One of the great urban myths is that birds that eat uncooked rice die because the rice expands in their stomachs. The reality is many wild birds feast on rice -- to the dismay of rice farmers -- and it is a perfectly fine carbohydrate for them to eat. But many wedding venues ban rice from being thrown into the air because of lawsuits from people slipping and falling on the grain. To keep legal eagles at bay and to offer birds a more nutritionally complete meal, toss dried millet into the air instead. It's inexpensive, a finer grade and a whole grain that all types of birds love to eat.
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