Contrary to what you see in the movies, for most of us, breakfast is not a family ritual you celebrate while enjoying a slow-paced conversation, nor is it a meticulously prepared, complicated meal. It’s a hustle, with everyday attempts to find a moment to grab a bite of something that is filling, won’t ruin your diet plan, and can be whipped up in a matter of seconds – because that’s exactly how much time we usually have. And this is where the increasingly popular millet comes to the rescue. What makes it so popular?
What’s in it for you?
The fundamental strength of millet lies in its simplicity. You can well cook it in the evening and reheat it in a matter of seconds the next morning, adding different ingredients each time to diversify your breakfast menu. But there are far more reasons to fall in love with millet groats. Both people on reduction diets and those who need a boost of energy for their workouts should definitely get to know them.
The benefits of millet:
- Easily digestible – millet gruel is recommended to convalescents, but even with traditional millet dishes, there is no fear of having a heavy stomach.
- Promotes weight reduction – because of a high content of dietary fiber and silicon that ‘revs up’ your metabolism. Like any groats, millet contains quite a lot of calories (about 350 per 100 grams), but all in all, it supports weight loss thanks to its properties. Just remember not to treat yourself to hefty servings with high-calorie sides when on a reduction diet.
- A wealth of vitamins and trace elements – which is great news for anyone who wants their breakfast to provide more than just energy. As mentioned above, millet groats contain silicon which supports bone structure and helps the body to recover from injuries. The groats also contain vitamin E, B vitamins, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and iron. A perfect blend for anyone who wants to follow a healthy and active lifestyle.
- A source of protein – and in a veggie version at that – which is worth including in a balanced diet. For this reason, millet is also a great choice when building muscle mass.
- Warms up and deacidifies the body – which makes it a perfect meal to start an active day and effective workouts.
Who should avoid millet?
There are few contraindications to eating millet. People with hypothyroidism might consider reducing millet in their diet. It contains compounds which might interfere with iodine absorption and inhibit the production of thyroid hormones. Millet should also be excluded from the daily menu of people who follow a low glycemic index diet (e.g. due to insulin resistance).
How to prepare the millet base?
The great advantage of millet is its versatility. It will work equally well in sweet and savory breakfast dishes. In both versions, however, you first need to prepare the right base, i.e. cook the groats in such a way as to preserve their nutritional qualities, while bringing out their flavor.
To do so, you can rinse the groats with hot water using a sieve – 2 or 3 rounds of rinsing should be enough to get rid of any bitterness and prepare the groats for further processing. You can also toast them in a skillet without oil. When they start to release a nutty fragrance, quickly transfer them to a bowl to avoid burning.
Then proceed to cooking: the recommended proportion is 2 cups of water and 1 cup of millet groats. Pour the groats into a saucepan, add cold water and cook covered for about 10 minutes. Instead of water, you can also use dairy or vegetable milk. At this point, you can also add some fat such as butter or coconut oil. Prepared this way, the base can wait until the next morning for you to add more ingredients and conjure up a millet-based breakfast.
Sweet and savory millet groats
Cooked millet is one of those versatile foods that can be easily adapted to your individual taste, season, dietary requirements, and even food cravings. It works equally well in sweet and savory recipes. Discover four recipes to try out for a good start.
Recipe 1 – Apple millet porridge
Who is it for? Suitable for people on a reduction diet. Cinnamon additionally warms you up and enhances the beneficial effect on your metabolism, and apples and millet are excellent sources of dietary fiber.
Ingredients:
- 2 apples
- the millet base with water or milk
- cinnamon
- 1 handful of dried fruits (optional)
- agave syrup (optional)
- dairy/vegetable milk or water – around half a cup.
Grate the apples if they are hard, or only peel and chop them if they are soft, and then simply cook them together with the millet base and half a cup of water or milk. Give your porridge a twist by adding two pinches of cinnamon. Depending on your planned calorie intake for the day, you can also add dried fruits and agave syrup to taste. The dish is ready in about 10 minutes.
Recipe 2 – Power punch millet porridge
Who is it for? Suitable for people in need of that extra boost of energy for a good start to an active day. Sweet though they may be, bananas – just like millet– are easy to digest, so they won’t give you a heavy stomach e.g. before your workout.
Ingredients:
- 1 banana
- the millet base with water or milk
- ½ cup water or milk
- dried fruits or dates (a handful)
- 1 pinch vanilla paste or 1 tbsp. nut butter (optional)
- 1 square of dark chocolate, grated (optional).
Combine the millet base with the chopped banana, half a cup of liquid, and dried fruits. Add vanilla or nut butter (ideally home-made, based on recipes you can find HERE), and cook over low heat for 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and sprinkle with grated chocolate.
Recipe 3 – Iron-packed millet stir-fry
Who is it for? It is an excellent way for people reducing weight to supplement iron and potassium and include more vegetables in their diet.
Ingredients:
- the millet base
- 2-3 dried tomatoes (drained of oil)
- regular or baby spinach
- onion
- leaf parsley
- 1 tbsp. coconut oil.
Sauté the spinach and onion in a skillet, add the millet base and chopped dried tomatoes. Transfer the dish to a bowl and garnish with leaf parsley.
Recipe 4 – Millet casserole
Who is it for? Due to the addition of cheese, it is not recommended for people on a reduction diet. Using this recipe, you can also skip this ingredient and make a regular millet stir-fry (see recipe above). A filling dish that provides a long-lasting boost of energy.
Ingredients:
- 3-4 button mushrooms
- onion or chives
- ½ zucchini (optional)
- shredded cheese (to top)
- the millet base
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste.
Dice the mushrooms, onion and zucchini, and sauté in a tablespoon of olive oil. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Combine the sautéed vegetables with the remaining olive oil and the millet base, add seasonings to taste and transfer to an oven-safe casserole dish. Top with shredded cheese and bake until the cheese is melted.
Bon appétit!