Two Mom-Entrepreneurs That Put Millets Back on Indian Tables & Made Them Irresistible

This article is sponsored by Wholsum Foods

Early mornings in every household with young kids start almost the same way. A parent is standing in the kitchen, awake before the rest of the house, wondering what breakfast their kids will eat today. 

Think back to your childhood kitchen. Warm, familiar smells, the soft clatter of pots and pans, the sight of your mother standing by the stove, flipping rotis or stirring a simmering pot of porridge. 

And if you looked closely, you’d see the small, secret acts of care. A handful of ragi flour mixed into the dough, finely chopped greens disappearing into your paratha, a quiet hope in her eyes that today, just today, you wouldn’t notice.

But kids have a way of spotting the extra greens tucked into their parathas or the “secret” goodness blended into their milk. What excites them instead? The bright, processed snacks that promise taste but not much else. 

Why does eating well always have to feel like a struggle? 

Why does “healthy” so often mean something that looks and tastes like a compromise?

These were the very questions Shauravi Malik and Meghana Narayan kept asking themselves as mothers. They weren’t just searching for nutritious options; they wanted food that their kids actually wanted to eat. But store shelves were filled with choices that were either wholesome or delicious, never both.

So, they rolled up their sleeves and got to work. Their own kitchens became test labs, their toughest critics were their own kids, and every experiment was driven by one goal: to create food that was as nourishing as it was tasty. 

That’s how Wholsum Foods was born. It is a brand built on the belief that food should be tasty and nutritious! 

Under Wholsum Foods, two purpose-driven brands are changing how India eats.

With Slurrp Farm, families have access to over 55 millet-based, zero-junk products, from fun snacks for kids to pancakes, noodles, and cookies even grown-ups love.

Mille builds on the same idea for adults, with 17 wholesome products made from ancient grains, lentils, and legumes. These include high-protein pancakes, oatmeal, no-maida noodles, and more.

If their kids won’t eat it, they won’t feed it to anyone else

“We wanted to change the narrative of ‘if it’s too healthy, it won’t be tasty,’” says Shauravi, co-founder of Wholsum Foods. Finding the right balance took over a year. “If it’s only healthy and not tasty, kids won’t ask for it again, and parents will have to force-feed it,” she explains.

So, they tested recipes with 200 kids, taking their brutally honest feedback. The breakthrough came when a Slurrp Farm mom shared that she was grinding their cereals to make pancakes, leading to their first hit: millet pancakes and dosas.

For parents like Megha BK, a mother of twins, that trust is key. “I introduced Slurrp Farm through pancakes, and now my kids ask for them all the time.”

Not just for kids — Wholsum Foods is winning over adults too

At first, it was all about the kids. But as parents cooked up Slurrp Farm pancakes and mixed millet dosas, they found themselves taking a bite... then another. Before they knew it, they weren’t just making it for their children; they were reaching for it themselves!

“We noticed that parents were also consuming Slurrp Farm products, which were originally meant for their children,” shares Shauravi.

This simple observation led to a bigger realisation! Adults were struggling just as much to find genuinely nutritious, wholesome food. 

Busy schedules meant most people didn’t have the time to cook balanced meals from scratch. Instead, they relied on products that promised nutrition but often fell short.

 “When people eat unbalanced food, they’re just satisfying hunger, not actually getting the nutrients their bodies need,” explains Dr. Vidya Poonacha Taneja, a pediatrician with a special interest in the nutritional needs of children at Rainbow Hospitals. This growing gap in adult nutrition is contributing to serious health concerns.

So, in 2023, Mille was born. 

It was designed to nourish adults with the same care and integrity as Slurrp Farm does for children. By combining protein-packed lentils, legumes, and nutrient-rich millets, Mille offers an easy, convenient way to eat better.

For Harman Chawla, 25, from New Delhi, Mille has been a game-changer. “I’ve been using it since 2024, and it’s not just convenient and tasty, but it also takes care of my daily nutritional needs.”

And for many, the benefits go beyond just convenience. “My dad is diabetic, and when he tried Mille, he noticed a slight drop in his sugar levels,” shares Harman. “That’s when I realised that it’s the millets.” 

With lower glycemic index levels and fewer empty calories, millets naturally support weight management and better blood sugar control. But there’s something even more remarkable about millets. Beyond just being a better alternative to refined grains, they hold the key to solving one of India’s most pressing nutrition challenges: protein deficiency.

A recent study found that more than two-thirds of households across India consume less protein than recommended. 

While protein-rich foods are often associated with meat, dairy, or expensive supplements, there’s a simple, homegrown solution: millets.

“Millets naturally have better sources of protein and fiber. If you take regular cereal, it has 9g of protein per 100g, but millet cereals have 10g for the same amount,” explains Dr. Vidya.

Slurrp Farm and Mille have built their foundation on these nutrient-rich grains, helping families across India rediscover the power of millets.

“Many years ago, when I started my practice in Delhi, parents weren’t aware of feeding ragi to their children. Now, many parents in my practice are aware of the nutritional benefits of ragi and other millets and of not giving their children food with preservatives, and that’s the change this brand has brought,” says Dr. Vidya.

Beyond personal health, millets are also a win for the planet. Wholsum Foods has used around 462.78 tonnes of millet to manufacture their products, saving over 777,470 kilolitres of water by replacing rice and wheat. By welcoming millets back into our meals, we’re nourishing ourselves while supporting a food system that values both people and the earth.

Bringing back the way India used to eat

Before packaged food took over kitchen shelves, Indian households relied on meals made from whole, unprocessed ingredients. These foods nourished the family without preservatives, artificial flavours, or unnecessary additives. 

That’s the kind of eating Wholsum Foods wants to bring back.

“I once asked my grandmother what a week of her meals looked like,” Shauravi recalls. “Her answers were fascinating. Sugar was a rare luxury, and everything she ate was made from whole, seasonal ingredients. But by the time I was growing up, white sugar had become the norm."

She continues, "Now, jaggery, the very thing she ate every day, is more expensive than refined sugar. We’ve seen food trends shift in just one generation, yet what’s truly good for us has remained the same.”

This belief is at the heart of Wholsum Foods.

They are committed to undoing decades of convenience-driven eating that have distanced families from real nutrition.

“If we can positively impact even 10 million children in India, we’re on the right path,” Shauravi says. Every time a child reaches for a millet cookie instead of a processed snack or a family chooses whole grains over refined ones, that vision moves closer to reality.

Edited by Leila Badyari Castelino; All images courtesy Wholsum Foods