Is Ragi Good For Diabetes?

One of the things that people often struggle with in diabetes is creating a diabetes diet plan which  includes foods that don’t increase your blood sugar levels.

And one of the popular myths is giving up atta and switching to multigrain flour or millet because it is believed to be higher in fiber content. So, let’s understand if this is really the case.

Read on to find out more about the nutritional value and glycemic score of ragi, understand the portion of ragi people with diabetes should add to their diet.

Find out if ragi is good for diabetes, the effect it can have on blood sugar levels and overall health, and if it has any benefits for people with diabetes.

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What is Ragi?

Ragi is also very commonly known as naachni, and in English, it is known as finger millet. The word ‘millet’ refers to a group of small and rounded whole grains.

Ragi is brown in color and can somewhat resemble whole mustard seeds. The ragi seeds can also be powdered or ground, to make ragi ka atta or ragi flour that you can easily use in different recipes.

Nutritional Value of Ragi

As per IFCT 2017, in a 100-gram serving of ragi, here are the nutritional elements that you can find:

Ragi Glycemic Index

The glycaemic index of ragi for diabetes or the GI score of ragi ranges between 54 and 68.

The glycaemic index of ragi preparation will depend on whether you are using ragi as a whole grain or whether you are using ragi in the atta form.

Ragi is on the medium scale of the glycaemic index score.

What are the Health Benefits of eating Ragi?

There are various health benefits of eating ragi.

1. Ragi is very high in fiber content, which means that it will help you feel full after consuming it. This can help prevent unhealthy hunger pangs and will help you stay feeling full till your next meal.
2. Ragi is also gluten-free and will work as a great food choice for those who are intolerant to gluten.
3. Ragi is rich in antioxidant levels. Which helps reduce oxidative stress in your body.
4. Ragi is rich in its content of magnesium and will also keep your heart healthy.
5. The amount of calcium found in ragi is good for bone health
6. Ragi is also a good source of vitamin B1 which is also known as thiamine.  And vitamin B3 or niacin which is good for the health of your skin.

Ways to Consume Ragi

Adding ragi for diabetes management could be both delicious and nutritious. Here are some food made with ragi to enjoy it:

• Ragi Dosa
• Ragi Porridge
• Ragi Roti
• Ragi Malt
• Ragi Cookies

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Healthy Recipes of Ragi for Diabetes

1. Ragi Onion Masala Dosa

Ingredients

• 1 cup ragi flour
• ¼ cup rice flour
• ¼ cup yogurt
• 1 chopped onion
• 1 chopped green chili
• 1 tablespoon coriander leaves
• Cooking oil
• ½ cup water
• Salt

Preparation Steps

Step 1: Mix ragi flour, rice flour, green chilies, yogurt, water, and salt. Let the batter rest for 30 minutes.

Step 2: Add onions and coriander leaves to the batter. Heat oil, add mustard seeds, then cumin and curry leaves, and mix into the batter.

Step 3: Pour batter onto a hot pan, cook until light brown, flip and cook the other side. Serve with potato curry.

2. Ragi Idli

Ingredients

• 1 cup idli rice
• ½ cup urad dal
• ¼ cup thick poha
• ¼ teaspoons methi seeds
• 1 cup ragi flour
• ⅓ cup water
• 1 teaspoon rock salt

Preparation Steps

Step 1: Soak urad dal and idli rice separately for hours.

Step 2: Grind urad dal, adding water to smooth.

Step 3: Mix ragi flour and soaked idli rava into urad dal batter and ferment for 8-10 hours.

Step 4: Add salt and cooking soda, then steam the batter as idlis.

3. Ragi Halwa

Ingredients

• 2 cups ragi flour
• 2 cups jaggery or coconut sugar
• 1 cup coconut oil or ghee
• ½ cup cashew
• 6 cardamom seeds (powdered)
• 4 cups water

Preparation Steps

Step 1: Saute cashews in ghee/coconut oil, set aside.

Step 2: Mix ragi flour with water to make a paste.

Step 3: Cook the paste with constant stirring, add jaggery/sugar and cardamom.

Step 4: Gradually add ghee/oil, keep stirring. Once it thickens, add cashews, cook till oil separates. Serve hot.

Is Ragi Good for Diabetes?

While eating whole grains or millet is overall good for people and may even aid in weight loss. But in the data that we have from the personalized glycemic response of thousands of members, has shown that ragi preparations lead to a spike in blood sugar levels.

Hence, ragi preparations should be used with caution after understanding how blood sugar behaves in that individual post consumption.

However, the only way to know if it is a healthy option for you and will not spike your blood sugar levels is to measure your blood glucose, two hours post consumption.

If you enroll in Fitterfly’s Diabetes Prime Program we first map your meals to your blood sugar levels to understand your PGR to different foods using a continuous glucose monitor device or a smart glucometer like AccuChek Instant.

You can however use a glucometer that you have available with you, just consume food, note down the food somewhere, and then take your blood sugar after 2 hours to see how your blood sugar is responding to that particular food. The same goes for ragi.

Also, while diet is an important part of diabetes management it is also essential to focus on other aspects such as exercise, stress, and sleep.

Fitterfly Diabetes Prime Program is comprehensive, clinically validated, and has proven outcomes. To learn more about the award-winning program that has helped 20K+ Indians manage their diabetes, call 08069450746 and talk to us today for a free consultation.