for weight loss

We must note that only yellow millet has fat-burning properties. In such cereals, unpeeled brown specks must be present. And the glossy shade of millet indicates the presence of fiber in it, which is also necessary for the fight against extra pounds.

Hulled millet, usually in special cooking bags, contains much less fiber and nutrients, so this type of cereal can hardly be a healthy complete product.

Composition and calorie content

Millet contains about 12-15% proteins, 70% starch, essential amino acids. There is 0.5-08% fiber in cereals, 2.6-3.7% fat, few sugars – up to about 2%, vitamins PP, B1, and B2, and a large amount of potassium, magnesium, and phosphorus. Millet holds the record for the content of molybdenum and magnesium.

• Calorie content 342 kcal
• Proteins 11.5 g
• Fat 3.3 g
• Carbohydrates 66.5 g

Useful properties of millet porridge

Millet contains protein, amino acids, and antioxidants that protect the body’s cells from inflammation and harmful environmental influences. This cereal contains zinc, silicic acid, and B and PP vitamins. And millet also contains magnesium, calcium, potassium, and trace elements fluoride, which are necessary for healthy teeth and bones.

Iron source. Millet is the richest source of iron among all cereals. One hundred grams contains about seven milligrams of iron.

Iron is vital for blood formation and oxygen transport in the body. But the human intestine does not absorb this mineral well if it is from the plant foods. Therefore, doctors advise combining millet with fresh vegetables or fruits, which contain vitamin C – it helps the body absorb iron better.

Gluten-free. Millet is one of the few grains that does not contain gluten. It does not matter for a healthy body, but people with celiac disease cannot tolerate this component. Therefore, they can eat millet meals as part of a healthy gluten-free diet.

Promotes weight loss. Millet is a source of essential minerals, vital amino acids, and complex carbohydrates. This cereal contains protein and fiber. Thanks to these indicators, many people consume millet while losing weight. It is a complex carbohydrate that takes a long time to digest and creates a long-lasting feeling of fullness. At the same time, one hundred grams of this porridge contains only 114 kilocalories.

Helps the heart. Millet is a rich source of potassium and magnesium. Thanks to this, cereals positively affect the cardiovascular system’s work because magnesium, combined with potassium, normalizes the heart muscle’s work.

Millet is also good for people who have diabetes and atherosclerosis. This is because magnesium contributes to the production of more than three hundred enzymes, many of which play an important role in synthesizing insulin and glucose absorption.

Protects blood vessels from damage. Millet occupies one of the leading positions in fat content among cereals, particularly polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. The body cannot produce some of them on its own, but they normalize lipids in the blood. This protects the vessels from pathogenic changes that cause an increase in cholesterol.

Harm and contraindications

Both bowls of cereal can not harm the body if not overused. Nutritionists recommend eating millet and wheat porridge with caution for gastrointestinal tract diseases, especially with gastritis and ulcers, and intolerance to any composition elements.

Millet is harmfull for patients with thyroid pathologies as it interferes with iodine intake. And people should also refrain from low acidity of the stomach, frequent constipation. The product should be used with caution by pregnant women in the third trimester.

Сereals cooking

Before preparing cereals, it is necessary to rinse the cereals in running water. Millet should be washed more thoroughly after sorting out the spoiled grains. It is advisable to treat with warm water 2-3 times, each time changing the liquid. Before cooking, it is recommended to pour boiling water over the millet to avoid sticking.

It is unnecessary to rinse the wheat grits, but you need to fill them with cold water. Thanks to this, unsuitable grains float up and can be easily removed. It is advisable to remove the foam during cooking.

Cooking methods

The most common way to prepare millet is boiling. You should pout it into boiling water, a little salt is added and boiled for half an hour. It is preferable to pour 3 glasses of water into a glass of grain. Part of the volume you can replace with milk, adding it after boiling water, which will make the porridge tastier.

Wheat porridge is prepared similarly, but milk is not used. The cooking time is the same (30 minutes). We recommend to taste the product at the end of cooking.

The further use of boiled cereals depends on personal preference. Porridge is a good side dish. Cereals can be a part of salads, and they are also filled with cutlets or rolls.

