Millet porridge with banana and pasteurised milk

Name: Millet porridge with banana and pasteurised milk
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4 portions

Millet cooked in the familiar Nigerian porridge style and finished with pasteurised milk and sliced banana. A gentle breakfast providing carbohydrate, calcium, B vitamins and fibre.

Prep: 5 min
Cook: 20 min
Total: 25 min
Portions: 4

Easy
Pregnancy
Vegetarian
Budget-friendly
Calcium-containing
Fibre-rich
Quick and easy

Make this recipe

Portions

Ingredient quantities update automatically. Cooking times may need a little adjustment when you change the batch size.

Swap an ingredient

Only swaps that keep this recipe pregnancy-safe are offered. Allergen information below updates when you choose one.

Dairy-free alternative: use fortified pasteurised soya drink instead of pasteurised milk
Ingredient unavailable: use maize pap (ogi) instead of millet flour or fine millet grain

Ingredients

For 4 portions. Tick items as you go — nothing is changed for anyone else.

200 g millet flour or fine millet grain
800 ml water
400 ml pasteurised milk
2 medium bananas, washed, peeled and sliced
2 tsp dates or a little honey, optional, to taste
0.5 tsp ground cinnamon, optional

This recipe contains foods that can contribute to a varied and balanced diet during pregnancy.

Method

Step 1. Mix the millet with a little cold water to a smooth paste, as you would for pap.
Step 2. Bring the remaining water to the boil and whisk in the millet paste.
Step 3. Simmer gently for 12–15 minutes, stirring, until thick, smooth and fully cooked with no raw grain taste.
Step 4. Stir in the pasteurised milk and warm through for 2 minutes.
Step 5. Serve topped with the washed, sliced banana and a light sweetening if wanted.

Allergens for your selection

Contains: Milk

Ingredient brands and substitutions can change allergen content. Always check the labels on the products you buy.

Food safety

Wash all fruit, vegetables and leafy greens thoroughly in clean water before use.
Cook meat, chicken, fish and eggs thoroughly — no pink meat, no runny egg yolk or white.
Keep raw meat, chicken and fish away from cooked food, and use separate boards, knives and plates.
Cool leftovers quickly, refrigerate where power allows, and reheat once until piping hot throughout. If you cannot refrigerate safely, cook only what you will eat.
Use pasteurised milk and dairy products, and avoid raw or undercooked foods during pregnancy.
No meal can be described as completely risk-free. Guidance can differ — follow current Nigerian maternal-health advice or the advice of your midwife, doctor or antenatal clinic.
Dairy here is pasteurised and used in sensible portions. A single recipe does not meet all of the calcium needed in pregnancy; aim for a varied diet across the day, using local alternatives such as tinned fish with soft bones, ugu and other green leaves, or groundnuts where dairy is not available.
Milder in flavour and easy to eat in small amounts when appetite is reduced or you feel tired. Serve half and keep the rest chilled if a full plate feels like too much, and leave out stronger spices, ginger or crayfish if smells are difficult. This recipe is not a treatment for sickness in pregnancy; if you cannot keep food or fluids down, contact your antenatal clinic.

Allergens

Contains: Milk

Ingredient brands and substitutions can change allergen content. Always check the labels on the products you buy.

Sources

Food-based dietary guidelines for Nigeria — Federal Ministry of Health, Nigeria and FAO, reviewed 4 September 2026
WHO recommendations on antenatal care for a positive pregnancy experience — World Health Organization, reviewed 4 September 2026
Healthy diet — World Health Organization, reviewed 4 September 2026