This summer, choose Jowar for its cooling properties, Foxtail millet to aid digestion, and Ragi malt to stay hydrated.
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Millets are the ideal summer food, light, cooling, and nutrient-rich. Varieties like jowar, foxtail, barnyard, ragi, kodo, and little millet help maintain hydration, improve digestion, and prevent heat stress. Rich in fiber, protein, and minerals, they are gluten-free and versatile. Adding millets to your meals ensures better health and energy during hot weather.
As the temperature soars and the energy levels drop, the food you consume is as important as the water you drink.
Indigestible foods only add fuel to the Indian summer. Millets, which are light on the stomach, nutritious, and naturally suited for the hot season, may be the best decision you make this season.
Millets have the best body-cooling properties that help maintain the temperature balance of the body. They are rich in magnesium, iron, and potassium content, which help maintain the electrolyte balance of the body.
This ensures the levels of heat exhaustion and heat stroke do not rise. Millets have antioxidants that help prevent the ill effects of the sun.
Oxidative stress is a major factor in the premature aging of the skin. Millets help prevent this. Millets also have a high digestive capacity. Hot weather slows down the digestive system, leading to bloating.
A study published in Frontiers in Nutrition in 2024 found that millets have the highest content of vitamins, minerals, and bioactive compounds. The study also found that the regular consumption of millets shows a marked improvement in health.1
A separate review published in the Indian Journal of Community Medicine in 2024 mentioned: “Millets are three to five times more nutritious than commonly consumed cereals in terms of vitamin, fibre, protein, and mineral content, and are totally gluten-free.”2
Here are the millets that are perfect for summer, along with some easy tips on how to incorporate them into your daily meals.
There are few foods as perfectly adapted to the summer season as Jowar, or Sorghum, as it is known in English. Jowar is a cooling cereal, gluten-free, rich in antioxidants, and helps in digestion, rehydrates the body, and keeps the stomach light - all of which are perfect characteristics of a summer food.
It is rich in thiamine, folic acid, carotene, riboflavin, protein, and fiber, apart from adequate amounts of iron, zinc, and sodium, as well as potassium, phosphorus, and calcium.
Jowar is one of the most versatile millets in the kitchen - soft rotis, chilled salad, or light upma are all possible options, or simply try a bowl of Jowar porridge with a hint of jaggery on hot summer mornings.
Foxtail millet or Kangni in Hindi, is a summer-friendly grain that takes care of your digestion and energy levels. Foxtail millet is rich in vitamins, minerals, high dietary fiber, resistant starch and essential amino acids.
Foxtail millet is rich in dietary fiber and B vitamins, which can be particularly effective during the summer when digestion slows down. Because of its little glycaemic index the blood sugar remains constant preventing the famous afternoon-low energy you get in the summer heat.
Try using foxtail millet instead of rice in your meals. It cooks in a similar way as rice. A bowl of millet khichdi made with moong dal and mildly spiced with cumin and coriander makes for a summer lunch that is light and refreshing but filling.
Barnyard millet or sanwa are light, cooling and very underrated. They do not get attention as much as it deserves.
Known for being rich in fiber yet having a low glycemic index, this is one of the lightest millets in the pantry, just what you need when the temperature soars and appetite dips.
Barnyard millet lemon rice is a quick summer dish made with cooked millet, lemon juice, light spices and curry leaves. You can chill it and serve it as a grain salad, with steamed vegetables and a drizzle of olive oil.
Ragi is reputed to be warming in nature but prepared properly, it is one of the most cooling and hydrating foods you can have in summer. The traditional Indian beverage Ragi malt makes an excellent hydrating drink for the summer months.
Certain varieties of finger millet are exceptionally rich in calcium and iron which play a very important role to combat deficiencies. It also has amino acids to help your muscles stay healthy, something you need more of when you are sweating and losing electrolytes through the day.
A chilled glass of Ragi malt made with sprouted ragi flour, thin buttermilk or milk, jaggery, and cardamom is one of the most refreshing summer drinks you can find. Ragi dosas and idlis made by way of fermentation are equally light and good breakfast on hot mornings.
This is an essential summer food which presents itself as one of the least recognized grain types. Kodo millet provides essential minerals that enable the body to maintain equilibrium through shifting weather conditions.
The product acts as a natural cooling agent people can use for their summer meal plans. Kodo millet prepares light stir-fries, thin dosas, and soaked millet salads which promote both digestion and hydration.
The combination of Kodo millet with curd creates a dish that provides cooling effects while offering probiotic benefits and remaining gentle on digestion.
Kodo millet curd rice serves as a light summer meal that people can enjoy during lunch or dinner because of its simple preparation and satisfying taste.
Little Millet, also known by the names Moraiyo and Kutki, is the perfect grain for the kitchen, being subtle, easy to prepare, and easily digestible. Little Millet has 8.7% protein and amino acids like cysteine and methionine, along with micronutrients.
Salads are the perfect dish to prepare using little millet. Boil little millet, let it cool, and then mix it with chopped cucumber, tomatoes, coriander, lemon juice, and rock salt.
Keep the salad in the refrigerator for half an hour and then serve. This summer dish requires very little preparation time and tastes good.
To get the maximum health benefits from millets, the right grain should be consumed, but the method of preparation is also very important.
Soaking millets for at least 6-8 hours, preferably overnight, should be done before cooking. Fermenting millets works better during the summer season. The intake of millets should be restricted to 2-3 times a week.
Millets have maintained their effectiveness since ancient times. The Indian kitchen has used these grains during summer seasons for hundreds of years and scientific studies today confirm the traditional practices of our ancestors.
The summer period offers various millets which include Jowar with its cooling properties, Foxtail millet which aids digestion and Ragi malt which delivers hydration through its cold beverage. Begin your testing process by selecting one or two plant types that you should observe to see how your body reacts. You will likely decide to continue your current path.
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