Recently  Honourable PM has rightly emphasised the importance of millets to raise the nutrition quotient of Indian diets,  address malnutrition & burden of chronic health health  issues among Indians & also to protect the environment & promote diversity. Millets are highly nutritious , hypoallergenic, traditional grains.

One key feature of millets is that they Enhance nutrient absorption:

This is an important aspect of millets & introduction in Indian diets can be a path breaking step to eradicate hidden hunger & the colossal  burden of malnutrition in India . Malabsorption of iron , vitamin B12 & other nutrients is one of the the root causes underlying nutrient deficiencies in our population.One of the main reasons for the failure of several programmes to eradicate anemia & PEM is that wheat related disorders & gut health has been overlooked . Changing staples can be game changer in changing the health of our population.

For example Teff also called finger millet is the staple food in Ethiopia. It has a lower content iron content compared to wheat the indian staple . Yet Ethiopian’s  have lower prevalence of anemia compared with Indian population. . Clearly there are  benefits in millet consumption

The spotlight on millets  also comes in the wake of increase in food allergies & increased diagnosis of wheat and gluten sensitivity among the public . Their  use as alternatives grains is also growing rapidly in the food industry.

Replacing wheat & corn with millets in Govt Programs & midday meals can surely alleviate not only malnutrition & stunting but anaemia & diarrhoea among children in India .

9. Thanks to our prime minister’s efforts & the & the UN declaration of 2023 as the year of millets,  the traditions of eating these forgotten grains should be  revived & millets must  re-occupy their rightful place in our diets.

It will require  consumers, food manufacturers and other stakeholders to come together to bring millets back to our kitchens .

There is a need to spark conversations ,  change attitudes about nutrition & revisit current guidelines. Addressing root cause of malnutrition is critical .

This is a sure step in the right direction !