MILLET, grain, cooked
NDB No:     20032

MILLET is one of the oldest foods known to humans and possibly the first cereal grain to be used for domestic purposes. It is mentioned in the Bible, and was used during those times to make bread. Millet has been used in Africa and India as a staple food for thousands of years and it was grown as early as 2700 BC in China where it was the prevalent grain before rice became the dominant staple. It is documented that the plant was also grown by the lake dwellers of Switzerland during the Stone Age.

Millet is used in various cultures in many diverse ways: The Hunza’s —The Hunzas, who live in a remote area of the Himalayan foothills and are known for their excellent health and longevity also enjoy millet as a staple in their diet— use millet as a cereal, in soups, and for making a dense, whole grain bread called chapatti. In India flat thin cakes called roti are often made from millet flour and used as the basis for meals. In Eastern Europe millet is used in porridge and kasha, or is fermented into a beverage and in Africa it is used to make bread, as baby food, and as uji, a thin gruel used as breakfast porridge. It is also used as a stuffing ingredient for cabbage rolls in some countries.

Millet is tasty, with a mildly sweet, nut-like flavor and contains a myriad of beneficial nutrients. It is nearly 15% protein, contains high amounts of fiber, B-complex vitamins including niacin, thiamin, and riboflavin, the essential amino acid methionine, lecithin, and some vitamin E. It is particularly high in the minerals iron, magnesium, phosphorous, and potassium. Millet is the yellow, round seed in nearly all birdfeeds. It may be the first cultivated grain, preceding rice as a staple in China, India, and Africa. It is still commonly eaten in those areas and is making a comeback as a human food in Western countries. Of several types, pearl millet has the largest seeds and is most common. It is always whole-grain, and can be used like rice, in soups or to make bread. Relative to calories, millet contains adequate amounts of 24 out of 35 nutrients shown here, especially copper, manganese, phosphorus, magnesium, thiamin, niacin, and vitamin B6.

Nutrient Units 1.00 X 1 cup
-------
174g
Proximates
Water
g
124.25
Energy
kcal
207
Energy
kj
867
Protein
g
6.11
Total lipid (fat)
g
1.74
Ash
g
0.71
Carbohydrate, by difference
g
41.19
Fiber, total dietary
g
2.3
Sugars, total
g
0.23
Minerals
Calcium, Ca
mg
5
Iron, Fe
mg
1.10
Magnesium, Mg
mg
77
Phosphorus, P
mg
174
Potassium, K
mg
108
Sodium, Na
mg
3
Zinc, Zn
mg
1.58
Copper, Cu
mg
0.280
Manganese, Mn
mg
0.473
Selenium, Se
mcg
1.6
Vitamins
Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid
mg
0.0
Thiamin
mg
0.184
Riboflavin
mg
0.143
Niacin
mg
2.314
Pantothenic acid
mg
0.298
Vitamin B-6
mg
0.188
Folate, total
mcg
33
Folic acid
mcg
0
Folate, food
mcg
33
Folate, DFE
mcg_DFE
33
Vitamin B-12
mcg
0.00
Vitamin A, IU
IU
5
Vitamin A, RAE
mcg_RAE
0
Retinol
mcg
0
Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol)
mg
0.03
Vitamin K (phylloquinone)
mcg
0.5
Lipids
Fatty acids, total saturated
g
0.299
4:0
g
0.000
6:0
g
0.000
8:0
g
0.000
10:0
g
0.000
12:0
g
0.002
14:0
g
0.000
16:0
g
0.219
18:0
g
0.064
Fatty acids, total monounsaturated
g
0.320
16:1 undifferentiated
g
0.005
18:1 undifferentiated
g
0.306
20:1
g
0.009
22:1 undifferentiated
g
0.000
Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated
g
0.884
18:2 undifferentiated
g
0.835
18:3 undifferentiated
g
0.049
18:4
g
0.000
20:4 undifferentiated
g
0.000
20:5 n-3
g
0.000
22:5 n-3
g
0.000
22:6 n-3
g
0.000
Cholesterol
mg
0
Amino acids
Tryptophan
g
0.066
Threonine
g
0.197
Isoleucine
g
0.258
Leucine
g
0.776
Lysine
g
0.117
Methionine
g
0.122
Cystine
g
0.117
Phenylalanine
g
0.322
Tyrosine
g
0.188
Valine
g
0.320
Arginine
g
0.212
Histidine
g
0.130
Alanine
g
0.546
Aspartic acid
g
0.402
Glutamic acid
g
1.328
Glycine
g
0.160
Proline
g
0.485
Serine
g
0.357
Other
Alcohol, ethyl
g
0.0
Caffeine
mg
0
Theobromine
mg
0
Carotene, beta
mcg
3
Carotene, alpha
mcg
0
Cryptoxanthin, beta
mcg
0
Lycopene
mcg
0
Lutein + zeaxanthin
mcg
122
USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 16-1 (2004)