Millet Nutrition 101 + a Smoothie Recipe
Discover the scoop on millet nutrition & why you try this nourishing gluten free, ancient grain. Then get inspired to create a rich and creamy Mango Millet Lassi!
Have you tried millet before? It’s a gluten free grain featured in Maria Speck’s cookbook, Ancient Grains for Modern Meals.
After reading Maria’s book, I’ve been experimenting with trying new ancient grains, and discovered I had a bag of millet in my pantry.
Sitting there unopened for perhaps over a year (or 2!)
So, I opened my bag and added some other tasty ingredients per Maria’s recipe, and ended up with this fabulously delicious dish, “Spicy Millet with Yogurt and Fresh herbs”…
Trust me, it does not disappoint!
In case you want to try the recipe, I encourage you to purchase Maria’s beautiful cookbook, Ancient Grains for Modern Meals.
Now let’s talk about millet nutrition, and why you might want to try this nourishing ancient grain!
Millet Nutrition 101 + The History of Millet
- Millet is a gluten-free grain, and is available as whole millet seeds or millet flour. It’s easily digestible and low FODMAP.
- Once cup of cooked millet provides 6 grams of protein and more than 15 % of the daily value (DV) for magnesium, phosphorus, and manganese.
- Millet is also a good source of copper, B-vitamins and microbiome friendly fiber.
- In the United States, millet is most often grown for birdseed.
- Millet is indeed an ancient grain, tracing its cultivation in East Asia ten thousand years ago. It’s also a very drought tolerant crop.
- 4000 year old millet noodles were discovered in China in 2005. These noodles were 20 inches long and very well preserved.
The great thing I just discovered about millet, is it’s incredible versatility. It has a “nutty” texture and flavor, making it a perfect vehicle for many flavors, both sweet and savory-like this creamy and delicious Mango Millet Lassi…
Mango Millet Lassi
Ingredients
- 1 mango, peeled & cut into chunks.
- 1/4 cup millet, cooked
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup mango nectar
- 2 tablespoons cashew nuts
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- honey, optional, to sweeten
- water, optional, to thin consistency
Instructions
- Put all ingredients in a high powered blender, and combine until smooth.
- Sweeten to taste with honey, if desired.
- If smoothie is too thick, add water to thin out consistency.
Notes
Notes & Substitutions
- This recipe calls for precooked millet. If you are cooking from scratch, follow the package, or these instructions.
- Honey can be swapped with maple syrup, liquid stevia, or Swerve sweetener
- Use coconut, almond, or soy yogurt for a vegan version.
Nutrition
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Let’s Chat!
Did you learn anything new about millet nutrition or the history of millet? Have you eaten millet before? If so, what’s your favorite way to prepare millet?
