Are millets really the only grains you need?

While millets are great for you, blindly replacing the rice and wheat in your pantry with vast quantities of millets is inadvisable

- Preeti Zachariah

A tiny green millet sapling thrusts its way out of arid soil, then young grain sways in a gentle breeze as the voice-over on the minute-long video proclaims: "I may be small but I am strong." The video, released by the UN's Food and Agricultural Organization to mark 2023 as the International Year of the Millet, goes on to list the benefits of millets. "I want to share the benefits widely with all people and the planet," continues the voice. "But I cannot do it alone. So, bring me back to your table."

This promotional video, one among many recent fervid entreaties to consume more of these ancient grains, repeats the oft-touted narrative around millets: their ability to thrive in harsh conditions with little water, the nutrition benefits they offer, their great taste and versatility, their link to ancient food cultures and traditions. In all the boosting, what's often overlooked is the fact that millets need to be seen as a way to expand food diversity, rather than a super grain that has to immediately displace the more prevalent rice and wheat.

Millets are in the spotlight in India too. In January, Chandigarh launched the Millet Mission to promote consumption in schools, while Guyana offered 200 acres to India for millet production. On 20 December last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared on Twitter that he had enjoyed a sumptuous lunch of only millet dishes, including millet khichdi, ragi dosa, ragi roti, jowar roti and bajra-based desserts, at Parliament House.