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

Would you like to consume homemade breads and sweets without giving up a healthy diet? This is possible thanks to the teff flour. With this type of flour you can prepare a large number of recipes and delicious sweets, even if you are on a diet to lose weight, if you are an athlete or if you simply like to take care of your diet.

For this reason we want to explain what this ingredient is, how it works and in what type of preparations it can be used. Do not forget that although it is a healthier option than wheat flour, the basis of the diet is the variety and the proper distribution of nutrients.

What is teff flour?

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

Often Ethiopians use to make cakes typical artisan bread used as a basis for other foods and dishes of territory. Lately, a strong expansion of this type of grain is emerging due to the great benefits that its consumption brings, and which are reflected in an investigation published in the journal Food Chemistry.

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

On the other hand, it should be noted that its cultivation is very friendly to the environment, since its production can be done under different climatic conditions, even in dry or water-filled soils.

It has a relatively short cultivation time, during which we can obtain a large proportion of food for both 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 Plant Foods for Human Nutrition highlights , teff can help us obtain good quality carbohydrates, accompanied by proteins of high biological value. The latter contain almost all the essential amino acids, especially lysine. In addition, teff flour has a high fiber content and a high number of micronutrients.

Given its great nutritional value, teff can help us enrich our diet, especially if we eat vegan and do not consume dairy, as we can obtain good quality proteins and calcium in adequate proportions. It is also suitable for coeliacs, as it is gluten-free.

In teff, its content of iron and calcium of vegetable origin stands out, as indicated by an investigation published in Economic Botanic . Thanks to its high content of iron and some B complex vitamins, it can help prevent anemia.

In addition, it  provides a large proportion of fiber and resistant starch, which can benefit blood sugar control. In this way, the risk of diabetes and of developing other types of complex pathologies are 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 beneficial compounds for the body such as prebiotics, phytochemicals and antioxidants. These, according to the studies cited, can help prevent metabolic diseases such as:

• Mellitus diabetes.
• Heart disease
• Vascular problems
• Overweight and obesity.
• Dyslipidemias.
• Hypertension.

Nutritional value of teff

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

• Energy value: 330 kcal
• Carbohydrates: 65.4 g
• Proteins: 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

Teff flour recipe: Teff, chocolate and walnut muffins

Would you like to try a delicious and healthy dessert? Here we show you a recipe with teff flour so that you have an idea of ​​how to use this cereal. You can enjoy it both in your breakfasts and in your snacks. However, try to consult your nutritionist first to determine if these types of preparations are suitable 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 get started, preheat the oven to 180 degrees and set the reusable silicone molds.
• In a bowl mix the flours, sugar, cinnamon, flax, nutmeg, baking soda and salt.
• Apart, in another bowl, beat the rest of the ingredients, except the dark chocolate and the nuts.

• Now add the wet ingredients to the dry ones.
• Next, beat all the ingredients in the same container.
• Introduce the chocolate and nuts
• Next, fill the molds to 2/3 of their height and bake for 25 minutes.
• Once they’re done, let them cool on a wire rack.

Introduce the teff flour in your preparations

Haven’t tried teff flour yet? As you can see, it is a food full of nutrients that you can easily incorporate into your diet. In addition, it is ideal to replace conventional refined flours.

Remember to eat carbohydrate-rich foods in moderation anyway. The main function of these nutrients is energy, so if you do not do physical activity on a regular basis, your needs for them will be reduced.