Millet porridge (4 secrets for making crumbly porridge)

Ingredients

• 1 cup of groats
• 3 glasses of water
• 50 g butter
• sugar
• salt

Preparation

1. Secret No. 1. Groats have oils and dust, which settle in each grain’s grooves and stick the grains together during cooking. Our task is to get rid of these oils and cereal dust. How can this be done? It is necessary to rinse the cereals with boiling water. How am I doing? I put 1 cup of cereal in a saucepan and pour 1 cup of water. I bring it to a boil. Pour the cereal with boiling water into a sieve and rinse well under running water. Thus, we cleaned the cereals with high quality.
2. Now we return the cereal to the saucepan, add salt, sugar to taste, and pour 2 glasses of water (ratio 1: 2). It is this ratio that will give you the desired result. If there is less water, it will be too dry; if more, it will become viscous. We put on medium heat and DO NOT cover (secret number 2).
3. We observe the cereal – about 10 minutes after boiling, when the boiling water is equal to the cereal, add oil to it (secret number 3), distributing it over the surface in pieces. Without oil, you cannot achieve a crumbly consistency either, and besides, porridge will certainly become tastier. “Do not spoil porridge with butter” !!!
4. We close the saucepan with a lid and turn off the heat. We leave the porridge for half an hour (secret No. 4) under a closed lid and in no case open it – it should absorb the remaining water and swell.
5. When half an hour has passed, the porridge is ready both as an independent dish and as a side dish. And if you like milk porridge, you can add milk and bring it to a boil, but that’s another story.

10 interesting facts about millet

Fact number 1: millet is millet nucleoli!

Many people believe that millet is made from wheat. However, it is not. Millet is the kernels of millet, and wheat is a raw material for semolina, wheat groats, and Artek groats.

Fact number 2: millet is the food of our ancestors

Even before the Chinese began to grow rice in huge quantities, they were growing millet. From them, this unpretentious culture spread throughout the world. Millet and wheat are the two main bowls of cereal of ancient Asia. Both are unpretentious and have time to mature in a relatively short warm period. Wheat is bread, and millet is porridge.

Fact # 3: Complex Alkaline Protein

This is the second name of the millet in the USA. A complete alkaline protein. So the Americans identified the benefits of millet – rich in natural protein, and unlike meat, it does not acidify the body and does not poison it with saturated fatty acids.

Fact # 4: bird food

Everyone who kept birds, even budgerigars, even chickens, knows that millet must be a part of their diet. Then the birds grow strong and healthy.

Fact number 5: vitamin grain

Round grain millet – millet resembles a modern advanced multivitamin or natural biologically active food supplement. Judge for yourself: millet contains essential amino acids, healthy vegetable fats, slow carbohydrates, and a whole range of vitamins and minerals.

Fact # 6: conqueror of tiredness and irritability

Millet porridge will help you quickly regain strength, overcome chronic fatigue and irritability, and improve memory – as it contains a lot of vitamin B1 and magnesium. Magnesium will also provide good performance, both physical and mental, and cope with all women’s problems.

Fact # 7: millet is good for thick hair

Do you remember that your grandmother had beautiful hair and you wish you had one? Or maybe the fact is that the grandmother loved millet porridge? After all, it contains many vitamins B2 and PP, which are responsible for the cleanliness and smoothness of the skin, giving the hair strength and shine and improving appetite.

Fact number 8: for the heart and blood vessels

Yes, and hypertension used to be sick less often. Again, millet is a storehouse of vitamin B5, and it is he who is responsible for the health of the heart and blood vessels. Potassium helps him – a trace element loved by all cardiologists in the world for its beneficial effect on the heart’s work.

Fact # 9: healthy teeth and bones

Millet is a source of easily assimilable plant phosphorus and silicon, strengthening bones and teeth, making them more resistant to high loads.

Fact # 10: postpones old age

Millet lovers retain their youth longer and later acquire wrinkles, and this is because the gold grain is rich in copper, which gives elasticity and firmness to all tissues. Besides, millet has the ability to gently remove toxins and harmful substances from the body, which improves health and increases life expectancy.