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Millet: The Gluten-Free Grain Not “Just For Birds”

by 58 Comments

Millet is a gluten-free whole grain that may just surprise you in it’s various uses and versatility. For one, it’s commonly used and associated with bird seed. Thus it’s often forgotten about and over shadowed by quinoa, buckwheat, oats, etc. But let me tell you, millet is a rising star and will soon be a staple grain in your gluten-free pantry!

Millet: The Gluten-Free Grain Not "Just For Birds" | Strength and Sunshine @RebeccaGF666

Since millet is in the grass family, it’s a whole grain (unlike quinoa and buckwheat!). It’s very small and comes in a few different varieties and colors. Most commonly and widely grown as Peal Millet, but also Finger, Proso (common in the US), and Foxtail varieties. Colors range from white, yellow, grey, and red. It’s one of the ancient grains and has been cultivated as a staple for centuries, especially in hot, arid climates such as Africa and Asia. Yes, now-a-days it is commonly used as the main component of bird seed and other animal feed. But for human consumption, it is eaten just as any whole grain (very similar to couscous in texture, but gluten-free and is somewhat creamy and fluffy), made into a flour for flat breads and other baked goods, grits/porridge, alcoholic beverages, or my favorite, puffed!

Millet: The Gluten-Free Grain Not "Just For Birds" | Strength and Sunshine @RebeccaGF666

Millet is a starchy grain, similar to the gluten-free grain sorghum, but is known for it’s high levels of copper, iron, phosphorus, zinc, manganese, and magnesium. The high levels of phosphorus make it an excellent source for cell and body tissue development and repair. The magnesium gives it just as good of heart health benefits as oats and  is also very high in insoluble fiber, making it good for digestion. The bran layers of the grain are very rich in B vitamins as well.

So how do you add this great gluten-free whole grain into your everyday diet? You don’t need to go pecking at the bird feeder. First of all, millet is one of the more affordable gluten-free grains/pseudo-grains on the market. I always have whole millet in my pantry, as well as millet flour, and puffed millet. Whole millet is such a “secret weapon” I feel for someone who is gluten-free. I always come across these great looking couscous recipes, but since couscous is a pasta, made with semolina or some wheat-derived ingredient, a gluten-free substitution would need to be made. Of course you could do quinoa or buy a brown rice couscous, but millet is much better! Millet really takes on the form of authentic couscous I feel, soft, fluffy, sticks together like perfect couscous. So not only is it a great substitute for wheat based grains (and tabbouleh!), but it makes a wonderful pilaf, creamy porridge if cooked with some coconut milk, or just a more fun grain-switch from rice. You boil water and cook it on the stove just as you would any grain. “The lazy method”. If you want a truly spectacular taste, you toast the millet in a dry pan for about 5 minutes, until golden, and then cook it as normal! The perfect toasty taste and is really worth the extra 5 minutes! (It smells good too!) You can also get quick cooking millet grits, for a perfect hot breakfast cereal as well!

Millet: The Gluten-Free Grain Not "Just For Birds" | Strength and Sunshine @RebeccaGF666

Millet flour is a great baking addition. This is a flour you need to combine with others, don’t use it alone as it does not have durable properties (Bob’s Red Mill suggests replacing up to 25%, meaning 1/4 cup out of 1 cup). It is very light, delicate, mild, and slightly sweet. But you can use it in an baked good, sweet, or savory. Perfect for pancakes, cakes, cupcakes, muffins, that sort of thing.

Millet: The Gluten-Free Grain Not "Just For Birds" | Strength and Sunshine @RebeccaGF666

Now my favorite millet product. Puffed Millet! All it is, is millet puffed. It is absolutely fabulous for adding low-calories bulk to your morning cereal (combine it with a more indulgent one for more “band for your buck”), amazing in granola (my staple), great for making granola bars, snack mixes, adding to popcorn, etc. Go crazy with these little puffed balls of yum. At only 60 calories a cup, they are my favorite whole grain bulking addition to so many things and I can get the bags at my grocery for $2, so stock up!

Millet: The Gluten-Free Grain Not "Just For Birds" | Strength and Sunshine @RebeccaGF666

Ready for some past millet recipe inspiration? Here are some great recipes to try with millet!

