There are many substitutes for white flour – which nutritionally don’t offer much. In any case, a healthy diet should include a variety of cereals, as each has something different of value for us.

Some foods were not as famous today as they were in ancient times. Especially in the cereal category, the list of options 1-2 decades ago was very small. Now many formerly under appreciated cereals, such as millet – ‘kechri’ in Greek – are available as an additional option in our daily diet.

In ancient Greece, millet was known being used to make a special bread with aromatic herbs. Hippocrates and Theophrastus recognized it as a therapeutic food, or as modern marketing says today, a functional food. It is a food that offers properties from beneficial to therapeutic. Together with thyme, oregano, and anise, it is at  pinnacle of offerings both for taste and beneficial properties. Its protein content (11%) is perhaps millet’s strongest asset. In second place comes its fiber content (up to 38%!). Additionally, it is rich in B vitamins, folic acid, calcium, magnesium, niacin, and iron.

It can be consumed raw in various recipes or cooked. Enjoy your meal!

* The above is not medical advice but mere suggestions for improving your diet. Before reach herbal use you should consult your doctor, especially those who have health issues, are pregnant or are under the age of 6.

 Evropi-Sofia Dalampira holds a PhD in Agricultural Economics, MSc in Botany-Biology and MSc in Horticulture & Viticulture.