Millet is a family of crops that have been widely grown around the world for several thousand years. They can be grown in areas that are at risk of drought. India is the world's top producer of millet. Eight of the top ten countries in the world in terms of millet production are in Africa. China is the only other Asian country apart from India, in the top ten.
Millet provides 11% protein by weight, almost like wheat. Millet varieties are rich in niacin, B6, folic acid, calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, and zinc.
Millet can be cooked and eaten like other grains. Millet flour is used to make flat bread. Millets contain no gluten and are not suitable for raised bread. Some varieties of millet are used as fodder for animals or as bird-feed. Alcoholic drinks are also brewed using Millet in some countries. Millet is an interesting grain to incorporate into your diet.
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Millet is Great and Gluten Free
Puffed Rice Salad
This is a fusion dish that literally takes 15 minutes to make.
Puffed rice is called "pori" in Tamil and also "muri" or "moodi" in some parts of North India. The most popular dish made with puffed rice as a primary ingredient is the bhel puri. It is a popular Indian snack or "chaat" available in Indian restaurants. The typical bhel puri is extremely spicy and cannot be substituted for a meal. It is an appetizer. I have concoted a recipe that borrows its roots from bhel puri but deviates significantly to provide a healthier alternative that can easily be incorporated for a quick lunch or dinner.
Puffed rice is made by heating rice kernels under high pressure. It is essentially to rice what popcorn is to corn.
Ingredients
4 cups of puffed rice
1 cup of diced tomato
1/3 cup of diced onions
1 cup of chick peas (either from a can or already cooked)
1/3 cup of boiled peas
2 cups of diced boiled potatoes
1 cup chopped romaine lettuce
1/3 cup of chopped cilantro leaves (coriander leaves)
1 Tbl spoon seasame oil or mustard oil
1/2 spoon of turmeric powder
2 Tbl spoons of tamarind paste
1/3 spoon of paprika or red chilli powder (less or more as desired by your taste)
a tinge of salt (to taste)
a tinge of black pepper (to taste)
1 spoon of lime juice (or squeeze one fresh lime)
1 Tbl spoon peanuts
1/2 cup of sev or madras mixture (spicy)
Add all the ingredients into a large salad mixing bowl. Mix it really well with a ladle. Serves 2 people.
The Vegetarian Pyramid
The Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, an organization of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, was established in 1994 to improve the nutrition and well-being of Americans. One of the primary objectives of the Center is to advance and promote dietary guidance for all Americans.
In order to support its objectives, the Center (USDA) launched multiple products including the MyPyramid Food Guidance System in April 2005. This is supposed to replace the original Food Guide Pyramid that we have all been accustomed to seeing plastered everywhere and had been so out-dated. The MyPyramid Guidance System acknowledges that one size does not fit all. MyPyramid offers personalized eating plans and interactive tools to help one plan and assess ones food choices based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
I am happy to note that Vegetarians have been given acknowledgement as well as inclusion. They even have a "10 tips" for following a vegetarian diet. Here is the main link to MyPyramid. In a series of future articles, I will summarize, paraphrase and present in simple terms how vegetarians can adopt relevant guidelines from the MyPyramid system.
I am now "officially" a supporter by including their picture below :-) The things I do for the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion!!
Hey Flexitarians - Something is Better than Nothing
I am coming across droves of people who label themselves as Flexitarian. They try to follow a mostly vegetarian diet but occassionally eat meat. There is no specific pattern to their eating habits or diet. There is also no real inclusion or exclusion criteria to the kinds if meat they eat. Some of them limit the number of meals with meat every week. Others limit the type of meat they eat.
I am always happy to see anyone making an attempt to get on a vegetarian diet. So Flexitarians, here's hoping to see more and more of you slowly become completely vegetarian. So, whether it is health reasons, environmental reasons, avoiding cruelty to animals, reducing your carbon footprint, religious reasons, whatever be the case, any step you take towards becoming a vegetarian eventually is great.
I would be curious to know from Flexitarians that read this article, what are your reasons. I have been a vegetarian all my life and it is difficult for me to imagine being anything else.
Vegetarians do not have to fish for Omega-3
Vegetarians can get sufficient quantity of Omega-3 in their diet without having to eat fish. While there are plenty of ALA sources, the EPA and DHA sources are not that many. Flaxseed, flaxseed oil, and Walnut provide a good source of ALA. Broccoli, cabbage, and Tofu also are good sources of ALA. ALA is converted to DHA and EPA in the body. The conversion rate is not that high. Consuming very large amounts of Omega-6 in proportion to Omega-3 can hinder the conversion. Certain fish provide a good source of EPA and DHA. For vegetarians, that does not do any good.
Most people, especially vegetarians, get more Omega-6 than Omega-3. It is important to balance the ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3. There are DHA supplements derived from algae. Most supplements that advertise EPA and DHA, derive that from fish as the primary source. So, please check the supplement details and ensure that the source is from algae and not from fish.
Welcome to booaah!
If you are already here reading this blog, I am sure you must be wondering about the name "booaah". The word was coined by my daughter when she was 1.5 years old to denote something to drink. The word stuck and we use that word in my family even today to denote a drink. The word is pronounced boo'aah.
I wanted to share with everyone my experiences of being a life-long vegetarian, cuisines, exotic places, diets, cooking tips, health tips, recipes, and anything else that would make us all healthy, wealthy and wise. After all, Health is Wealth. I will poll the audiences from time to time on various topics. I am also open to suggestions on what the audience would like me to cover in a particular post.
In addition to being a life-long vegetarian, I have traveled extensively all over the United States as well as Europe and India. I have managed to stay vegetarian through all my travels and living in different countries. I have also managed to devise interesting recipes with a fusion of multi-ethnic cuisines. I wanted to share the information I possess through this blog.
Here's to Your Health!
Cheers,
- Venkat
