Are you looking to boost your daily protein intake in a natural way? Look no further than Millets. As India has celebrated International year of Millets in 2023 under the leadership of Hon. Prime Minister Shri. Narendra Modi, people have started to realize the important of millets in their daily diet.
Millets are an underrated food that are rich in essentials nutrients including protein. Some milllets have high content of proteins per 100gm. Such millets are a good choice for vegetarians people as a good source of proteins.
In this blog post about High protein Millets, we will discover Top 5 protein rich millets that are available in India easily at every corner. The blog post is written by best dietitian in Mumbai, Dt. Foram Modi – Founder at Makes You Eat, Mumbai.
The top 5 high protein millets in our list are Foxtail Millet, Pearl Millet (Bajra), Barnyard Millet, Kodo Millet, and Finger Millet (Ragi). Let’s get started with a little introduction on Millets and their nutritional value.
Benefits of Millets
Millets are not just traditional grains but they’re foods loaded with fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals. Below are some top benefits of millets –
1. High Protein Content
Many millets such as Foxtail millet, Pearl millet, Barnyard millet are a rich source of proteins. They have protein content of around 8-12gm each 100gm. These protein rich millets are good for muscle repair and growth and weight control by making your metabolism better.
2. Low Glycemic Index
Most of the Millets have a low to moderate glycemic index. This means they release glucose slowly into the blood and helps you avoid sudden sugar spikes. This way, the millets help you in long term management of Diabetes.
3. Rich in Dietary Fiber
Millets are a good source of insoluble fiber. This helps millets in smoothing your digestion, improve your gut health, and helps in cholesterol reduction.
4. Gluten Free
All millets are gluten-free as per research on good alternative diet for gluten sensitive people. This makes them safe for people with celiac disease or gluten intolerance. Due to no gluten, they are also light on stomach.
Due to all these benefits of millets in Indian diet, we at Makes You Eat, Mumbai have included tasty and delicious millets recipes in our various type of diet plans such as PCOS diet plan, Thyroid diet plan etc. Using millets, your diet will not be boring. Trust us, we makes you eat, not starve. 🙂
Top 5 High Protein Millets and their benefits
1. Foxtail Millet (12.3gm of Protein in 100gm)
Foxtail Millet is known with various names in Indian regional languages. It is known as Kangni in Hindi, Navane in Kannada, Kakum in Gujarati, Kang in Marathi, and Thina in Malayalam.
Foxtail millet is a small seeded grain which is gaining popularity as a high protein millets in India. It is at no. 1 on our list of high protein millets.
The protein content of foxtail millet is around 12.3gm in 100gm of foxtail milelt. It is gluten-free millet. The scientific name of foxtail millet is Setaria italica.
Foxtail millet has a low glycemic index of around 50–55. Due to this, foxtail millet is ideal for diabetics and people who want to manage their weight.
It is a rich source of iron, magnesium, B-vitamins, and dietary fiber. You can prepare various food items using Foxtail Millet. This includes foxtail millet upma, foxtail millet dosa with a very good taste and nutrition.
If you compare Foxtail millet with Quinoa, foxtail millet is more affordable and available in most of regional grocery stores. The foxtail millet price in India usually ranges from ₹80 to ₹120 per kg, depending on brand and quality.
2. Barnyard Millet (11.2gm of Protein in 100gm)
Barnyard millet is scientifically known as Echinochloa frumentacea. It is is a nutritious rich grain with no gluten. It is 2nd on our list of high protein millets. Barnyard millet is having 11.2gm of protein in 100gm of Barnyard grains.
In addition to protein, Barnyard millet has dietary fiber, and essential minerals. This makes it excellent choice for managing blood sugar levels especially for diabetic patients. Barnyard millet has low glycemic index and is around 50–54. Due to low GI, it is beneficial for diabetics.
Barnyard millet is available in all states of India and known with different names. It is known by Kuthiraivali in Tamil, Udalu in Telugu, Oodalu in Kannada, and Sanwa in Marathi. Barnyard millet is an used in many traditional Indian recipes.
This includes healthy Indian dishes for diabetes management & weight loss. It is often used to make barnyard millet rice, barnyard khichdi, barnyard upma, and also barnyard millet dosa for people who like to eat crispy.
Barnyard millet has about 300 calories in 100gm of barnyard grains. Due to this, barnyard millet is a wholesome, energey dense option for those who want to enjoy versatile but tasty meals with protein.
The price of Barnyard millet in India ranges between Rs. 72 to Rs. 288 per kilogram. The price is depending on brand and quality of barnyard millet.
3. Pearl Millet (10.6gm of Protein in 100gm)
Pearl millet is known as “Kambu” in Tamil, “Bajra” in Hindi, and “Bajri” in Marathi. It is available in all states of India. The scientific name of Pearl Millet is Pennisetum glaucum. It is is a staple grain used in many Indian households.
Pearl millet is highly used during winter season in India. Pearl millet is a rich source of protein and is at 3rd place in our top 5 list of protein rich millets in India. The protein content of Pearl millet is around 10.6gm in 100gm of grains.
