Millet preparations certainly won’t make you wince! Millets can easily replace rice and wheat in many of the food items we eat and they make for a tasty, wholesome meal.
How to Use Millets for Weight Loss?
Enlisted below are few of the ways millets can be used for weight loss
- Flour- Millet flour can replace basic wheat/rice flour and can be used to make chapatis, bhakri, pancakes, chilla, biscuits, breads. They can also be used as thickening agents or stabilizers for gravies or sauces. Checkout our tasty millet flour staples which are rich in fibre and protein content.
- Semolina/ Rawa version- Millets can replace Rawa in upmas, handwa, Appam, Dosas, Idlis, Pongal. Different millet Vermicelli are also available now a days.
- Rice/ Pulav- Most Whole millets can be cooked just like rice. You can make a pulav too by adding colourful veggies.
- Khichdi or Pongal- Rice and dal make a good combination in khichdi. So, replacing rice with millets does not make a big difference in taste, but a world of difference in the nutritional profile. Bajra khichdi, Jowar khichdi or foxtail millet khichdi, Sweet or salty Pongal are some examples
- Salads with millets- You can make a variety of salads along with an array of vegetables to increase the nutritional value. Just a dash of lime and you are in for the tasty treat!
- Millet Porridge- You can make a variety of Ragi, Jowar or Bajra porridge
- Kheer- Ragi kheer or halwas
- Amaranth/ Rajgeera-Rajgeera is extensively used during Navratri to replace rice/ wheat dishes. For instance- Amaranth Paratha/ Amaranth chilla.
Types of Millets
Here are the 5 types of millets that you can include in your diet when you are trying to shed kilos-
1. Ragi/ Finger millet- Ragi is known for its highest calcium content. Also rich in iron, protein and fibre, it takes more amount of time to get digested in the stomach as a result, it keeps you fuller for a longer time! This stops the urge to consume more food, thus reducing excess calorie consumption eventually. Ragi is also known to be gluten free.
2. Bajra/ Pearl Millet- This millet is exceptionally low in calories and one of the best choices of grain, when your aim is to shed kilos. Its high fibre again keeps you full without increasing your daily calories count.
3. Jowar/ Sorghum- The high Vitamin B content in Jowar helps to boost metabolism and also improves bone and heart health, thus aiding in weight management.
4. Foxtail millet/ Kangni- These are again rich in complex carbohydrates making it a good food option for people trying to lose weight.
5. Rajgeera/ Amaranth- Rajgeera is high in protein and fibre helping to build muscles and maintaining a good Gut health.
A sustainable and eco-friendly way of eating millets, which will also help you have access to all of its nutrients, is by creating millets roti, says the Mumbai-based nutritionist, Rujuta Diwekar . Millets roti can be eaten along with a sabzi, dal or chutney.
The struggle here is that kneading a dough from millet flour is difficult as it does not easily bind together. To solve this problem, we launched BCOS Foods. Using our tasty millet flour staples, you will be able to make perfectly cooked and delicious rotis and parathas , which stay soft for long.We provide ready to knead mixes where there is no need to mix any extra wheat.
Our flour mixes are completely safe to be consumed by your kids as well as male family members too.
Do checkout our tasty millet flour staples to take control of your weightloss journey now!