Foxtail Millet: Health Benefits and Easy Ways to Add It to Your Diet

As millets are making a way back to the Indian urban thali, one of the common millets growing in popularity is foxtail millet. Known as the ‘golden grain’, it is one of the ancient grains grown widely across Asia and Africa. This ancient millet has been in existence for over 8000 years. The grain is small in size and has colour variation from yellow to brown. These tiny golden millets are mainly cultivated in the southern states of India, including Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, and Tamil Nadu, and also in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh. 

Now that you know what foxtail millet is and where it comes from, let’s see the benefits of foxtail millet.

Health Benefits of Foxtail Millet

Foxtail millet is full of nutrients, which help you to keep your gut and body healthy. It is one of the superfoods that needs to be included in your diet. Let’s see how it benefits you.

1. Helps in weight management

Foxtail millet is perfect for those who are on a weight loss journey. It is rich in fiber and complex carbohydrates. These nutrients keep you full for longer, as foxtail millet takes time to digest. It reduces the chances of unnecessary eating, which may hamper your weight goals.  

2. Maintains your gut health

A healthy and happy gut is the key to a healthy body and a happy you. Eating foxtail millet helps in digestion. The high content of fiber in it helps in maintaining regular bowel movements, reducing the chances of constipation, gas, and bloating. 

3. Supports strong bones

To have strong bones, one needs a good amount of iron, calcium and magnesium in their body. All of these nutrients are high in foxtail millet, especially calcium. Magnesium in foxtail millet helps maintain bone density, which helps in reducing the chances of osteoporosis. 

4. Helps regulate blood sugar levels

Diabetics, it’s good news for you. Foxtail millet is a low glycemic index grain, which helps in keeping your blood sugar levels in check. When something has a low glycemic index, it gradually and slowly releases glucose, which doesn’t make your blood sugar levels high quickly. 

5. Keeps your heart healthy 

Foxtail millet is a low-calorie and nutrient-rich grain. The healthy fats and fiber in it help in maintaining the cholesterol levels, the low glycemic index helps in keeping the blood sugar level maintained, and magnesium maintains the blood pressure. All of this together helps in keeping your heart healthy and reduces the chances of cardiac problems. 

Read about different types of millets here.

Foxtail Millet-Based Products You Should Try

Today, eating foxtail millet is not limited to a few dishes. A variety of millet-based products are available in the market. Milletry has come up with a twist to the traditional millets. At Milletry, we turn millets into snacks and food products that take care of your taste and health. These snacks are perfect for those who are health-conscious.  

Let’s see what foxtail millet-based products Milletry has got for you. 

1. Foxtail Millet Cookies

What if your regular tea cookies could be high-protein and high-fibre instead of sugary and fatty? Yes, you read that right; foxtail millet cookies from Milletry are made of foxtail millet and jaggery, which keep your nutrition level high and your sugar and fat levels low. These are perfect to pair with your morning and evening tea, and as a healthy snack, you can munch on the go. 

2. Foxtail Millet Pasta

Pasta made of foxtail millet and full of nutrients is what Milletry promises. It is an instant healthy and tasty solution to your cravings. It is high in protein and fiber, and full of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, which keep your gut and you healthy and happy. All you need to do is boil water, add the pasta and tastemaker, and enjoy the tasty and healthy Foxtail Millet Pasta. 

3. Foxtail Millet Noodles

Another junk food turned into healthy food with millets – Foxtail Millet Noodles. When you crave a bowl of noodles but can’t have the regular maida noodles because you’re on a diet, these foxtail millet noodles can be your saviour. They are easy and quick to make, just like regular instant noodles, but are healthier than regular noodles. 

4. Foxtail Millet Rava

This is just like your regular rava, made of foxtail millet, making it more nutritious and healthier than regular rava. Foxtail millet rava is perfect to make a healthy breakfast. It has more fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals than regular rava. You can make rava idli, rava upma, rava dosa, or use it in making khichdi, daliya, poha, waffles, etc. 

Check out Milletry’s multi-millet rava as well.

Other than foxtail millet, Milletry has a variety of millets and millet-based products for a healthy you. Check them out here.