I Can't Get Enough Of This Nutrient-Dense Grain — Here's How I Use It

If I were to pick one food realm that inspires me to broaden my dietary horizons the most, it would be ancient grains. From buckwheat to amaranth, these mighty plants have been a nutritious staple across the globe for millenniums, often providing a wealth of positive health benefits1 compared to modern grains. They are termed "ancient" because they've remained unchanged for thousands of years, implying they haven't been processed, hybridized, or genetically modified like other food groups such as wheat, maize, or rice. 

All ancient grains are whole grains, which, together with carbohydrates, protein, and fat, make them a compelling source of nutritional bioactives like fiber and even phytochemicals2. However, while ancient-grain consumption for overall health can be an optimal strategy, there's a beautifully simple but nourishing edible I just stumbled upon that utterly transformed my zeal for these grains. Enter: fonio!

Despite its far-reaching significance, high nutritional value3, and ancient heritage, research on fonio's functional properties4 and genetic diversity has been somewhat scant5. Today, widespread awareness and strong market demand for these ancient grains are rising due to their purported nutritional, environmental, and dietary diversification potential. For example, fonio was officially introduced in Europe as a novel food in 2018, to satisfy and amplify the market's interest in specialty, nutrient-conscious, and gluten-free products.

It's also a great source of plant-based amino acids—methionine and cystine—phytochemicals, magnesium, zinc, copper, and calcium5 (the United Nations Food & Agriculture Organization suggests that fonio has one of the highest calcium contents of all grains), to name a few. Unlike processed or refined grains, fonio is an easy-to-digest, low-glycemic grain with plenty of fiber.

While the following recipes call for quinoa, you can follow the method above to work some fonio magic, for an exciting swap: Lemon-Parmesan Quinoa, Quinoa Stuffed Peppers, Rainbow Grain Bowl, and Quinoa Breakfast Frittata.

Fonio is an easy-to-prepare, wonderful heritage grain with plenty of health and well-being perks. Because of its growing appeal, you can find fonio at many health food shops and online supermarkets nationwide, making it a convenient way to diversify your healthy eating regimen. Learning about the cultural, nutritional, and sustainable traits of fonio inspired me to deepen and embrace the plethora of nutrition gifts from Africa—I hope it does the same for you.