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Maize meal

Posted by Unknown Saturday, February 2, 2013 0 comments


 Maize meal (preferably yellow or un sifted)

This staple food of Africa powers South Africa, because it's so rich in energy. Energy deficiency is still one of the most crucial unmet needs for the bulk of our citizens.
Nowadays, by government decree, all maize meal has to be fortified with eight vital nutrients. The vitamins A, B1 and B2, niacin, folic acid and pyridoxine, plus the minerals iron and zinc, are added to maize meal to ensure that deficiencies of these nutrients can be prevented.
Go for yellow or unsifted maize meal, because they respectively have a higher vitamin A and dietary fibre content. "Pap", as it's affectionately known, can be served ‘slap’ (with a thin consistency), medium or “stywepap”, and is delicious with the tomato, onion and chilli sauce we all love, or with the addition of vegetables and cooked or canned legumes.

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Finger Millet(kuracan)

Posted by Unknown Saturday, December 1, 2012 0 comments

Finger millet (koracan) for healthy life


Food is essential for life, but 'good food' help  you to live healthier for longer. This is why most of us try to focus on eating healthy rather then eating just any type of  food that come  our way.
    Due to this interest that grew through the decades, quite a number of  foods have  come to the limelight, each promising healthier, more nutritious and tastier meal option   then any before.out of these, none may have  been more controversial and more debated about then "finger millet,"   which is scientifically known as  Eleusine coracana as a local name it, kuracan.
             finger millet belongs to a group of cereal which bearing smaller seeds then either rice or wheat and well adapted to harsh environmental conditions such as droughts and higher elevations.
                   It is consumed as the staple by people all over the world especially in Africa and Asia.
    Al thought it is not the sri Lanka staples, from people from ancient Ceylon(our ancestor-veddas) until this very day consumed it knowing little about all its nutritional benefits.
              This crop needs minimal fertilizer or water to grow and seeds be stored for years with out any insert, microbial or mold damage.
             Interestingly, a large number of gains  and as finger millet is often inter-cropped with legumes such as peanut,cow-pea etc. this cereal is a cheaper and  highly affordable option for even the poorer segment of a population.
               when you consider the nutritional  value of the finger millet  grain, it is well recognized for its high content of minerals, vitamins,fiber and some beneficial chemical compound


 Nutritional value of Finger Miller per 100 g 
Protein 7.6 g
Fat 1.5 g
Carbohydrate 88 g
Calcium 370 mg
Vitamins - A: 0.48 mg
Thiamine (B 1): 0.33 mg
Riboflavin (B 2): 0.11 mg
Niacin: 1.2 mg
Fiber 3 g
   It is also a rich source of certain essential amino acid when compared with other starchy food like cassava, polished rice, maize meal etc. 
      finger millet also carry a large pool of minerals including iron, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, calcium and manganese  and has the claim to highest calcium content among most other food grains.
 This high content of calcium helps maintain healthy bones, free of fractures and other disorders.

In addition, the remarkable  high  iron content in the grain exerts protection against anaemic condition.
  it has a considerably lower fat con tent  compared to  other cereals. Due to its impressive ability to lower body cholesterol  level, certain  cholesterol based disease

1 Heart disease 
2 Obesity
3 stroke 
                    Can be kept under control. most research findings reveal that it  is a good alternative to starchy  food  for individuals suffering from diabetes  This benefit is due to the high content of fiber in finger millet. 
  the cereal also help its eater feel full with mineral  increase of blood sugar level then when the same amount of rice and wheat is consumed. Hence, the properties of blood sugar regulation shown by finger millet are not to be underestimated or overlooked.
        In-corporation of finger millet to the diet regularly will also help shield the consumer against several other diseases including high blood pressure, arthritis rheumatism, stomach disorder heart disease and even cancer.
                    As revealed by different studies , one of the chemical compound present in the finger millet grain called nitriloside, is efficient in curing different  cancers like breast, prostate, lung, skin and colon cancer  when used to pre from a therapy under  the same name as compound.
                    This therapy has the added benefit of being free from harmful side-effect.
       The ways of  preparations of finger millet various from region to region. it is  familiar  for Sri Lankans  in its  grounded  from where  it servers the purpose of beings lour that can be used to prepare thlapa, bread, puddings,  porridge and flat breads which include rotti, chapatti.
               Al thought not a familiar practices in sri lanka, a most common conservation  in  other countries is the fermentation  of finger millet  to make drink such  as opaque beer and toddy  and these server as good source of energy  and are highly nutritious
          The nutritional value of the finger millet grain change with its preparation method; milling removes nutrients to same extent with the  removal of the seed's  outer parts  while other cooking
practices such as streaming,pressure-cooking,flaking,puffing or microwaving improves the nutritional quality and digestibility of the grain .
          It also important to note that iron absorption levels in the body elevates after consumption of the properly prepared finger millet porridge.
          Coincidentally,there can be certain harmful or inferior substance present in the grain which can effect good health unfavorably.
          Most of this harmful stuff is produced in the grain with microbial growth, spoilage and the exposure to  harsh environmental conditions.  some of these factors can even interfere with mineral absorption in the body.  however, the adverse  effect mentioned are only  report in cases where the consumption of such as spoil t finger millet is of bulk quantities
          As a whole, finger millet can be recognized as one of the most nutritive cereals that appear on a menu and taking the conscious choice of incorporating it  into the day to day meals with proper  processing will enable of a healthier, longer and fuller life.

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