black bean Inner Mongolia

• People with coeliac disease canreplace certain gluten-containing cereals in their diets withmillet.

• Millets are also used as bird andanimal feed.

Nutrition

• Millets, like sorghum, arepredominantly starchy. 

• The protein content is comparable tothat of wheat and maize. Pearl and little millet are higher in fat,while finger millet contains the lowest fat. 

• Barnyard millet has the lowestcarbohydrate content and energy value. Millets are also relativelyrich in iron and phosphorus. 

• The bran layers of millets are goodsources of B-complex vitamins. However, millets also feature highfiber content and poor digestibility of nutrients, which severelylimit their value in nutrition and influence their consumeracceptability.

• Finger millet has the highest calciumcontent among all the foodgrains, but it is not highlyassimilable.

• The protein content in millet is veryclose to that of wheat  both provide about 11% protein byweight, on a dry matter basis.

• Millets are rich in B vitamins(especially niacin,  and folic acid), calcium, iron,potassium, magnesium, and zinc. 

• Millets contain no gluten, so they arenot suitable for raised bread. 

• When combined with wheat, (or xanthangum for those who have celiac disease), they can be used for raisedbread. 

• Alone, they are suited forflatbread.

• As none of the millets are closelyrelated to wheat, they are appropriate foods for those with celiacdisease or other forms of allergies/intolerance ofwheat. 

• However, millets are also a mildthyroid peroxidase inhibitor and probably should not be consumed ingreat quantities by those with thyroid disease.