Foxtail millet (Setaria italica (L.) P. Beauv.) is popular for its medicinal and edible properties and is an important strategic reserve crop for future complex climates. In this study, the genetic diversity of 5 representative foxtail millet genotypes released from the 1970s to the 2020s was examined for their appearance quality, nutritional quality, amino acid contents, culinary quality and aroma profiles. The trend of these indicators over the 60 years of cultivar release was revealed. The results revealed that the genetic gains of b*, yellow pigment content (YPC), breakdown viscosity (BD), setback viscosity (SB), and consistency (CS) were 0.45 %, 0.93 %, 0.34 %, -1.97 %, and - 0.68 %, respectively. The replacement of foxtail millet cultivars improved their appearance quality, culinary quality, and aroma and decreased their nutritional quality. Overall, a compensation effect exists between nutritional quality and organoleptic quality. The transitional foxtail millet variety has advantages over both the old varieties and modern varieties. Therefore, breeders need to focus on improving the nutritional quality of foxtail millet and utilize the quality advantages of the transitional variety in the future.