This Gluten-Free Ancient Grain Is the Fiber-Rich Ingredient You Didn’t Know Your Yogurt Needed

Photo: Stocksy/Natasa Mandic
Dairy-based yogurts have had to learn to play nice and share their space on store shelves with new (and super trendy) plant-based options, including varieties made from nuts, coconuts, peas—you name it. But if you haven't yet whipped up a bowl of probiotic goodness using a certain grain, you're seriously missing out. Don't worry, though, one health pro has you covered with an all-star tip that'll make you wonder how you survived so long without millet in your life every single day.

Sarah Britton, the holistic nutritionist and blogger behind My New Roots, posted an Instagram story of a discovery she made: Millet, a super-nutritious ancient grain, makes for a pretty mean yogurt. "I'm so stoked. I made tzatziki, except the yogurt is vegan, and it's made from cashews and...wait for it...millet. That's right—yogurt made out of the humble millet grain," she says.

Though Britton did not share an exact recipe, I imagine it involves soaking the cashews and millet in a bowl of water overnight—just as you would when making cashew milk—and then blending the mixture with probiotic supplements, like in this easy recipe from Simple Vegan Blog.

The surprising gluten-free grain one food blogger uses to make creamy vegan yogurt
Photo: Instagram/@mynewroots

But, what's so great about millet, anyway? Well, not only is it gluten-free, but it also contains an out-of-this-world 22 grams of protein per cup—in comparison, milk has just 8 grams for the same amount—and it's loaded with fiber and iron, among many other nutrients and minerals. Plus, it's considered one of the oldest human foods in existence, and it can be ground into a flour to be used in baking or even cooked as a side, similar to rice or quinoa.

If you want to get your hands on it to experiment with your own vegan yogurt concoction, you're in luck: Today it's so readily available that you can buy it on Amazon. It'll join the ranks of your pantry staples in no time.

Craving lobster rolls? Here's how to make it the vegan way. Or, find out the best plant-based restaurants in every state.

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