In addition to protein, it has dietary fiber, iron, and other essential minerals. The glycemic index of pearl millet is relatively low and is around 54. Due to this, it is a good choice for people with diabetes. Pearl millets has approximately 361 calories per 100gm of grains.
There are many Indian recipes can be done using Bajra or pearl millet as it has high number of Benefits. This includes Bajra roti, Pearl millet khichdi, Kambu dosa, and Pearl millet porridge.
The average price of pearl millet in Indian states ranges between ₹70–₹120 per kg . This price depends on the brand and also demand/supply ration.
4. Kodo Millet (8.3gm of Protein in 100gm)
Kodo millet is also called as “Kodri” in Hindi, “Arikelu” in Telugu, “Kodua” in Marathi, and “Varagu” in Tamil. Kodo Millet is an ancient millet grain and is popular for its high fiber and low glycemic index.
The glycemic index of kodo millet is around ~50–55. This is considered low and hence this is a good millet option for diabetes people in India.
It is a rich source of protein with an around 8.3g of protein per 100gm of kodo millet grains. Kodo is a also a good source of antioxidants, calcium, and iron. It gives around 353 calories in 100gm of kodo millet.
Many recipes can be made using this millet. This includes, kodo millet dosa, pongal, kodo millet idli, and kodo millet pulao.
The price of kodo millet ranges between ₹80–₹130 per kg and is depend on brand and quality of kodo millet.
Kodo millet is ideal for people with diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular issues due to its slow-digesting complex carbs.
5. Little Millet (7.7gm of Protein in 100gm)
As like pearl millet, little millet is available in most of states of India. And is known with varying regional names. Little millet is known as “Kutki” in Hindi, “Samalu” in Telugu, “Sava” in Marathi, and “Gajro” in Gujarati.
Little Millet is a nutritious small-grain millet and is a good option in modern diets. Little millet has rich source of various nutrients including Protein. It is 5th on our list of top 5 protein rich millets in India.
The protein content of little millet is around 7.7gm of protein in each 100g of little millet grains or floor. Little millet is rich in fiber, B-complex vitamins, and minerals like iron and magnesium.
It has a low glycemic index and is around ~52–54 and this makes it a good choice of millets for diabetics in India.
The calories in 100gm of little millet is around 207–220 calories per 100g. Many indian dishes can be made using little millet.
This includes little millet upma, kutki pulao, little millet pongal, and little millet kheer. The price of little millet ranges between ₹80–₹140 per kg. Little millet is useful for gut health and balances blood sugar making it a great option for people with blood sugar problems.
Summary of Millets Nutritional Value
Below table summarizes nutritional value of Millets.
| Millet Name | Protein (per 100g) | Price per kg (India) | Glycemic Index | Calories (per 100g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnyard Millet | 11g | ₹90 – ₹130 | ~50 | 300 – 350 kcal |
| Pearl Millet | 10.6g | ₹40 – ₹70 | ~55 | 360 – 370 kcal |
| Little Millet | 7.7g | ₹80 – ₹120 | ~52 | 330 – 340 kcal |
| Kodo Millet | 8.3g | ₹70 – ₹110 | ~50 – 60 | 330 – 350 kcal |
| Foxtail Millet | 12.3g | ₹90 – ₹140 | ~50 | 331 kcal |
Conclusion - Top 5 High Protein Millets in India
In conclusion of this article on high protein millets in India, we have seen that if you use millets like Barnyard Millet, Pearl Millet, Little Millet, and Kodo Millet into your diet, it will be helpful for the long term management of health issues such as diabetes and PCOS. Millets are also useful for people struggling with weight loss or weight gain.
Millets are affordable, readily available options with low glycemic index and no gluten. It’s an excellent choice of food to beat diabetes and many other diseases.
High Protein Millets Recipes by Dt. Foram Modi
Checkout below Millet recipe Instagram reels by our best dietitian in Mumbai – Dt. Foram Modi. These recipes are made using rolled oats, jowar flour, and mixed veggies. If you like it, follow her on Instagram for daily updates on diet, recipes and offers on her online dietitian consultation.
This blog post was created with reference of below research papers and official site of Government of India for promoting millets.:
Dt. Foram Modi - Best Dietician in Mumbai
Dt. Foram Modi is the founder of Makes You Eat, one of the best dietician clinic in Mumbai. It is located in Borivali Mumbai. Dietician Foram Modi has 12+ years of experience as a clinical dietician in Mumbai. She has done a specialization in Nutrition & Diet Planning. In addition, she is a certified nutritionist in Mumbai for child care nutrition. She is a certified She is highly regarded as –
Dietician Foram Modi believes in educating her clients through nutrient-rich, non-restrictive diet consultation plans based on Indian homemade food. Her motto: “We Make You Eat – Not Starve!”
If you are looking for online dietician consultation anywhere in India or globe, she is available just a call away. You can contact her through phone call, WhatsApp or directly visiting her dietician clinic in Borivali, Mumbai.
She is a five star rated dietician in Mumbai on Google. Patient’s express a sense of achievement & success in their dietician reviews in Mumbai about Foram Modi. All these factors contributes to make her a best dietician in Mumbai India.
