PM Modi inaugurates global conference on millets or ‘Shree Anna’: ‘High-fibre foods for personal, global health’

Counting the benefits of millets, also called 'superfood', PM Modi said, "Millets can be grown easily in adverse climatic conditions and without chemicals and fertilisers."

Millets have a lot of benefits (Source: Pixabay)

The International Year of Millet 2023 is all about bringing millets to the forefront and establishing India as the global hub for millets. Speaking about the numerous benefits of including millets in one’s diet as not just a way to regulate food habits but to conserve water, resources, chemical-free produce, and more agricultural produce for the farmers, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said ‘Shree Anna’ is the way ahead. At the inaugural edition of a two-day global conference on millets, PM Modi spoke about how millets are also considered to be “high-fibre foods” which are effective for health — “personal and global health”.

Hon’ble PM Shri Narendra Modi launches the book “Shree Anna – A Holistic Overview” during the Global Millets (Shree Anna) Conference today. Along with standards on millets prepared by FSSAI, the book gives users an overview on various types of millets available in India,(1/2) pic.twitter.com/vK4KWi7gwe

— FSSAI (@fssaiindia) March 18, 2023

He also mentioned that India is “continuously working to promote millets or ‘Shree Anna’ as a global movement”. Counting the benefits of millets, also called superfood, PM Modi said, “Millets can be grown easily in adverse climatic conditions and without chemicals and fertilisers.”

PM Modi inaugurated Global Conference on millets (Source: FSSAI/Twitter)

As part of the conference in the national capital, a customised postal stamp, a book, as well as a commemorative currency coin were released to mark the IYM.

their health benefits and nutritional composition.#IYM2023 #ShreeAnna #AmritMahotsav @PMOIndia @narendramodi @AgriGoI @MoHFW_INDIA @IYM2023 @amritmahotsav @CIIEvents @cii_face pic.twitter.com/nqxIEVltdP

— FSSAI (@fssaiindia) March 18, 2023

To recall, on March 5, 2021, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) declared 2023 as the International Year of Millets (IYM), accepting India’s proposal. Through this declaration, the United Nations General Assembly aims to elevate awareness of nutri-cereals (millets) for food security and nutrition, enhance investment in research and development, and inspire stakeholders towards improving production, productivity and quality of millets.

Also Read | This year, start your millet journey with this easy millet paratha

How are millets beneficial for your health?

Ragi, jowar, and bajra are three millets that have been consumed by Indian households for many generations.

“The super grains are rich in fibre, protein, and carbs. In actuality, ragi has three times as much calcium as any other cereal. Jowar, on the other hand, is a gluten-free grain and has around three to four times as many antioxidants as other whole grains, making it a powerful immunity booster,” shared Shauravi Malik, co-founder, Wholsum Foods Pvt Ltd.

Taking a cue from PM Modi’s emphasis on millets as high-fibre food, registered dietitian Garima Goyal described that among all the millets, finger millet or nachni has the highest fibre content which is 15-20 per cent of total kilo calories.

“Insoluble fibre is undigested and adds bulk to your stool, thus helping with constipation. A diet rich in fibre also helps in reducing cholesterol and reduces the risk of colon cancer. Millets in your meal also help with good glycemic control. Again, the fibre in them ensures better satiety, thus great for weight loss plans,” Goyal told indianexpress.com.

How to begin adding them to your diet

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Since millets contain a good amount of undigested fibre, “some may feel gassy or bloated”, Goyal warned. “So if millets are not part of your regular diet, you can begin by adding small portions of it in your meal and work your way up,” she added.

Sharing that millets as “convenient and easy-to-cook super-grain” that have made their way back onto our plates, Meghana Narayan, co-founder, Wholsum Foods Pvt Ltd) (maker of millet-based food brands Slurrp Farm and Millé) told indianexpress.com, “We also think that there is a subtle but steady shift among parents towards finding wholesome, natural foods for their kids that are also easy for them to prepare in the midst of their hectic schedules.”

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