P. Karuppasamy ¹, S. Kanchana ¹, G. Hemalatha ¹, N. Muthukrishnan ¹

Affiliations
1 Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Home Science College and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Madurai - 625 104, IN

Abstract

Millets are small seeded annual cereal grains. These are very hardy crops and can be grown successfully in infertility lands. These crops are less prone to diseases and pests'. Millets are particularly low in phytic acid and rich in dietary fibre, iron, calcium and B-vitamins. It also contains higher proportion of unavailable carbohydrates and release of sugar from millet is low. Kodo millet and little millet are nutritionally superior to rice and wheat and provide cheap protein, minerals, vitamins and fibre and are rightly designated as nutritious cereals.

Full Text

     

P. Karuppasamy ¹, S. Kanchana ¹, G. Hemalatha ¹, N. Muthukrishnan ¹

Affiliations
1 Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Home Science College and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Madurai – 625104, IN

Abstract

Millets are small seeded annual cereal grains. These are very hardy crops and can be grown successfully in Infertility lands. These crops are less prone to diseases and pests. It is stable cereals like wheat and rice, some of them are even better with regard to average protein, fat and mineral contents. Millets are particularly low in phytic acid and rich in dietary fibre, iron, calcium and B-vitamins. It also contains higher proportion of unavailable carbohydrates and release of sugar from millet is low. Over the past three decades cultivation and production of nutritious cereals is decreasing significantly, because of poverty, shifting consumption pattern from a balanced diet, widespread prevalence of nutritional deficiencies and also low consumption of nutritious cereals. But in the last two decades, grain based snack and convenience foods market had witnessed a very rapid growth all over the world.

Full Text