Teff Flour: What Is It And What Are Its Qualities?

Teff flour has been widely studied due to its nutritional value. For this reason, it is currently recommended as an alternative to refined flours. Do you dare to try it?

Would you like to consume homemade bread and pastries without giving up on a healthy diet? This is possible thanks to teff flour. With this type of flour, you can make a large number of recipes and delicious pastries , even if you are on a diet for weight loss, if you are an athlete or just like to take care of your diet.

For this reason, we want to explain to you what this ingredient is, how it works and in what kind of preparations it can be used. Remember that although it is a healthier option than wheat flour, the basis of the diet is variety and the right distribution of nutrients.

What is teff flour?

Teff flour comes from a grain of fairly small size and brown in hue that originated in Ethiopia. Its appearance and nutritional content is similar to quinoa, providing a sweet, toasty aroma. This type of grain has been cultivated for more than 5000 years.

Ethiopians often use it to make the typical artisan bread cakes used as the basis for other foods and dishes typical of the territory. Lately, the consumption of this type of grain is increasing because of the great benefits that its consumption brings, and which are reflected in a survey published in the journal Food Chemistry.

It is often eaten in breads, muffins and pastries. Another option is to consume it in vegetable creams, thick stews or with milk, replacing our usual cereals.

Likewise, it should be noted that its cultivation is very environmentally friendly, since its production can be done under different climatic conditions, even in dry or very wet soils.

Its cultivation time is relatively short, during which it is possible to obtain a large proportion of food for humans and animals. Therefore, its environmental impact is low and its production safe and sustainable over time.

Nutritional qualities of teff

As a publication in Plants Foods for Human Nutrition proves, teff can help you get good quality carbohydrates, along with high biological value protein. These contain almost all of the essential amino acids, especially lysine. In addition, teff flour has a high fiber content and a high number of micronutrients.

Considering its great nutritional value, teff can help you enrich your diet, especially if you eat vegan and don’t consume dairy products, as you can get good quality protein and calcium in adequate proportions. It is also suitable for celiacs because it is gluten-free.

In teff, its plant-derived iron and calcium content stands out, as research published in Economic Botanic indicates. With its high content of iron and some B-complex vitamins, it can help prevent anemia.

Plus, it provides a high proportion of fiber and resistant starch, which can help control blood sugar. In this way, the risk of diabetes and of developing other types of complex pathologies is reduced.

It is a whole grain cereal whose small grain gives rise to a flour that includes germ and bran. It contains a variety of compounds beneficial to the body such as prebiotics, phytochemicals, and antioxidants. These, according to the studies cited, can help prevent metabolic diseases such as:

• Diabetes mellitus.
• Heart disease
• Vascular problems
• Overweight and obesity.
• Dyslipidemias.
• Hypertension.

Nutritional value of teff

So that you know its nutritional value per 100 g of its consumption:

• Energy value: 330 kcal
• Carbohydrates: 65.4 g
• Protein: 13.3 g
• Fiber: 7.9 g
• Fat: 2.1 g
• Saturated: 0.7 mg
• Calcium: 170 mg
• Iron: 5.4 mg
• Potassium: 480 mg
• Vitamin C: 0.2 mg
• Copper: 0.7 g
• Zinc: 4.4 mg

Recipe with teff flour: teff, chocolate and nut muffins

Would you like to try a delicious and healthy dessert? Here we show you a recipe made with teff flour so that you get an idea of ​​how to use this cereal. You can enjoy it both in your breakfasts and in your snacks. However, first try to consult your nutritionist to determine if these types of preparations are right for you.

Ingredients

• Teff flour (195 g).
• Cassava starch (65 g).
• 4 tablespoons of ground flax (60 g).
• 3 tablespoons of coconut sugar (45 g).
• 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon (15 g).
• 1 teaspoon of nutmeg (7 g).
• A pinch of salt and baking soda.
• 2 eggs
• 2 grated apples.
• Coconut oil (120 ml).
• Coconut milk (180 ml).
• Chopped dark chocolate or chocolate chips (50 g).

Elaboration

• To start, preheat the oven to 180 degrees and set the reusable silicone molds.
• In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon, flax, nutmeg, baking soda and salt.
• Separately, in a separate bowl, beat the remaining ingredients, except for the dark chocolate and nuts.
• Now add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.
• Then beat all the ingredients in the same container.
• Introduce chocolate and nuts
• Then fill the mussels 2/3 of their height and cook for 25 minutes.
• Once cooked, let them cool on a rack.

Introduce teff flour into your preparations

Haven’t tried teff flour yet? As you can see, it is a nutrient rich food that you can easily incorporate into your diet. In addition, it is ideal for replacing conventional refined flours.

Remember to eat foods high in carbohydrates in moderation. The main function of these nutrients is energy, so if you don’t exercise regularly, your needs will be reduced.