How Is Millet The Healthiest Choice For Your Kids?

How Is Millet The Healthiest Choice For Your Kids?

According to history, one of the first grains eaten by early men was millet. Millets contain essential nutrients like calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, tryptophan, B vitamins, manganese, and antioxidants and are devoid of gluten. They are also alkaline.

Millets are also believed to aid in weight loss and gain. They are complex carbohydrates with a low-glycemic index, which are a type of carbohydrates that are more slowly digested, absorbed, and metabolised. It causes a lower and slower rise in blood glucose and insulin levels. They offer prebiotic and dietary fibre, making it an excellent foodstuff for those who have diabetes and are attempting to reduce weight.

Besides being a remarkable food element for adults, millets are also beneficial for kids and offer extensive health benefits if given in the right portion. 

In this article, we will learn about the benefits and types of millet for kids. So, let's jump into the main context. 

Millets: What are they?

Generally, people know it as cereal crops or grains - millets are a collection of small-seeded grasses with a wide range of characteristics. Each millet has a higher protein, vitamin, and lots of minerals content than wheat and rice.

Healthy millets for kids: Types

• Bajra or Pearl millet
• Jowar or Sorghum millet
• Kodo millet
• Foxtail millet
• Finger millet
• Branyard millet
• Little millet

Millets are terrific for children who are intolerant or allergic to wheat since they are high in calcium, vitamin B complex, magnesium, iron, potassium, and zinc. In fact, millets have a low GI (glycemic index) and are also gluten-free. 

Millets, in general, reduce triglycerides and C-reactive protein when consumed regularly. These are the protein that measures the inflammation level in your body. Because of a sedentary lifestyle and a poor diet, we currently top the world in the percentage of obese youngsters. Therefore, it's crucial to start including the correct food habit in kids' diet charts at a young age.

Give your child a healthy life with millet!

Millets are an excellent weaning diet for infants and nutritious food for youngsters since they are simple to digest and enjoyable. 

Millets, thankfully, can supplant grains like wheat and rice to make traditional Indian meals healthier. Hence, these are the best-introduced cereals for children early on to help them acquire a taste for something extremely nutritious. Millets are a very wholesome and adaptable food. And experts also believe that millet has the lowest grain allergies for babies and kids. 

Benefits of Golden Miillets for kids

• Treats Anemia - Calcium is a necessary nutrient for the body, just like other nutrients. A calcium deficiency can lead to a variety of bone-related issues. In this circumstance, millet consumption might be advantageous for the child if you want to prevent bone ailments, as it has a high level of calcium that can assist in keeping children's bones strong and healthy.
• Easy To Digest - Millet is a kind of cereal newborns may quickly digest because their digestive system is weaker than usual adults. It is alkaline and way lot easier for toddlers and infants to digest. 
• Severe illness prevention - Millet has a wealth of beneficial traits. It has numerous qualities that protect infants from various ailments, including antibacterial, antioxidant, and anti-diabetic properties.
• Non-allergic - Millet is gluten-free and non-allergic, which makes it safe for kids with gluten allergies to eat.
• Lowers cholesterol levels – Niacin, a vitamin B3 found in millet, is a co-enzyme for oxidative reactions. It helps lower cholesterol, which cuts off the risk of heart disease in the future.
• Regulates neurons - Magnesium is essential for optimal neuromuscular function and is abundant in millet. Furthermore, it aids in regular muscle contraction. It is necessary for the development of teeth and bones.
• Controls blood sugar levels - Millet contains healthy carbs that are low in simple sugars and high in fibre. Because of this, it has a comparatively low glycaemic index and has been demonstrated to reduce blood sugar levels more than rice or wheat. By feeding this, you can reduce the risk of your children's obesity.
• Ensures muscle growth - Millets are a rich source of protein. It does not get destroyed after cooking as it is with quinoa. Millets are, therefore, beneficial for children's muscle growth and formation.
• Prevents constipation - Millets are high in fibre and rehydrate the colon and prevent children's constipation.
• Uphold gut health - Millet is high in prebiotics and helps keep gut health.

How and when should I introduce millet to my babies?

A newborn must drink just the mother's milk until the baby is at least 6 to 8 months old. When the baby starts chewing solid foods or semi-solid foods, you can gradually add millet to your kid's diet. 

Start with milder dishes like Bajra khichdi or ragi porridge. It is better to start with a tablespoon and gradually increase the quantity. As the child grows, you can feed him ragi or Jowar rotis, millet pancakes or dosas, and stews made with various vegetables and millets.

How to prepare millet for kids?

There may be some antinutrients in millets. Therefore, it is best to prepare it correctly by soaking, roasting, fermenting, or germinating.

How much millet should kids consume?

The secret, like with anything, is moderation. Experts do not advise switching entirely from wheat to millet. Millets should be introduced gradually into a child's diet because it requires a while for the digestive tract to adjust to a new meal. Multiple servings of millet might result in constipation, bloating, and stomach pain.

The anti-nutrients present in millet is believed to have a link with hypothyroidism. However, there is no evidence to support this theory. Indians have consumed a millet-based diet for ages without experiencing even slight harmful health effects. In any event, it's best to limit millet intake for a kid if they have hypothyroidism or iodine deficiency.

Final takeaway!

As a healthy grain, millet is excellent for promoting great health. More than anything else, it is a storehouse of protein, iron, copper, and fibre, making it essential to include in the diets of youngsters and the elderly as well. It is imperative to incorporate crucial nutritional components in a child's diet while establishing a healthy diet for them in order to promote optimum growth, which is why millet is ideal.