Makki nutritional value per 100g: calories, protein, fibre and GI

IFCT 2017 (ICMR-NIN) lists dry maize at 334 kcal of energy, 8.80 g of protein, 3.77 g of fat, 64.77 g of carbohydrate and 12.24 g of fibre per 100 g, plus the minerals in the table below; vitamin C is not reported for maize in the same tables. These are raw, edible-portion values, so they describe the dry grain and its flour, not a bowl of cooked maize, which carries water weight too. The table sets makki beside whole wheat and raw milled basmati rice, the two grains it is usually swapped with.

Per 100 g raw, edible portion. Composition: IFCT 2017 (ICMR-NIN). GI: University of Sydney GI database. — means not reported. These are average values for the food; the label on a pack gives the values for that product.

The per-portion numbers all start from the same dry weight. One katori of boiled maize starts from 40 g of dry grain and lands at 133.6 kcal with 25.9 g of carbohydrates, 3.5 g of protein, 1.5 g of fat and 4.9 g of fibre; one makki roti uses the same 40 g of flour, so its numbers match. Two rotis double the dry weight to 80 g: 267 kcal, 51.8 g of carbohydrates, 7 g of protein and 9.8 g of fibre. A cup of makki atta weighs 120 g and carries 401 kcal, 10.6 g of protein, 77.7 g of carbohydrates, 4.5 g of fat and 14.7 g of fibre.

Against whole wheat, maize carries less protein (8.80 g against 10.59 g) and less iron (2.49 mg against 3.97 mg), but more fibre (12.24 g against 11.23 g) and more magnesium (145 mg against 125 mg). Against raw milled basmati rice the fibre gap is the headline: 12.24 g against 2.81 g, about four times, while the calories are close (334 kcal against 357 kcal) and rice's 78.24 g of carbohydrate sits above maize's 64.77 g.

Fat tells the same story the other way round: maize carries 3.77 g per 100 g, more than wheat's 1.47 g and much more than rice's 0.52 g. Protein per 100 g puts maize between the two: below wheat's 10.59 g, above rice's 7.94 g. The maize benefits page ties each of these numbers to what it does.

Maize scores a GI of 73, which the University of Sydney puts in the high band (70 or above; low is 55 or below). The number comes from a single test, on maize grain steamed for 40 minutes, in South Korea, not India; the remaining maize entries in the database are porridges. So the 73 describes steamed grain, not makki roti, and a GI for the roti itself is not given here. For comparison, whole wheat is listed at 47, the mean of two India-tested entries, and raw milled basmati rice at 50, tested in India.

What follows from a high GI is portion and pairing, not a ban: the is makki good for diabetes page works through it, and the makki roti calories page gives the per-roti numbers.

Magnesium is makki's standout mineral at 145 mg per 100 g, ahead of whole wheat (125 mg) and far ahead of rice (19.30 mg); potassium sits at 291 mg, behind wheat's 366 mg but well ahead of rice's 108 mg. Iron is 2.49 mg (wheat 3.97 mg, rice 0.65 mg), zinc 2.27 mg (wheat 2.85 mg, rice 1.21 mg), calcium 8.91 mg (wheat 39.36 mg, rice 7.49 mg) and folate 25.81 mcg (wheat 30.09 mcg, rice 9.32 mcg). Sodium is low across the board: 4.44 mg for maize, 2.50 mg for wheat and 2.34 mg for rice.

One caveat before you count the minerals: cereals carry phytic acid, which NIN notes hinders the absorption of minerals, though boiling or pressure cooking cuts its concentration to a great extent; fermentation, soaking and germination reduce it too, per a 2015 review in the Journal of Food Science and Technology. Vitamin C is not reported for dry maize, so when iron matters to you, put a vitamin C rich side such as lemon or guava on the plate, as NIN advises for plant foods.

These values describe the whole grain and its whole flour; for the full 12.24 g of fibre, keep the whole stone-ground atta. COWBERRY's maize flour is stone-ground and naturally gluten-free, and the NHS names wheat, barley and rye as the gluten grains, not maize.

Cooking changes weight, not the totals: a katori of boiled maize soaks up water, so it weighs more than the dry 40 g it began from, while the 133.6 kcal stay. Eat it as the hand-patted makki ki roti or the roasted-and-steamed makki upma; the maize recipes roundup lists every dish, and the makki (maize) hub has names and storage.

Does maize have protein?

Yes, but a modest amount: 8.80 g per 100 g (IFCT 2017), a little above raw milled rice's 7.94 g and below whole wheat's 10.59 g. NIN's point still stands: good quality protein comes from pairing cereals with pulses (3:1) and animal foods such as milk, fish and flesh, so eat makki with dal or curd.

Does maize contain fibre?

Yes, and it is makki's strongest number: 12.24 g per 100 g (IFCT 2017), about four times raw milled rice's 2.81 g and a shade above whole wheat's 11.23 g. One katori or one roti (40 g dry) carries 4.9 g. NIN counts fibre as important for proper bowel function, and it adds to the satiety value.

Does maize contain sugar?

No sugar value is reported for dry maize in IFCT 2017, and its 64.77 g of carbohydrate per 100 g brings no added sugar of its own. Watch the toppings instead: ghee, butter and jaggery are what add to a roti.

Is makki good for weight loss?

It can fit inside a calorie deficit: one 40 g roti or katori is 133.6 kcal before any ghee, and its 4.9 g of fibre sits in the fibre-rich foods NIN credits with improving satiety. Ghee and the roti count decide the rest. The is makki good for weight loss page has the portions.

Can maize increase blood sugar?

It can, in the sense that any grain raises blood sugar after a meal; maize's GI of 73 (steamed grain, tested in South Korea) sits in the high band, and its carbohydrate count is 64.77 g per 100 g. Portion and pairing matter most: a measured roti with dal is a different meal from a third roti with extra ghee. The is makki good for diabetes page lays out portions and pairings.

Does makki atta have gluten?

No. Wheat, barley and rye are the grains the NHS points to for gluten, and maize is a different cereal entirely, so makki atta is naturally free of it. If you avoid gluten on medical grounds, still read every pack you buy.