Healthy food
Healthy food
Finger millet (Eleusine coracana) is a traditional grain that is popular in sri lanka because of its nutritional value. It is called kurakkan in Sinhala and tamil. vitamin B,iron and calcium are all present in abundance in finger millet .it is also rich in dietary fibre and helps in esay digestion. therefore it is an excellent remedy for constipation as it acts as a natural laxative. it is low in fat content but rich in carbohydrates which makes it good for people who are overweight. the digestion process of finger millet is slow and there fore helps in keeping the blood sugar at the low level. As a result , it has become a favourite food among diabetic patients. This wholesome grain is made in to porridge, idli, pittu, rotti, hoppers and bread in various regions. It is increasingly becoming popular as a bakery product and recently its demand has increased considerably as people have become aware of its Health benefits. Organically grown finger millet is Healthier and safer to eat as there are no harmful chemicals used in growing it.
In sri lanka it is grown in anuradapura, kegalle maneragala, kambantota, ratnapura, nuwaraeliya, Ampara, Badulla and Jaffna districts. It ia a hardy crop that is well adapted to arid highland areas in Africa and Asia. The crop is now grown on a larger scale in india . it grows best in an environment with medium rainfall, an annal temperature range of 110c to 270c and a soil of pH range of 5.0 to 8.2. it a crop that has great potential if promoted as a healthy food.