Apple Cinnamon Granola (puffed millet)

Blueberry Vanilla Flax Granola (puffed millet)

Cantaloupe Pistachio Granola (puffed millet, whole millet)

Chocolate Banana Cashew Granola (puffed millet)

More Than Carrot Cake Granola (puffed millet)

Orange Hemp Seed Granola (puffed millet)

Black & White Pancakes (millet flour)

Chocolate Pumpkin Pancakes (millet flour)

Snickerdoodle Breakfast Cake (millet flour)

Vanilla Latte Millet Protein Pancakes (millet flour)

Fresh Spring Millet Salad With Watercress & Lemon (whole millet)

I hope you stock up on this healthy gluten-free whole grain and show it the love and notoriety it deserves! The “bird” is no longer the word, MILLET is!

So tell me:

+ Have you tried millet? Any favorite dishes?

+ Are you a fan of bulking things up with puffed grains? I always have puffed millet and puffed rice on hand. I also love puffed corn too!

Sources: 

+ http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=53

+ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millet

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Comments

  2. Nadya @ M+N Studio says

    When my kids were younger, millet was one of the few grains they could digest. I made no-bake granola bites using the puffed millet, puffed rice, dry fruits, a little seed or nut butter for binding and a little maple syrup or honey. Never used the cooked millet, though. I look forward to trying out all these delish-sounding recipes you posted 😉 Cheers!

    Reply

  9. Dini @ The Flavor Bender says

    This is a great article! I love the information and there was alot I didn’t know about millet!
    I will definitely have to try one of those ways of using it 🙂 Thank you so much for sharing this with us at #SaucySaturdays, and teaching me something new!

    Reply

  10. Harriet Emily says

    I love millet! It’s one of my favourite ingredients to cook with! I always use millet flour in baking, it adds such a nice, soft texture to things! I’ve always wanted to try puffed millet too, and your post has definitely inspired me to go and buy some now! Thank you so much for sharing all of this great information Rebecca! 🙂

    Reply

  12. Michelle @ Vitamin Sunshine says

    Love all those millet recipes!

    I love puffed millet cereal– I actually bake it in the oven on 300 for 15 minutes, then store it in an air tight container, and it gets really crunchy. It’s my fav topped with a frozen banana, almond milk, and almond butter! Yum. Dessert.

    Reply

  17. Rebecca @BeTrulyNourished says

    Love it! Anytime I tell a client about millet, they immediately ask if it’s what they feed birds! I love millet & can’t wait to try your recipes! I especially love it toasted, so those granola recipes are very exciting! PS love that you added the family guy clip! haha I could watch that over & over & over & over…..

    Reply

    • Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says

      I didn’t even know it was used in bird seed until I researched for this post! Hahahaha!
      Thank you!! I love the extra crunch raw whole millet gives to granola too!
      And, yes 😉 Such a classic episode!

      Reply

  18. Sarah | Well and Full says

    I LOVE millet! I like to put cooked millet in my salads to add texture + give me that happy belly feeling I get from gluten-free grains! Also, LOVE you for putting the “Bird is the Word” clip in here, that’s one of my favorite family episodes!! I especially love the scene where Stewie and Brian go destroy the record with the baseball bat, the way they parodied that scene was so funny! 🙂

    Reply

    • Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says

      It’s so good in cold salads! That’s my favorite way to eat it (besides puffed in granola!)
      Hahaha, I was typing this and kept having that song pop in my head, so I knew I had to add it in!

      Reply

  20. Melissa @ vegan does it says

    We love millet over here too! My favorite is porridge topped with cinnamon, strawberries, and walnuts. The bags of puffed millet are so great for snacking too. I mix it with dried fruits, nuts, seeds, etc. for the kids to snack on.

    Reply

    • Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says

      I’ve never actually made a porridge myself, but I know I need too!
      Yes! Perfect snacking grain!

      Reply

  21. Natalie | Feasting on Fruit says

    I’m so happy millet got some time in the spotlight today because it’s one of my fave gf grains, so much tastier than quinoa in my opinion! In fact I have a millet recipe coming up…well it’s done and photographed, don’t know when I’ll publish it. The toasting before cooking idea sounds awesome though, I need to try that next!

    Reply

  22. Liz says

    This was a super-informative post! I’ve seen millet in the store, but have yet to try it. I want to try the puffed millet – that looks yummy!

    Reply

    • Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says

      I’ve heard a few things, but it isn’t like “on the market” yet, haha! Not online or in stores that I’ve seen!

      Reply

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Hey there, welcome to Strength and Sunshine! I’m Rebecca and I’m so glad you’re here! This is your go-to destination for delicious, fun, and (mostly) healthy gluten-free and allergy-free recipes, tips & tricks, advice, as well as celiac and food allergy coaching services!

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